Clinique 3-Step skin care (not recommended for acne)

I have the Clinique 3-step skin care for combination to oily skin. The facial wash has SLS, but not the toner and the moisturizer. It is important to use the clarifying lotion right after the wash to remove any traces of SLS on the face. Although the clarifying lotion has no alcohol in it, it has 0.5% salicylic acid at pH2.9. There is a stinging feel if your skin is very sensitive. I am not sure why it is called a lotion when it is a completely clear and highly fluid solution. Next, the gel moisturizer is critical to restore the moisture in the face after using the clarifying lotion.


I do not recommend for people with rosacea. First, it is pricely. Second, it does not relieve the redness. The salicyclic acid in the clarifying lotion stings the skin and causes the skin to turn even more red. Even with the gel moisturizer, it was not sufficient to soothe the skin. I had to add another layer of Niks's Skin Repair Cream to reduce the sting feeling.

Niks maple clinic

I had been a patronizing Niks Maple clinic since 2008. Before I decided to visit Niks Maple Clinic, I have read forums such as flowerpod, which many reviewers mentioned that there is a famous doctor called Dr Ong. Niks Maple clinic now has a few doctors. I believe they are equally qualified. But Dr Ong is still the most popular one. 

 

I still remember I specially took leave from work and went to the Tampines branch on a day when Dr Ong was on shift. I reached early in the morning at 8.20am. But there was already a snake-like queue starting all the way from the gate. The clinic was not opened yet but the queue was already so long. At around 8.30am sharp, a nurse came and started to give out some number queues. She gave from Queue #1 and stopped at #40. I was at 42nd place... I didn't get a queue number and the nurse told me to come back in the afternoon at 2pm. I asked her if she could give me a queue number for the afternoon slot. But the nurse tried to explain that she cannot and it was the policy, and told me to come back earlier in the afternoon. I was really MAD. I took leave specially to come and I had to waste a whole morning to come again at 2pm? Worst of all, I wasn't guaranteed a visit as I don't know how long the queue would be in the afternoon. Maybe even worst.

 

Anyway, enough of my rambling. I managed to see Dr Ong after a really loooooooong wait. I spend about $200 at her clinic which included the consultation visit and the creams and face wash. I don't have the picts of all the products now because I stopped using the face wash which I found too creamy. I was also given a sunblock lotion which made my face so white and sticky. I particularly like the skin repair cream (4.4oz for $80, can use for 3 months) as it doesn't not have a stingy feeling when I apply on my already-sensitive skin. I had Stieva A (0.01% and 0.1%) which I have to apply alternately every night. I was also given Clindagel (a topical antibiotic approved for the treatment of acne vulgaris). For your info, after the first visit, one could replenish the products without having to see the doctor. Thank goodness. I can't imagine myself queuing again!  

 

Based on my experience with Niks Maple Clinic and the effectiveness of the products used in combating my acne problem, I will rank the value add of Niks Maple Clinic as 6 out of 10, where 10 is considered highest value. When I first started to use the products, I had outbreak. I wasn't surprised because the doctor warned me that that would happen as the face needed to purge out the toxins before recovery could occur. Reflecting back, I think I was kinda gullible to have believed.

 

After almost 4 years, my acne may be more controlled (could be due to other factors like weather and skin care regime) but really very very slowly and I still have outbreaks every month. So, personally, I feel Niks Maple Clinic is quite costly and not that effective. I definitely need a better solution.  

 

Below is my recent facial condition. Above is the photo directly from camera. Apparently the acne doesnt look that bad on photo (a). It actually looks worse-off real life than on picture. Hence, I did some accentuation using Picasa cross process to show you my skin condition. I think (b) is more representative of the actual skin condition. As you can see, it is quite bad.

(a) Direct from camera

 

(b) With some photo editting to contrast the colour.

 

 

Watch what you use (even shampoos)

Recently I started reading about ingredients found in shampoos and it rose my awareness on the usage of sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in soaps and shampoos. It is well researched on how SLS are comedogenic (clogs pores and causes acne). For example, concentrations of SLS as low as 0.5% could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% can cause skin corrosion. In addition, SLS can be absorbed through the skin and affects hormones linked to reduced male fertility and increased chances of cancers.

Generally, FDA approves the usage of SLS in products that do not require prolong contact with the skin, such as rinse-off products. Hence, it is commonly found in soaps, shampoos, detergent, stain remover, body wash, etc. If you see SLS in your creams or lotions, beware.

I spent about half hour today in Watsons and I found that almost all the shampoos that are sold on the shelves contain SLSs, this includes shampoos for babies. The only one which I found that does not contain SLS is from Sukin, a brand from Australia. The ingredients include:



Ingredients: Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cocoamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, Equisetum Arvense Extract (Horsetail), Arctium Lappa Extract (Burdock), Urtica Dioica Extract (Nettle), Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Citrus Tangerina (Tangerine) Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Vanilla Planifolia Extract, Citric Acid, Linalool,* Limonene.*



Sukin Purifying Shampoo

Not only does Sukin not contain SLS, none of the ingredients used are comedogenic. It could mean two things: One, the company makes a sincere effort not to include ingredients that are comedogenic. Two, the ingredients used are not common and hence, few studies were done on them.

I bought a 1-liter bottle of the Sukin Purifying shampoo and it costs only $31. Relatively reasonably priced. I will use for a few days and update subsequently on the product.


Updates (16 Sep 2013)

After trying for a few weeks, I concluded that Sukin Shampoo is not a very good product. First, it doesn't cleanse very well. Over a few days, I can feel my scalp starts to form this white paste and smells. I read up and found that it is sebum and and is part of a healthy acid mantle. But too much of it build up with sweat and bacteria. The reason the sebum is formed is because the scalp is becoming too dry and the sebum forms an emollient film to reduce the effects. Although Sukin does not contain SLS, it probably contains other cleansing ingredients that may be equally drying. Hence, I decided to spend a little more money to try a new product, Ma Cherie. I will blog about it in a different posting. 

Mentholatum Acnes Creamy Wash

Mentholatum

I tried Mentholatum Acnes Creamy Wash, after a colleague introduced me. It is a relatively affordable product (about $6.90) which can be bought easily in Watsons, Guardian and supermarkets, etc. There are a few types of products which Mentholatum offers, of which the creamy wash is the most popular. Mentholatum Company is founded in 1889 by Albert Alexander Hyde, an American who developed non-prescription health care products. The company was then acquired by Rohto Pharmaceutical Co, a Japanese health care company in 1988.

One will not missed this on the shelves. There is usually some marketing material that indicates the product as "#1 in Japan for daily pimple prevention". There is a little maid logo which is very representative of the brand. On its packaging, it states that it prevents pimples by the following properties:

1. Anti-bacterial: Contains isopropyl methylphenol (o-cymen-5-ol) which penetrates deep into pores to fight against bacteria and prevent pimples.

2. Soothing: Helps sooth redness and skin irritation. Prevents aggravation of pimples.

3. Deep Cleansing: Helps unclogs pores and reduce blemishes by deeply cleansing to remove dirt, oil, impurities and excess sebum.

4. Moisture retention: Contains Vitamin C with moisture retention benefits

5. Anti-oxidation: Contains Vitamin E, an effective anti-oxidant to keep the elasticity of skin

This product is quite good in cleansing. It is able to provide lots of foam by squeezing just a small amount and mixing with water. It is able to remove oil effectively and the face will feel a little tightened after the wash. There may be a stingy feeling when you start to apply any lotion on top of the face after the wash. It may not be suitable for very sensitive dry skin. Lots of moisturizer must be applied after the use of this wash. This is to prevent the skin from becoming too dry. When the skin is too dry, the skin will tend to secrete more oil which will eventually clog the pores again. 

After a few washes (one week), I could feel my pimples are more in controlled and some milder pimples started to dry up and disappear. However, the nodules and cysts remained. Although the creamy wash was not able to remove the nodules and cysts, they did not grow bigger. They are somewhat under control. 

I would recommend this product to those who have slight oily skin. Personally, I think it is very value for money. However, one should not use this product everyday. It tends to dry the skin and will require moisturizer immediately after every wash. Without moisturizer, my skin starts to tighten and will feel uncomfortable, as if it will crack open.

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Follow-up on the above posting:
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I have used it once in a while for a couple of weeks and due to the dryness effect, I have stopped using it for my face. It is a quick cheap product for an immediate effect. However, it is not a long term solution for consumers suffering rosacea. 

When my skin condition spiralled downwards

I never thought that I would ever write a blog again. But I hope readers who have suffered or are suffering severe acne to have a second chance like me. Through this platform, I will pen down the various observations and hope the postings will help you in one way or another.

When I was 21 when I went to US for a student programme, my skin condition spiralled downwards. It was a year long internship cum study programme. Prior to going to US, I had a flawless skin which some friends envied and I had guys chasing after me. Then, I didn't perform any skin care routine. No toners. No moisturisers. No makeup. No sunblock. The only skin care product I used was a face wash. I didn't perform skin care routine, not because of personal choice but because I wasn't aware of the importance of skin care and kinda took my good skin for granted.

I had a box of makeup for my 21st birthday and for the first time, my friends helped me put on makeup. After a long night out with friends, I went home, washed up and immediately went to bed. To note, I washed my face with my usual face wash. No proper cleansing. No toner. No moisturiser after washing. It was my last recollection of having a flawless skin.

Rosacea Fulminans

The dry weather in the US made it worse. My face started to turn a little oily and whiteheads form on my checks, nose and chin. Coupled with stress from work and studies, lack of sleep, poor habit of drinking little water, I started having small breakouts to serious acne vulgaris, which looked like nodules and cysts. It is somewhat like a condition called Rosacea Fulminans. Of course just like most acne victims, I tried to squeeze the pus out, thinking that squeezing the pus would help level off the acne. I tried to hide the acne by applying makeup over them whenever I went out. Applying makeup on top of an aggravated skin and a lack of proper cleansing made my acne spread to even more areas of my face. Worse, it turned dark red. Totally hideous.

Proactive 3-step acne treatment

I bought Proactiv 3-step acne treatment system but it did not seem to help resolve nodules and cysts. I supposed it was for milder acne that are more on the surface such as papules. Not only was Proactive expensive, it made my skin reddish and itchy.

I decided to consult the doctors. I spent about US$400 visiting dermacologists and all I got was antibiotics and a drug called Accutane. There were some improvements initially after eating antibiotics. However, when my stomach started to reject the antibiotics, I stopped having them and acne became worse than before. I used alcohol to clean the acne, thinking that acne could be a result of bacteria growth. Not only was it painful, the skin became even more sensitive.

I went to a period of depression, hiding in my room and refusing to go out. I had this feeling that people were staring at my face and guys stopped chasing after me. My emotional distress probably disrupted my hormonal levels. I cried often and started praying hard, but to no avail.

Subsequently, I will be sharing some of my experiences with various products and services. While it will take time to heal, do not despair. There is a second chance for skin rejuvenation.

de novo - "a new beginning"

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