Trying to be proactive
February 7, 2008 – 4:43 pmIn the coming months, I’ll probably talk about Jenn over @ SLP a lot, because she is an exciting new blog find for me. Especially exciting, since she responds to comments with emails. It is exciting, like having a tv star call you at home or something. She is similar to me in that she likes purple, is recently married (May 2007), her husband’s name is also Mike and she is a really cool chick. If I am ever in Texas, I’d want to look her up and take her out for a drink. Oh, and meet her dog, Molly. You have always got to show love to the pups.
But she often discusses things that I can greatly relate to, which spurs my creativity with new blog topics myself. I have to give credit where it is due.
Like many of us mid-to-late twenties gals, she is reevaluating her skin regime and was asking for input and opinions. Having been someone who has battled oily, acne-riddled skin since my first purchase of Clean and Clear spot control, and being a risk taker with all matters of products, I definitely knew I could throw my 2 (or 200) cents in when she asked for help finding a new cleanser.
I’ve been on tetracycline. I’ve been on Retin-A. I’ve done a 2-1 cycle of Accutane. I’ve tried Neutrogena products, Clean and Clear products, Oxy-Pads, Clearasil and even BC pills that promised to help clear the skin. Astringents, masks, creams, vitamins, toothpaste, dandruff medication in cream form – the list goes on and one. Ultimately, it was the round of Accutane that cleaned up a lot of my skin issues, but there is the occasional lingering blemish flair-up. I get the really deep down blemishes, that hurt badly, never come to a head and stain my face for weeks afterwards.
Back in 2002, after watching one too many infommericals about Pro-Active (long before they had any celebrity spokespeople) I succumbed and ordered it. I did it online, because that somehow felt less like I had actually bought something off tv. It came a few days later and soon I was washing, moisturizing and emergency masking my way to clearer skin. And it worked very nicely. For about 3.5 to 4 months (Maybe two shipments wort). But by the time the third box came, I had to shelf the product and call up, asking for them to stop sending it to me. Because while my skin was clear and blemish free, it itched so badly, I wanted to tear my face off. It started at the top of the forehead, near my hairline and by the time it reached the super-sensitive under eye area, I was calling up and asking for them to stop charging and sending me the line.
Really, I was upset that I couldn’t get the line to work for me, because I really wanted it too. They don’t tell you in the commercials, but they have an entire line of other skin care products and makeup and shampoos . . . you want it to work because you want to belong to that family of perfect hair, teeth and skin airbrushed Pro-Active people. Even the name makes you feel good about yourself. "Look! I am being proactive about my skin issues by using Pro-Active!" I tried to do a process of elimination survey by first only using the face wash for a couple days and then just the astringent for a few and then, just the moisturizer. But they all caused me to itch. Even after letting a month or so pass and then trying to use it again, the same issues came back up.
Now, obviously, the products do work for a number of people, including Jessica Simpson, Vanessa Williams and P. Puff Daddy Diddy Combs, but for me, they just didn’t. Not in the way I wanted. What is the point in having clear skin if all you want to do is dig down and rip it off??
So Jenn was asking for opinions and suggestions and one of the things she asked about was Philosophy’s Purity face wash. I have been using it since the days it was called "Real Purity" and paired it with their "Hope in a Bottle" (not to be confused with their "Hope in a Jar", which is for more normal skin) for the clearest skin I’ve ever had. With that, I drink as much water as I can each day and take vitamin E and if I am diligent, you can’t even tell when I start my cycle.
It seemed in a more recent post that she is not having exactly the same overwhelming results with the Purity that I have, but that is the fun/torture of skin care. Everyone’s is different and therefore, what works for me may not work for her or you. But truly, everyone should be washing their skin with a face wash (I’ve met about two people in my life who actually did and could use a body wash bar. Kudos to them.), everyone should be moisturizing their lips and everyone definitely should be wearing sunscreen. Even on the rainiest, cloudiest day in February, you should at least have SPF 15 on your face and neck and décolleté. Hands too. When we get older, those areas will show our age if we don’t protect them too.
