Week 4 - Starting to really see the benefits!

Day 22 - I'm still a little flaky during the day so I'm looking forward to cutting the Exfoderm to every other day now. I also bought myself a Clarisonic face brush today so will try it once it's fully charged. Hoping that this will help remove the flaky skin more so I can wear make up, not that I really need it with this glowy skin but I want to wear some blusher and concealer at least on top of the mascara. Overall very happy with what's happening improvement wise. Can't wait to see my blackheads and large pores shrink and disappear even more.

My Mia 2 from Debenhams

Day 23 - I decided to skip the Tretinoin yesterday evening and will start using it every other day, alternating days with the Exfoderm. For some reason my face was feeling hot and flushed yesterday after a day of shopping so I figured cutting Tretinoin might help fight that. I used my Clarisonic face brush this morning for the first time. My skin is silky soft now! Still a bit flaky in certain areas though. I feel I look so much fresher now, although the under eye wrinkles are still worse than normal.

Day 24 - Make up is looking ok now as flakiness is minimal. I think the Clarisonic face brush is amazing, my skin feels so soft and it's supposed to help the cleanser penetrate the skin better. I think it's working although I've only used it three times so the jury is still out on long term benefits. I'm using the soft brush head as I don't want to agitate my skin whilst getting used to it. I've been inspecting my skin in a 10x magnifying mirror and my large pores and blackheads have improved. Still a way to go but it's getting there for sure! I am officially a fan of Obagi Nu-Derm, that's for certain.

Day 25 - Doing the Exfoderm and Tretinoin alternate days is working for me as my skin is more "normal" in both colour and less flaky. Although today I am peeling a lot in the eye and forehead area, even my eyelids are flaky. It looks a bit weird! It has also got worse as the day goes by so today has turned into a full on flakiness day. I try not to use the moisturiser except for on the eye area and where I'm dry, which is around the nose and mouth mostly. I can't even see the two annoying sunspots anymore. Now my face is back to normal colour too so they are definitely gone. This is great news!

Day 25 AM

Day 25 AM

Day 26 - Less flaking today which is reassuring. Today is Exoderm application day. I applied the Tretinoin last night and this morning I was a little pink. My neck is starting to show another small dry spot so back to intense moisturising until it's normal. I'm really not using a lot of the moisturiser at all, unless super dry and flaky. My skin is looking so glowy but it seems it's still going to be up and down with peeling for the time being. I'm definitely over the worst and now I'm getting impatient to get better results on my large pores and blackheads. I can't believe the changes I've seen in only four weeks, it's very impressive. I'm doing this for 12 weeks so I'm not even half way through yet. I'm excited to see what the end result will be!

Day 27 - Today was my first day in my new job and I was hoping my skin would look fantastic. No such luck. I was peeling a lot and had to do some gentle exfoliation with my fingers when the skin was wet to make sure I got most of it off. I'm also getting a red spot on my nose again. I think it may be the Clarisonic face brush bringing impurities to the surface. All that said, one of my new colleagues did say she's envious of my glowy looking skin so it can't have been all bad! I couldn't wear any make up at all except for mascara. As I don't want to get spotty I'm returning to Tretinoin cream and blender every night to help dry it out. If I get too pink I'll reduce it again, maybe do two days on and one day off.

Day 28 - Less peeling today and skin is getting a bit pink again from the increased use of Tretinoin. I can't wear any make up and the flaking was visible in the afternoon. It's not too bad but obviously as I'm new at work I'm a bit self conscious. I have another little spot on my cheek so I do think the Clarisonic is doing a good job getting more impurities to the surface. My face is also very soft. I've had a busy week but I will upload another pic tomorrow. It feels like things are adjusting and even more normality is around the corner once the final impurities are gone. Quite happy still!

Week 3 - Finally the peeling starts to slow down.

Day 15 - My friends are starting to think I'm slightly mad for putting myself through this skincare system as all I keep saying is how much I'm peeling. I'm very glad to have time off in between jobs to do this, although finally I think I would be comfortable in a professional setting. My nose is looking better in some places and worse in others with the pores and blackheads either improving or looking a lot worse. The neck area is settling and peeling. No more itching! The worst peeling is around the eyes from cranking up the Tretinoin and blender there for the last days.

Day 15 AM

Day 15 AM blotchy neck

I saw Dr Sarah Shah today for my follow up appointment. My skin is looking great and adapting well to the system. As I'm peeling a lot around my mouth I can stop using the Exfoderm there for a few days (Hurray!) to allow some recovery. Next week I will start using the Exfoderm every other day as I'm starting my new job and want to look as normal as possible. I'm also free to moisturise my neck as much as needed until it has recovered. She also said I could cut back on the Tretinoin to every other day if I wanted to reduce the pinkness, but I'm going to try to keep it up. My next appointment is in 4 weeks time, when I will have completed phase 1 of the system. Then we will also see how the small scars on my nose are looking as I may need some dermarolling to get them off. Exciting!

Day 16 - Not much change today. Applying less Exfoderm as avoiding the mouth area. Hopefully I will peel less in the afternoon as a result. Peeling starts around 2 or 3 pm otherwise so avoiding that would be great! Maybe I can reclaim my social life a bit more. :) My neck is looking better today too since I've been moisturising it like crazy yesterday evening. The Spa Manager at my gym said as my face is settling it only looks like I'm wearing the wrong colour foundation at the moment, with the pink stopping at the jawline. I'm thinking that's progress!

Day 17 - The peeling is slowing down slightly and I'm not so flaky everywhere when I wake up in the morning. I will try wearing make up soon but the skin is still peeling and isn't completely smooth so I'm worrying the mineral powder will highlight it rather than conceal it. Skin around the mouth is very dry so I'm putting extra moisturiser there as I've stopped using the Exfoderm in the area. I did still peel around the mouth yesterday but it was significantly less. My neck is still unsightly but the redness is subsiding although it's flaky and peeling. No new spots on my nose, just the one that popped up days ago. I'm still using Tretinoin every night and my face does go more red after application. I'm getting used to a pink face staring back at me in the mirror!

Day 17 AM

Day 17 AM

Day 17 neck update

Day 18 - I'm definitely less flaky this morning so peeling is calming down a lot! My neck has improved significantly from my efforts of hydrating it more throughout the day. I'm very happy. The pink colour is also fading more after the morning routine. This is definitely the most "normal" my face has looked since starting using Obagi Nu-Derm. The large pores and blackheads on my nose are improving, they are still there and I want to see them improve significantly still. As my nose is the last to peel it's probably going to take a bit longer.

Day 19 - I tried wearing make up yesterday evening, a bit of mineral powder and blusher. It wasn't great looking as the flaky parts were showing much more than without make up. At the moment my flakiness is on the nose and around the eyes plus a little bit around the mouth still. My skin looks very even in colour and glowy now though. I even got a compliment from a complete stranger at the gym! Wohoo! I get bright red when exercising still, it's a bit annoying but small price to pay given the positive changes overall. I've also got in to a routine of the morning and evening regime now so it doesn't feel complicated anymore. I leave a few minutes between each step so the cream can really penetrate the skin and it still takes about 10 minutes or so.

Day 19 AM

Day 19 AM

Day 20 - I'm starting to feel really happy that I embarked on the Obagi Nu-Derm system now. It's also nice not to wear make up as normally I wouldn't leave the house without foundation or powder, blusher, mascara and eye shadow. The time spent doing the morning routine is clawed back from not applying anything but mascara. Not much changes today to the skin. The part of my face (around the jawline and cheek) that looks a bit more red in pictures is where I have more sun damage. It was the last part to come off and peel when I did the TCA peel almost two years ago now. It's good to see that it's taken to the Obagi as well. I suspect it's a few weeks behind the rest of my face in the transformation to glowy. My neck is pretty much healed up now, finally. Wohoo!

Day 20 neck update 

Day 21 - The morning flakiness is very limited now and my skin tone is almost back to normal. I am seeing improvements in my blackheads now, there's definitely less of them. I've stopped using the moisturiser on my nose and forehead in the mornings as they don't feel dry. I have an oily t-zone so I don't feel I need the hydrate cream there as it's very rich. Overall I am starting to feel "normal" again and hopefully I'll be able to pull off mineral make up soon as I'm starting work in 5 days and it would be nice to look fresh faced on my first day, and flake free.

Week 2 - My face is settling to a pink colour but is still peeling a lot.

Day 8 - I'm so glad to have completed my first week! Unfortunately the redness is getting worse and parts of my face are very sore, my upper lip and area between my eyebrows especially. Applying the Exfoderm this morning was extremely uncomfortable and even the moisturiser was burning. My plan is to go for a run later but I'm slightly worried the sweat will sting and that my face will go even redder... (it shouldn't be possible!) I think today is the worst day so far. My neck has gone blotchy red too over the last few days, but I understand that's normal as the Tretinoin travels in the skin.

Day 8 red blotchy neck

Day 9 - I feel a bit better today. The Exfoderm application was stingy and uncomfortable this morning but my face feels a bit better. It's still bright red but overnight I've peeled everywhere and my "new" skin feels smoother. Neck is still blotchy. I'm seriously considering getting a clarisonic face brush as I think it will help wash off the flaky, peeling skin better. A nurse I met yesterday asked if I had a peel as the skin looked so smooth. Yay! I told her about Obagi and what's going to happen to my skin and the rigorous regime.

Day 10 - I'm excited as a dried out spot I've had for about 2 months near my mouth is now almost completely gone. I've been watching it shrink over the last few days. This stuff is definitely working (not that I ever doubted it with all the peeling going on!). The Exfoderm is still the most painful application in the mornings. Stings! I've attached some pictures from this morning, before washing my face. I'm very, very flaky. No sign of the redness disappearing either yet. My neck currently looks the worst. I noticed during the day my nose has a few tiny red spots on it and my blackheads look worse than before. I take this as a good sign, everything gets worse before it gets better! Dr Sarah told me to avoid using the moisturiser in the evening unless red and peeling. Well, I'm red and peeling all the time but I stopped using the moisturiser a few days ago on my face. The reason for avoiding it is that the skin will learn how to moisturise itself as the new skin comes up to the surface so the less of moisturiser you use, the better.

Day 10 AM before washing face

Day 10 AM before washing face

Day 11 - Maybe it's my imagination but my face felt less flaky this morning, after washing it was more pink than red but after about 30 minutes it starts heating up and getting red again. After a few hours the redness has eased back to more of a pink colour. This is small but welcome progress! I have a red spot on my nose and the nose is getting worse with blackheads and pore size being more prominent. My neck is still blotchy but less angry red and settling down a little bit. I have put moisturiser on the neck in the evenings as it's been so itchy and flaky. My social life is suffering, as the peeling is bad in the afternoon and evening around the mouth and nose, I don't really want to go out for dinner and drinks and put loved ones off their food. 

Day 10 AM blotchy neck  

 

Day 11 AM neck getting better

Day 12 - I have a few tiny red dots on my forehead and along the jaw line. Not sure what they are as too small to be spots. The spots on my nose has disappeared with the exception of one that is now drying out. Worst part of the morning routine is still the Exfoderm as it stings. My neck is still blotchy and the redness is spreading a bit down to the upper chest. The neck is still itchy. I've been putting the Retinoin and blender under my eyes over the last few days again and my wrinkles are therefore a lot worse, adds about 20 years to my age. My skin is still flaky once the sunscreen (final cream to go on) has dried. I will say that my skin is more "glowy" and looks fresh. I'm also looking at two sunspots that have annoyed me for years and I can barely see them, I can't wait for my face to be less pink so I can see if they really are disappearing.

Day 12 AM

Day 13 - My skin definitely has a glow to it and is more pink than red now. I feel like I've turned a corner! Even applying the dreaded Exfoderm this morning didn't sting. Hurray! My nose is now peeling too, the last part of my face to do so. The pores and blackheads are looking slightly better. The only downside is that the redness keeps travelling down my neck to my upper chest and it's itching quite a lot still. I am yet to wear any mineral make up on my entire face as I'm so flaky. Hopefully I can start wearing make up in the next 3-5 days if the improvements continue. Most of all I wish the unsightly neck would stop itching.

Day 13 AM blotchy itchy neck area

Day 13 PM more peeling

Day 14 - My skin feels quite dry and flaky today, even after applying the moisturiser. There is a new little spot on my nose this morning and the nose is continuing to peel. My nose is the last part to really take to the regime so I'm excited to see if the pores and blackheads will improve in the coming week. The blotchy neck is very dry now so I hope it's going to get better soon as the itching is annoying and it's unsightly! I'm really happy my face is pink now as I'd rather peel than be bright red all the time to be honest. I'm much more comfortable being seen in public for the last couple of days. I still get bright red during exercise though but that's not too bad. Tomorrow I'm meeting Dr Sarah for my follow up consultation to see how my skin is adapting to Obagi. To sum up the end of week two, I can definitely see improvements in my skin tone as it's glowy and the pores on my chin and around my mouth look smaller. My two sunspots that I've despised for years have faded significantly as I can barely see them. I can say the same for the tiny sunspots that were dotted around my hairline. I'm looking forward to see what other improvements I will see going forward!

Week 1 - Red, hot, itchy and flaky!

I started using Obagi this week after a visit to Dr Sarah Shah as I wanted to address my pigmentation and sunspots as well as large pores and blackheads. I'm in my 30's and have been fairly lucky as I never had much spots or acne, only the occasional hormonal or stress related breakouts.

In the past I have tried glycolic acid products and mild salicylic peels from Bravura London and also Retriderm retinol serum. I also had a TCA peel 18 months ago, as such I am no stranger to strong skincare products. However, Obagi is prescription only so different to any of the other things I've used. I'm scheduled in to meet with Dr Sarah Shah again in two weeks time for a follow up consultation. She's also said I can get in touch in the meantime, if I have any questions or concerns.

I'm also fortunate enough to have a few weeks off in between jobs so it seemed like the ideal time to start a skincare regime like Obagi. Especially since I was told I will be peeling and very red for the first three to four weeks. I guess my social life will suffer a little depending on the severity...

I'm using the oily to normal Obagi Nu Derm kit with the 0.1% Tretinoin cream. It's an investment as the kit isn't exactly cheap but from the reviews I've read it's worth it. The kit contains a lot of different products, some used only in the morning and others in the evening. Either way it's simple enough as they are numbered and have am and pm written on them. Dr Sarah said I would need 15 minutes morning and evening to apply the entire regime. Ideally I should also use a clarisonic face brush for the face wash and wash for 3-4 minutes.

Here's me before...

Day 1 - Washed my face for 3 minutes with the face wash and went through all the steps as directed by Dr Sarah. I started in the evening so applied the Tretinoin cream with the blender.

Day 2 - Woke up and my face felt a little warm and was slightly pink. Nothing much changed throughout the day except for feeling a bit tight.

Day 3 - When I looked in the mirror after waking up the peeling had started overnight, especially around my eyes and mouth. I was also very red around the eyes. I had to go to the hairdresser so I applied some mineral powder around the eyes to try and cover up the redness. It worked ok, but the flakiness still showed through. After the evening regime I was completely red, the skin was itchy, felt very tight and now most of my face was peeling with the exception of the area below the cheek bones.

Day 4 - I woke up with a snake face....almost felt like I had dandruff as I kept seeing flakes coming off my face. The good news is that the red / pinkness is more even across the face. Bad news is my laughter lines are so dry I look about 20 years older. I expected this to happen so I guess I'll put some Vaseline on it to soothe as it's very, very dry. The pores on my nose and chin appear smaller already which is the second piece of good news! I went to the gym and met my trainer, he said it looked like I had a sunburn. Maybe I don't look as bad as I think?! The flakiness is bad though and gets worse as the day goes on....

Day 4

Day 4

Day 5 - My face isn't feeling so hot anymore. My lips however are SO dry and I don't even apply any cream there so it may just be the cold weather. After I applied the moisturiser to my very dry under eye area and eyelids last night it is feeling much better! I find that my face is much redder just after the cleansing and application of creams and it calms down within the half hour.

Day 5 AM

Day 5 AM This is crazy peeling...

Dr Sarah said to leave the stuff on for at least three hours before washing my face again if I go to the gym, or use the products after gym if I go in the morning. I decided against going to the gym today after seeing the crazy peeling on my chin.

Day 6 - I'm continuing to peel A LOT and my face is feeling a little tight and itchy. A couple of friends told me I look like Samantha in SATC after her chemical peel....I can only agree.

I did some YouTube watching for Obagi Nu Derm and also found this website which outlines the phases. I have it in my kit as hardcopy but here's an online version with some before and after pics. I am staying indoors again today but tomorrow is gym time!

Day 7 - Last night after applying all the creams I was redder than before (if that was even possible) and this morning I'm also extremely red. My entire face is peeling now too and my neck is itchy. It did sting to apply the creams and my face feels hot again. I'm going at this the hardcore style using the Retinoin cream every night. Since the flaking is worse in the afternoon I'm braving the gym before lunchtime. I'll let you know what my trainer says about my stoplight red face. :(

Day 7 PM  peeling is very bad