By Catherine Rigod
Life may be crazy, but we’re not 16 anymore with those crazy hormonal upheavals. As a grownup we have special needs for our skin, and can’t withstand the overly drying properties of the teen meds. Our answer? L’Oreal’s new Acne Response system for adult skin.
Offering a 3 step system, the kit includes the Pore-Clearing Cleanser, Skin-Clarifying Toner and Blemish-Fighting Lotion. The cleanser acts as an deep-cleaning exfoliant with 1% salicylic acid while the panthenol-based toner refines pores and kills any surface bacteria. Finally, the Blemish-Fighting Lotion is a treatment with 2% benzyl peroxide, clearing up any existing acne on the surface.
Overall, I found this system very helpful, with no drying or peeling from the cleanser & toner. My skin is left feeling refreshed and extremely clean. The redness has calmed down and the breakouts become less puffy. The Blemish-Fighting Lotion, however, was too drying for me, so sensitive folks need to use this sparingly. One application left my skin peeling within 30 minutes. The benzyl peroxide was too harsh, so I skipped this step used a light water-based moisturizer instead.
For dermatological peel results at the convenience & privacy of your home, the 2nd system is a must, smoothing your skin by lifting off dead skin layers to reveal healthy fresh skin. A twice-weekly process, this peel starts with the Pre-Peel Prep Treatment (0.55% salicylic acid), Intensive Peel serum (2.0% salicylic acid) and Post-Peel Neutralizing Moisturizer (0.6% salicylic acid) cools and stops the action of the peel.
This made my skin feel clean and tight. I peeled slightly, like a light sun-burn. The moisturizer wasn’t as intense as the Blemish-Fighting Lotion, but it is still very drying. I used this before bedtime. So it does work. A thumbs-up! My acne has significantly cleared up in 3 weeks and the occurrence of any cystic acne has been reduced by about 80%.
Available at Walgreen’s, www.drugstore.com and fine drug stores everywhere for about $24.99
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