Thank you for all your positive feedback on my 7-Day Salad Handbook (have you had a salad today?) and don’t forget to take part in the Mandom Barrier Repair giveaway (it ends on June 30) — lotsa goodies to be won!

Now before I dive into my review of the acne products from Neutrogena and Clinique, can I just say that my bathroom has never looked so dull? Why do manufacturers have to come up with such plain, clinical designs for acne/sensitive skincare products? I would feel better just for a teensy bit if I had something cute and pretty to look at on top of acne problems….Okay, rant over…

I’ve used most of these products for two months now so I think I have come to some fair conclusions.

I wouldn’t say this transformed my skin but I think it helped to keep clogged pores at bay — it’s not a miracle god-send type of product but it’s a light oil-free moisturizer with salicylic acid that reduces the occurrence of getting clogged pores. It doesn’t feel effective during intense breakouts, but then during such times, nothing feels like it’s working either…

I think this is still a good option because it doesn’t make my skin feel oily though it is a little too light so I need to put on a serum to counteract that slightly tight feeling I get after putting it on. Despite my seemingly lukewarm feelings towards this product, I have re-purchased this four times already (it’s a small tube and I use this twice a day) so I’ve been using this for about four months. I have repurchased this because I cannot find a better substitute to be honest.

Let me come straight off the bat and say, this spot treatment actually made my skin worse. I find that if I put it on a spot, especially a cystic one, I actually get a cluster of acne around the original one. Gross but true…It happened so many times that I have half a mind to toss this one into the bin after this review!

This Clean & Clear Persa Gel-10 on the other hand reduces and dries acne quickly. I can see a big difference overnight so I’m forever using this. Forever and ever. Even if it means buying it online on Drugstore.com and shipping is ludicrous.

For the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control product, I really wanted to like this because I read so many good reviews on Makeup Alley and Paul Begoun’s Beautypedia ranked this as an exceptional acne product but it made me break out in a red rash on my face in less than a week (applied twice a day). I refused to believe this wasn’t working for me so I cut back to once a day but my skin was really in a mess so I stopped using it shortly after.

I tried using it on my chest and back but again I broke out in a rash. So now I use it once or twice a week and I have no rashes. I’m actually doing a combination of things to improve my body acne (I will elaborate this in another post) so I’m not sure if this product actually works in aiding that, so this will probably not be a repurchase for me.

I got the Neutrogena Rapid Clear product because it also had outstanding reviews but thankfully I only tried it on my body because I had more acne (not sure if this was due to the product or my errant hormones) and rashes in just two days. I would have died if my face suffered in the same way — I wouldn’t have been able to leave the house.

Anyway, I tried to cut back on using it from twice a day to once a day to every other day but it just got worse so I’m junking this. But having said that, I have trouble throwing away almost full tubes/bottles of products that don’t work for me. I hope that with enough time, I would just toss them out!

I have read that people with sensitive acne-prone skin have allergic reactions to common acne treatments like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide — the horror! I don’t think I’m allergic to salicylic acid per se — maybe the amount and frequency matter?

As a final note on coming off the pill (read about my story stopping the pill here), I have despaired over this many times but I think time does heal. I feel that this past month has been an improvement over the past several months. I expected to break out like crazy because I always do in two-week cycles but so far everything is under control. Do not give up!!!

Do you have any acne treatments you love? Please share if you do!

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