It's Good To Be Back!

I'm back! I'm back on Obagi C Rx skin system that is. I've been on it for about 5 years with breaks of a few months or so and always seem to go back on it. This past break from Obagi C, I started using the Cindy Crawford Meaningful Beauty day and night creams as well as a couple of other things I use before applying makeup. My friend L loves CCMB and is on the automatic mailing system of the product so she receives it every month whether she's out or not. She's accumulated tons of it so she gave me a couple of the products to try.

Since I was out of the Obagi C tretinoin cream (Obagi's retin A), I found an almost entire tube of a Retin A cream that the Boy had tried a few years ago for acne and never finished. I finished the tube off and then it was time to get another. I try to never go without a Retin A product. Bad things happen to my pores and skin when I do.

While we were in Birmingham this week, I headed over to Spa 119 to finally restock my Obagi products. I had planned on getting the C serum without the added skin lightener, hydroquinone, since I am a little suspicious of long term use of it even though it really works to get rid of age spots and freckles. I had freckles all over my chest that are now gone from using the night cream on my chest for a while a few years ago to give my face a break from it. Totally works!

I like the Cindy Crawford Meaningful beauty cream as a moisturizer with added sunscreen, but I still needed something stronger. My skin started breaking out (only minor, but still!) probably more from the drug store sunscreen I was using and my skin was flaking. Dry, yet breaking out! It was a mess!

Get Obagi C Rx System 20% Here with code May2013

I ended up purchasing the entire Obagi C starter kit since it is less expensive to buy it that way and I was out of everything anyway. The C serum in the kit had the hydroquinone so I went with it this time, but when I need a refill I'm going with the non-hydroquinone despite the fact that I was reassured that the 4% in the product was very mild and didn't cause any problems. It's still a chemical that I don't really need year round.

And I got the .05% Tretinoin Cream.

Obagi C Rx system also available for Normal to Dry skin Here 20% off with code May2013

Now Obagi C Rx has SPF 50 sunscreen instead of 35. That is much needed these days since I'm in the sun a lot. I'm going to avoid the drug store brand so hopefully the breakouts will stop.

I can already tell a difference in my skin after only two days of use. It is not peeling, seems more moisturized and the break outs are clearing up.

It's good to be back! Back on Obagi and back at the beach!

White dress: Free People; Black Jog Bra: Lululemon; Flip Flops: Juicy Couture; 

Necklace: Free People Here

If Something Works, Don't Change It!

A few weeks ago I was out of my Obagi C Rx products that I use every day, so I went to Sephora and bought some Philosophy products that I was told would work very well.  You may remember that blog post here.

Well, while I did notice some firming and reduction of wrinkles, my face also started breaking out very bad.  My skin tends to be oily and apparently one or more of these new products was clogging my pores.

When I went to get microdermabrasion last week, my aesthetician took one look at my face and pretty much told me what I already knew...  it was a clogged mess!  Collagen breaking down and everything.

She told me I needed to immediately go back on my Obagi C products, not C Rx but the heavy duty Obagi Nu Derm shown above.   Since I am still anti-nu derm products because of the sheer number of products you have to use everyday ( I mean look at them all!), I agreed to go on them after the wedding.  Maybe.

She agreed that since I was accustomed to the Obagi C Rx system and it worked really well, that maybe I should stick with that system.  She also added the Retin A product that is key to building collagen (which she said mine was breaking down) and to clear out pores.  She reminded me 2 dozen times that my use of it was not protocol, but since I had used it before and made my own protocol, that I should be fine to use it temporarily outside of protocol.

She spent so much time doing extractions that I didn't even have time for a full microderm facial and am going back twice more before the wedding.  She assured me that my skin would be cleared up and in good condition by them.

I gave the Murph all my Philosophy products and he's been using them.  He has dry skin and has had no problem with then like I did.  He likes them.

I guess I learned my lesson.  Obagi C products do great on my skin without clogging so I better stick with what works.