Update on SkinID...

Day 8, Thursday January 23, 2009:
Better still today. I tend towards red blotchiness and, that redness is getting less and less and better and better with each passing day. It's not perfect and, I don't expect perfection but, it is better.
I still have flakiness which is still worse at night right after the regimen than it is in the morning but, it seems to be getting a little bit better. And, I used the 32 again last night so, tonight I won't be using it in an effort to make sure that my skin continues to get used to the Benzoyl Peroxide and the Salicylic Acid.
There is no new acne and all of the old breakouts are totally healed. I'm just waiting for the scarring to fade more and more every day, as it has been. And, my skin is softer and smoother...even with the flakiness. It doesn't feel as dry as it did at first, right after using the regimen. So, I am definitely seeing improvements all across the board and I look forward to seeing what has improved each morning!
Check back tomorrow!

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Day 7, Thursday January 22, 2009:
I called an expert at SkinID yesterday, as I said that I might, and he suggested that I only use my 32 (my Anti-Acne blend) every other day for a little while. He said that I will experience dryness and flakiness for the first 2 to 4 weeks as my skin gets used to the Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid that is in my regimen. And, to explain a little about what I use, I have 3 steps to my regimen. One is the 14 which is my personal number based on my evaluation for my specific skin problems and needs. That first step is the cream cleanser which I use to wash my face. It features exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids and it helps to reduce the redness.
My second step is the 32 which is the Anti-Acne Treatment and it has Benzoyl Peroxide which kills bacteria, takes care of any breakouts and prevents any future acne.
And my third step is the 72 which is Hydrator. It is a water based gel hydrator that helps to keep the skin moisturized without clogging my pores and it helps to treat acne before it emerges.
In my kit, they also gave me a spot treatment which I used every night until last night on my chin and on the one new pimple that was trying to emerge for a few days and, it worked wonders. I can't recall the name of that spot treatment right now but, I will try to remember to let you know what it is next time I have it in my hands.

So, today I feel better than I did yesterday. I still had flakiness and dryness last night and this morning but it was somewhat less and, my skin looks a little more moisturized today. So, I will only use the 32 every other day for a while and let my skin get used to the Benzoyl Peroxide and the Salicylic Acid. Otherwise, my acne on my chin is completely healed with very faint scars left and I am hoping those will fade over time but, they are tolerable so, either way...I am just happy that I don't have any current pimples.

Check back tomorrow!

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Day 6, Wednesday January 21, 2009:
Last night was a little disheartening for me. My skin was really dry and flaky and it was a bit disturbing. And, as far as today goes, my skin is still pretty dry and a little flaky but, not as bad as last night. All this being said, I am still pretty happy with my results for a couple of reasons. First of all, even though I live in the South, our winter has been pretty bad this year. Below freezing temperatures, even into the low to mid-teens, means the heater is working overtime, drying out my skin from head to toe. And, I always suffer from winter skin (dry, dry, flaky, flaky). So, I am not surprised that I am suffering some extra dry, flakiness with my SkinID regimen. Before I even started using Proactiv my face was a little flaky in some areas. Not as bad as it has been with Proactiv and SkinID but still flaky and dry.

Another reason I am still pretty happy with my day 6 results is because my acne is still better today and no new breakouts. I am still battling the one pimple between my nose and cheek but, it is almost healed and, by now it would have been a nasty little mess if I wasn't using SkinID so, I will not be complaining.

I might either call or email one of SkinID's experts to see if they have something that I can use to help moisturize my skin a bit more. Or, they may have a suggestion as to how I can help combat the flakiness and the dryness. Until then, I can deal with it and I look forward to my face continuing to get better and better.

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Day 5, Tuesday January 20, 2009:
Wow! Color me even more impressed today than I was yesterday by my SkinID results! The dryness and flakiness is almost gone and is completely gone in some of the other areas like the spot between my brows and my chin. And I am still only in a small battle with one pimple between my nose and cheek. The acne on my chin is healed and the little bit of scarring continues to get lighter and lighter and I think soon, it will be completely gone! I can't wait! My makeup goes on easier, smoother and covers better. I am thisclose to actually being a little proud of my skin now. I can't believe how much I look forward to washing my face at night and getting up in the morning to see how much better my skin is. I am thoroughly looking forward to tomorrow's results!

Till tomorrow!

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In an effort to help all of you follow along, I will write my SkinID progress on the top of this post so you don't have to scroll down. At least until I find a better way to do it.

Day 4, Monday January 19, 2009:
Still pretty great. I have one newly emerging pimple growing on the left side of my nose where my nose and cheek meet. I haven't really been treating that area too much as my chin tends to be my worst area. But, I have no worries that my SkinID regimen will be helpful.
Otherwise, things continue to get better and better and I continue to be more and more pleased. Even the dryness and flakiness is somewhat less today than it was yesterday. And the acne on my chin is even more healed today than yesterday. My nose looks better too. I didn't put any makeup on today simply because I am being a little laid back (or lazy) today.
So, I continue to feel good about what SkinID is doing for my skin and I can't wait to see how I feel about my face tomorrow!

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I have decided to keep sort of a running day to day record of my SkinID regimen and how things are going for me. At least, I am going to try to. I may miss a day or more here and there. But, I am so pleased today that I wanted to share it with you and I thought that something like a diary might work. So, without further ado, I give you today's results.

Sunday January, 18, 2009:
First of all, I only do the regimen once a day. They recommend you use it twice a day but, I have never done that and with stuff that tends to dry your skin out, I am not about to start now. So, I use it at night when I get ready for bed. I still have some resulting dryness and flaking but, as my face also tends to be a bit red, it is actually not as red as it normally is. My skin also feels a little tight and somewhat uncomfortable after I wash it and use the other 2 products. But, by the time I wake up in the morning, most of the flakiness is gone as it might brush off as I sleep and, my skin isn't even a little uncomfortable anymore. And, I was able to either rub the leftover flakiness off of the few areas, or brush it off with my eyebrow brush. The three areas that are flakiest for me right now are to the right of my nose, all over my nose and on each side of my brows. But, compared to how bad it was when I was using the Proactiv, it is probably 80% better, or more. It really is less red and, some of the areas that were really flaky before, aren't flaky at all anymore. Also, my makeup goes on better and stays on better. It also looks better. And, the coup de gras...my acne. It is much better. Even the two new ones that broke out a day ago. They are nearly healed. The little bit of scarring that I had is lightening up and getting better. I also have a trouble spot between my nose and upper lip and that is entirely healed. And the pores on my nose are getting smaller and smaller by the day with no more blackheads. Once the flaking heals on my nose, I can't imagine how thrilled I will be.

So, to say the least, I feel really confident and happy with my day 3 results of my SkinID regimen. I only hope that things keep improving and that I continue to be able to give such glowing reviews.

Check back tomorrow for my day 4 results!