Different strokes for different folks

Correct, so be smart to choose the most suitable skin face for ourself

Absolutely man. But still comes down to trial and error and it ain't cheap haha.

so basically this is used as a pimple cream right?

so what are the steps to face care with additional pimple cream?

first: cleanse
second: moisturize
third: apply pimple cream?

thats not a good way to use pimple cream unless you don't use moisturizers on your pimple areas. the moisturizer applies a protective layer which i think will make your pimple cream less effective if applied on top of the moisturizer. what i do is cleanse, apply cream, wait for like 15 mins to let the cream fully absorb, then moisturizer.

Diacneal is a good anti acne cream/acne scar fader/anti wrinkle/exfoliator. A lot of women use it to help give them good skin texture and for a glowing like effect. The packaging of Diacneal lists Retinaldehyde 0.1% and glycolic acid as the main active ingredients. Most have heard of Retin-A acne med and its effectiveness but harsh side effects. Diacneal is basically Retin-A but with not so harsh side effects. If Diacneal doesn't work then Retin-A is the next step. But if u use this your skin will be extra photosensitive so a sunscreen is needed if u r out in the sun a lot.

Rockets is absolutely spot on. Cleanse--->apply pimple medication--->moisturize. In the past I tried applying moisturizer first and my skin got really dry and red. Now after I tried the new steps, the drying effect of the acne meds is lessened.

ok guys, thanks for the info.. so after i apply the pimple cream, can i moisturize over the pimple cream as well? or i should leave that area out?

but what if i'd like to apply toner as well, when do i slip that in?

cleanse --> toner --> pimple cream --> moisturizer?

Those are the same few steps I use daily. But I only use the pimple cream at night. If u have a lot of pimples then it's best u apply the moisturizer all over including over the pimple cream. However if u only got a few spots here and there then u can skip applying moisturizer on those spots that already have pimple cream. Then u monitor and see whether or not the spots get too dried out by the pimple cream...if they do then apply moisturizer on them.

What pimple cream do u use btw ?

u can applied the pimple cream for about 10-15mins (as mentioned by rockets) before applying the moisturizer...by then ur pimple cream should have been absorbed....

cleanse --> toner -->serum (if u have any) wait a couple of minutes --> pimple cream (again wait for a couple of minutes) --> moisturizer

i have few pimples, they are more like old pimple scars..

this is all of what im using now.. i just started using these stuff like two weeks ago..



from left, first is the Nivea moisturizing lotion im using, after applying, face looks oily though..
then its some Lady Ann pimple lotion (contains alcohol), i think its like some traditional malay pimple solution..
next is the Eucerin cleanser i just purchased, was using Cetaphil & Panoxyl for 2-3 months before this but noticed few pimples appearing from time to time.. so decided to change..
the St. Ives scrub which i just purchased like a week ago..
Body Shop toner which i just started using a week ago (never used toner before actually)..
and some Aiken Tee Tree pimple cream my brother purchased..

hmmm never really heard of serum, are they highly necessary? i want to keep minimal the no of products which goes on my face..

so u go to counter product only? or anything u will try on?

What's your skin type ?

So far the lightest moisturizer I have used is Clinique M Gel Lotion. Biotherm T Pur is good too. I think the nivea might be too heavy for u. Does it cause u to break out ?

Most important is too look at the ingredients/active ingredients used. For pimples stuff like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and sulfur are commonly used. Tea tree oil is good too but my acne seems to have developed an immunity to it after using it for 3 months.

I think the products u using should do the job...at least u make an effort to care for your skin and not use Lux soap to wash your face like most guys LOL. But u might want to look at getting a lighter moisturizer as nivea moisturizers tend to be on the oilier side.

---

Added on January 26, 2010, 4:20 pmI don't really care about brands. But a lot of the pharmacy stuff I used before either too weak, too strong or too much fragrance. And they finish fast. I find the higher end counter stuff to last longer and more concentrated. I use a combination of counter and pharmacy stuff.

This post has been edited by jonny4: Jan 26 2010, 04:20 PM

i really don't know what's my skin type man lol..

i have another Neutrogena moisturizer but i thought i'd use the nivea one because its stated it contains vitamin E..

i think i'll try out the Diacneal product you recommended since its supposed to work for pimples as well as scars..

I think for our climate gel moisturizers are better unless u have dry skin. Most moisturizers come with vitamin E nowadays.

Diacneal does come with some side effects like peeling of skin, redness, breakouts and dry skin.

i don't think i have dry skin, nor do i think i have oily skin, im assuming normal.. but then, what do i know..

hmmm isn't it suppose to prevent breakouts?

Certainly what you pay is what you get. I think if you could manage to add facial treatment on your routine, I'm sure you will see the result more faster. As we know, facial treatment can deep cleanse to unclog the pores! This will make your product absorb more efficiency.

What type of facial treatments ?

i have used Murad's Post Acne Lightening Gel before...its transluscent and its suppose to lighten ur acne/pimple scars.....i considered tat as serum.....

After u wash your face with a cleanser...how long does it take before your nose gets oily ?

The breakouts happen because the ingredients in Diacneal are "purging" your skin of embedded acne under the skin. Depends on the individual and varies from severity. This is what i gathered from the reviews I read. This "purging" usually happens during the 1st few weeks. Most acne meds will do purging of the skin i noticed.

er, i don't know how long.. hmmm oily as in even a little oily? lol.. let me experiment tomorrow..