my dirty little beauty secret

Image from Acne Compare.

Since Jason is sharing his "back to basics" beauty secrets, I thought I would share my skin care regime as well. I would not say that I used to have very bad skin or anything, but I would occasionally break out, and when I did, it would be those deep, under the skin, takes forever to go away zits. And, I found that as I got older, they would not go away! I tried everything - weekly facials, microdermabrasion, dermatologists, expensive beauty products (La Mer, Dauphin, Natura Bisse, pretty much anything you can buy on the first floor of Barney's or NM), cortizone injections...but while some of these things would help (LOVE the triple oxygen facial at Bliss with microdermabrasion), none of these things would provide me with any long-term results for clear skin.

I had heard about Proactiv, but honestly, I dismissed it because it was on an infomercial. Then I started to hear about other friends of friends that used it. And these friends of friends had great skin! And one day a few years ago, I noticed that there was a Proactiv vending machine in the Century City mall (hidden in the corner by the movie theater!). And it was a day that I was particularly fed up with my skin. So I purchased the spot treatment and the small travel pack of the cleanser, toner, and repairing lotion, and vowed to try it for a week. The spot treatment was pretty useless (sorry, but I've got to be honest), and the week came and went with no noticeable change in my skin.

But, I got into the habit of using the Proactiv, and I didn't want to screw up its effectiveness by alternating with other products, and frankly I was tired of spending hundreds of dollars on "lotions and potions". So when I had gone through the entire travel bottles, I thought I would get the regular size, because it was cheaper than any of the other cleansing regimes. And slowly, without even really noticing, my breakouts became less frequent. And when I went to facials, the aestheticians would comment about how clear my skin was, and how it hardly any congestion. My skin is softer than its ever been, and I never really worry about breakouts now.

Of course, I still get clogged pores and blackheads occasionally, but I rarely get those deep red zits anymore. And I've saved probably thousands of dollars on products and now only treat myself to facials about twice a year. (Okay, maybe three times a year.) In terms of cost, convenience, and effectiveness, Proactiv has definitely worked for me!