Week 8 - Getting to grips with the Clenziderm face wash...

Day 50 - I must say I thought by now I would be looking amazing but instead I'm getting to grips with how much I can use the Clenziderm face wash. So right now I'm dry and flaky in the t-zone and forced to use the hydrate cream which feels like it defeats the subject. Oh well, another week or two won't matter if it does help my pores and blackheads diminish. This is a marathon, not a sprint...This is a marathon, not a sprint....This is a marathon, not a sprint....;)

Day 51 - As much as I moan about the Clenziderm face wash I do think it's working. It has brought impurities to the surface and skin is tighter and pores smaller. I basically use it with my Clarisonic face brush for 3 minutes in the evening. Then leave the skin for 15 minutes before using the toner, eye cream and Tretinoin. Tretinoin only alternate days with Exfoderm as otherwise I will be too dry and flaky....if I'm feeling too dry I use the regular Obagi face wash. It's a week of experimenting!

Day 51 PM after using Clenziderm 

Day 54 - I had a bit if a late night on Friday so didn't wash my face with Clenziderm or apply the Tretinoin cream. My skin is not dry or tight anymore from the Clenziderm so I'm back to just being a bit flaky and peeling. The Clarisonic face brush is great, my skin is so soft it really does help and it's so easy to use. I am definitely a fan. My skin feels glowy still and with the risk of repeating myself my large pores and blackheads are improving. Even some of the stubborn areas seem to show progress after using the Clenziderm. Yay! My only downside is that I'm still peeling quite a lot the day after Exfoderm application. Forget wearing more than mascara as when I've tried to put concealer or mineral powder on it still shows the dry peeling skin a lot. I honestly can't believe it's been 8 weeks without wearing a full face of make up. I caught myself staring longingly at the Bobbi Brown make up counter on way to work as I am dying to wear foundation and blusher for some reason. I was told though by a male friend that I don't need to wear make up as my skin looks great. :)

Day 54 AM

Day 54 AM

Week 7 - Mixing it up with addition of another cleanser and eyecream...

Day 43  - So I have endured two days straight with Tretinoin as I forgot the Exfoderm  cream when I went gym at very early hour yesterday. Skin peeled and looked pink all day and I applied Exfoderm this morning, so expecting peeling to continue tomorrow. I don't care so much about how I look anymore as nobody has said anything, although I had flakes all over my dress today at work and was distinctively pink. Tomorrow I'm seeing Dr Sarah for another follow up and I'm excited to hear her opinion.

Day 44 - Had my second follow up today. A few changes as I mentioned to Dr Sarah that I want to blast the stubborn blackheads and pores on my chin and nose. I've got the Clenziderm face wash to use in the evenings with the Clarisonic face brush for 3-4 minutes and focus on the t-zone. We  also said I can use the Tretinoin cream in the t-zone every day if my skin can cope. I'm going to cut back on using the clear to once per day (mornings) and keep the Exfoderm to every other day. I also got the Elastiderm eye cream as I want to have a proper cream for my eyes. Another follow up in four weeks and if I'm not happy with the pores next step is dermarolling! She said I look quite pink still so I had to explain my few blasts with Tretinoin. She said keep it to alternate days outside of the t-zone.

Day 45 AM

Day 45 - Used the Clenziderm last night and it was quite minty in smell and tingled a bit on my face. After using the toner and the new eye cream, I put Tretinoin on in the t-zone. This morning my pores are definitely tighter and clearer but it could be as my skin has tightened from the wash. It did bring some impurities to the surface and I look a bit pink again today. Let's see how I get on with this over the next week. First signs are definitely promising. I do think it will dry my t-zone out so might have to go easy with the Tretinoin to start off.

Day 47 - I decided to use the Clenziderm every other day for the first week as it dries out my skin particularly around the mouth. It's tight and feels a bit like it did back in week one when it was peeling like crazy. As I don't wish to return to that I'm being a little careful. My eye area has now returned completely to normal, even if I apply the Tretinoin around it every other day. I'm happy as looking more wrinkly wasn't much fun and I'm not happy with my under eye laughter lines as it is!

Day 47 AM

Day 48 - Wow, super peeling today again.The day after Exfoderm applications is definitely hardcore for peeling all over my face. I can pull thin sheets of skin off! The Clenziderm is strong so it dries me out a little. I'm using the hydrate cream again where needed. I hope my skin adapts to the Clenziderm as it has to the rest of this system. I'm starting to wish for less peeling to be honest. Seven weeks of constant peeling isn't for the faint hearted that's for sure. Although it's not bad every day. I've even been on dates and the lovely guy is either too polite to say anything or has genuinely not noticed. Who knows with men...


Day 49 - I used the Clenziderm twice in a row and now I'm cracking dry and I'm getting a few spots. Definitely every other day for this dynamite stuff! I guess normality is another week around the corner now....

Week 6 - Hoping for normality!

Day 36 - Start of week six. Slowly getting there week by week. Met a friend today who hasn't seen me since I started the Obagi system. She said I look like I've been on holiday rather than looking bad and weird pink. I think I'm my own worst critic. I went gym today and trained hard and my face got red but not purple red like in the first few weeks, very reassuring as I was very self conscious back then as it took a while for the face to go back to normal. There's no more spots coming (big relief!) but I'm still a bit dry and flaky, especially around the nostrils and mouth. Also a bit near the eye area. Nothing that can be noticed unless you are up close however.

Day 39 AM

Day 39 - Today I'm peeling everywhere and as I was a little too vigorous rubbing skin to get it off this week I've got a scab in my chin area. The spot on my forehead is dried out but weirdly also peeling. Not much else to report. I will go back to using Tretinoin every other day as I dried my skin out a lot and was so pink, it's finally feeling less dry so I want to keep it this way. No more experimenting! I miss being able to wear powder and foundation, especially with my ugly spot on show but I guess it's good to be make up free.... Skin at least is glowy and looks fresh (even after a night of wine drinking!)

Day 40 - I'm really pleased I bought a Clarisonic face brush as my face is so soft after using it and when I'm not flaky and peeling, it does feel like the creams go on my face easier and I can use less. I do think I'm seeing more  improvements in my pores and blackheads. The pores around my nose look smaller and cleaner. The ones on the nose are subsiding but are still there. The blackheads and pores on my chin seems to show the least improvement so far, but the areas where it wasn't so bad seems to have pretty much corrected itself. I will be patient! One of the small scars on my nose also appears to be less deep, which I observed a few weeks ago was starting to happen. There hasn't been a moment so far where I wake up and think "wow" my skin has changed so much which I know happens for some Obagi users. Maybe it will come... My skin tone is much more even and it seems finally my under eye wrinkles are getting back to being more as I remember them, rather than worse. Plus as I'm not dry now I don't use the hydrate cream at all, only in emergencies if I look very flaky at work and need to cover it. That's a good sign as my skin is now learning to not be dependent on creams for moisture, and it's supposed to happen.

Day 40 AM

Day 40 AM

Day 42 - I looked at my skin this evening before washing and it looks better. Definite improvements in pore size and blackheads. I keep going on about it but for me this is my key problem now the pigmentation issue is gone. I forgot the Exfoderm this morning as I went gym and left it at home. Oops! I will apply Tretinoin again tonight and Exfoderm tomorrow and see what happens. I guess I'll peel extra as a result, but I hope not!

Week 5 - Flakiness continues, experimenting a little with how many days of Tretinoin I can take without getting too pink.

Day 31 - I've been busy working so struggled with updates. The day after Exfoderm application is bad as I'm completely flaky and weird looking. I think my skin has gotten a bit worse but it could be my imagination as I think I'm more conscious with being at work again. Still waiting for the large pores and blackheads to improve much more. Hopefully this will happen! I'm experimenting a bit with how much to use the Tretinoin cream without getting too pink.

Day 31 my dress full of flakes

Day 32 - I read some online reviews from other Obagi users and some said their skin got slightly worse again around week five and six before achieving great results. Maybe that's where I am at as it feels worse and quite dry again. I'm still flaky everywhere. Not like in the first few weeks but I can't wear make up and I carry the moisturiser with me to work in case it gets very dry and flaky during the day. Today is Exfoderm application day so I don't look too bad, however I expect peeling snake face to resume tomorrow. At least it's weekend so I can hide away! My plan is to use Exfoderm every other day and alternate with Tretinoin except for Friday to Sunday when I will use the Tretinoin every day. Let's see how that will work, the back up plan is to alternate them as before.

Day 33 - As expected my entire face has peeled today. It started last night after the evening routine. It's easy to pull it off as it's thin skin sheets, with the help of a tweezer. The problem is it's time consuming but if there's still skin hanging after the careful washing and attempt to remove it, tweezers is the only way forward! I also have two red small spots on my forehead, which is why I was saying I feel like I'm going backwards. In some areas my blackheads are better, in others worse. I'm also drier where I've most likely put on too much Exfoderm. Time to cut it back around the mouth and nostrils again. It's frustrating but all part of the process I guess. I'm still only at week five so I need to be patient as this is a marathon journey, not a sprint. Patience is a virtue....

Day 34 AM

Day 34 - A spotty pink face greeted me this morning. It was Exfoderm application day again and it did sting a bit to apply today as I'm a little dry. I will put on the hydrate moisturiser tonight as I'm giving the Tretinoin a break. Hopefully "the getting worse" phase I'm in doesn't last long. Today my face also felt hot but I blame myself as I blasted my skin with three days of Tretinoin application. As you can see I'm still glowy but I did feel a bit greasy and shiny on my nose at the end of the day.

Day 35 - The spot is annoying me but there seems to be no more spots coming through. Thankfully! Seems like things are getting a bit better again as I wasn't greasy in the t-zone today at all. This week really has been up and down with the skin behaving a bit crazy and flaking / peeling. Hopefully week six means it gets better again and I continue to see improvements over weird spots and flakiness or oiliness. Fingers crossed!