• More than 2X as effective as manual cleansing
• Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
• Increases product absorption
• Gentle enough for use twice daily
• Reduces oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Reduces the appearance of visible pores
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Gentle enough for Rosacea, Acne and Seborrhea

Of course at almost $200 for the clarisonic brush kit it had better promise and DELIVER a heck of a lot. Being plagued with congested pores on my nose, chin and those fat little areas known as the "apples" of the cheeks – I wanted to use a product that was effective and would save me money in the long run. Money that I was spending at a high-priced Aesthecian (at a cosmetic surgeons face clinic).

I purchased the Clarisonic Skincare Brush in July 2006 and started using the brush as soon as it was delivered into my anxiously awaiting hands. I’ve been disappointed quite a bit in the past by products that promised a lot and delivered little to nothing. My biggest disappointments came from products I paid a lot for – so whenever I purchase a high-ticket luxury skincare item I am leery that it will really work.

I immediately set about testing. The Clarisonic brush comes with a gentle cleanser that actually is quite nice. I followed the instructions utilizing the brush for normal skin ( the clarisonic comes with two replaceable brushes; one for sensitive skin and the other for regular skin) and the Clarisonic brand cleanser. I really liked how the brush massaged my skin – it felt very nice and comforting similar to the massage I was used to receiving at my Aesthecian’s clinic. When I got to the nose portion of the brushing I only did one side so that I could compare a la before and after. I did the same for the chin area. After finishing the clarisonic brush facial I rinsed my skin and it felt unbelievably soft – which I credit to the cleanser since it was non-soap based and it was loaded with humectants.

After five days of use I noticed a major difference on the side that was cleaned with the Clarisonic versus the side I just cleansed normally. Even with my glycolic skin care routine I had more blackheads on the side not treated by the Clarisonic. The side treated by the clarisonic looked deeply cleaned. I also noticed that my acne and wrinkle creams seemed to sink better into the clarisonic cleansed sections and I believe that is what helps the creams and medications be more effective.

I do have to add a cautionary note here to those suffering from severe acne or open lesions – this product is not for you. It will exacerbate your acne. I used the Clarisonic on a cystic acne lesion and it made the blemish worse and a few others popped up to join it. I am not sure why or how it happened but now I only use the clarisonic on areas of my skin that do not have any active lesions. I would recommend getting your severe acne under control before using a facial brush. If you only have occasional blemishes or like me the once a month acne bump terrors as well as congested skin with blackheads, clogged pores and dry crinkly skin then you should give the Clarisonic a try – your skin will be better in very little time.

Clarisonic Skin Care Brush available at DERMAdoctor.com

Ms. Distressed Derma rates this product:

Disclaimer: All opinions and reviews at DistressedDerma.com are based on my experience. Your experiences may vary. This is not a medical opinion and unless explicitly stated all products reviewed have been purchased by distressedderma.com (aka ms. distressedderma).

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1. Clarisonic Skincare Brush Review
2. Calidora Skin Care Collection Review
3. Intelligent Aesthetics Clear – Personalized Skincare

I’m already a loyal user of DERMAdoctor TeaseZone and absolutely love it but I’m also a beauty and skin care junkie who needs to try new products. Testing and reviewing the Oil Control Lotion from Mary Kay was the beauty fix I needed.

The lotion comes in a 4 ounce bottle and retails for about $18 (directly from marykay.com). The lotion itself is very lightweight, absorbs quickly into the skin, is unscented ( really like that) and left no film. I let it dry for about 5 minutes before applying foundation.

I noticed that my skin felt a bit dry and taut. Not uncomfortable but just drier than my skin normally gets using other products. My make-up looked good and I checked for oil breakthrough at every hour. The Mary Kay Oil Control Lotion held up well three hours into my work day but by the fourth hour my skin was shining. I used oil-blotting papers to soak up the excess oil and reapplied the oil control lotion over my makeup. A daring move but it turned out well. I used less than the amount I had used in the morning. What I did was: add a dollap of the product in my hand, rubbed my hands gently to warm it up and then very gently tapped the product around my face. After that I got another 3 hours of oil-free happiness.

The Mary Kay Oil Control Lotion is a nice product if you have mild to moderate oily skin. It probably does last 8 hours for those with less oily skin. If your skin is as oily as mine and you prefer continuous 8 hour oil-control then you might be interested in Tease Zone by DERMAdoctor.

Ms. Distressed Derma rates this product: 1/2 – since I had to reapply twice during the day.

Disclaimer: All opinions and reviews at distressedDERMA.com are based on my experience. Your experiences may vary. This is not a medical opinion and unless explicitly stated all products reviewed have been purchased by distressedDERMA.com

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3. Indulge Soothing Eye Gel – Mary Kay Cosmetics

I too believed that my oily skin could keep my skin looking youthful longer. However I learned that the level of skin oil production doesn’t prevent the signs of aging. What really causes those troublesome signs of aging like age spots, fine lines , deep wrinkles and sagging skin are over-exposure to the sun and loss of elasticity. In our mid to late 20s our skin starts to lose fat and collagen which give skin it’s supple,youthful and toned appearance. Coupled with the thousands of facial muscle movement overtime you will get wrinkles and deep creases-no matter how oily your skin is- the wrinkles will come.

So you can have aging, sun-damaged skin, fine lines and wrinkles right along with large pores, blackheads, acne and oily skin. It’s a terrible situation to be in as you have to fight two skin enemies; aging and acne. If you treat the acne alone with “teenage” acne products your skin will be dried out, and every wrinkle and crease will be dramatically highlighted by the parched dried skin caused by products such as Benzoyl Peroxide. If you only focus on treating the aging skin you may be tempted to use creams and treatments that will only aggravate your acne. Catch -22.

Personally I have found that I can treat both aging skin and acne by using a combination skin therapy consisting of antioxidants and alpha/beta hydroxy acids. The anti-oxidants and BHAs/AHAs(specifically Glycolic Acid) have been shown to slow and even reverse signs of aging and to help reduce acne breakouts. Five key elements of my skin care regimen are described below – these are the bare minimum that I need to use to keep my skin pimple free and keep the wrinkles and sagging, aging skin at bay.

MD Formulations Continuous Renewal Complex (a 14% glycolic cream that exfoliates gently and helps build collagen) in my opinion, is the best acne and wrinkle buster in the world. I use it regularly and my skin is clear, bright and smooth. If I get lazy or complacent and skip a week or two…ugly disgusting pimples and acne. I am never without this product, ever.

NOTE: I want to mention Retin-A here. Retin-A is a fantastic wrinkle and zit buster if your skin can tolerate it. If not I highly recommend giving AHAs (glycolics included) and BHAs a try. I think the best therapy, again if your skin can tolerate it, is Retin-A in the evening and Glycolic in the morning. If you decide to use a Retinoid make sure it is prescription as the over-the-counter products are not as effective, in my opinion.

Zeno MD - Instead of having to treat acne lesions and pimples with drying creams. I do the best I can to prevent them from emerging. That’s where the Zeno MD comes into play. By being vigilant about bumps forming under the skin you can catch and treat pimples before they see the light of day. Typically the pimple will be gone within 24 hours. If you allow the blemish to flourish before treatment is applied, it will be much harder to get the blemish to resolve fast – it usually will take 2 to 3 days (at least in my experience).

MD Formulations My Personal Peel -A Glycolic peel system with special treatments for skin brightening, clearing and smoothing. (How often you do this depends on your skin’s sensitivity. I recommend starting off with a once a week treatment and build up as your skin adapts to the treatments.

NEOVA anti-oxidant serum and NEOVA eye gel . NEOVA is simply the leader in collagen rebuilding skin treatments ( in my humble opinion, based on other copper peptides I have used in the past-NEOVA is the best.) I have been using the NEOVA Serum and Eye Gel for over three years and it’s nothing short of incredible. Wrinkles that had started prior to the NEOVA treatment are now barely visible. Acne scars are smoothing out and the skin on my neck looks much younger than it did three years ago. These copper based products are a must have in any anti-aging skin care arsenal.

Oil-free, sunscreen- DERMAdoctor Body Guard Exquisitely Light SPF 30 – I don’t go out without it. Using a good sunscreen will go a long way in keeping your skin appearing youthful.

Read my entire skin care regimen for fighting acne and aging skin.

Best,

Ms. distressedDERMA

Got a question? Send your skin care and beauty questions to msdistressedderma@distressedderma.com.

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In all honesty, it sucks that my skin is still subjected to breakouts this late in life, but it sucks even more that after the blemish is healed that I’m left with a hyper-pigmentation mark that takes weeks and weeks to resolve.

I’ve tried Tri Luma and numerous other “lighteners” in the past to help with the hyper-pigmentation, and to some degree or another they all worked. However, they worked harsh. There I said it – I ended up with redder skin (and sometimes overly dry and flaky)  on my quest to cure the awful red spots.  So as my grandmother famously used to remind me, “The cure is worse than the disease”.

A few weeks a go I received a request to review a skin care line by Dr. Susan Taylor called “Rx for Brown Skin”, a skin care collection specifically designed for the needs of brown skinned women and  boasting three powerful skin boosting ingredients. Soy to help restore a more even skin tone. The anti-oxidant Pomegranate to reduce inflammation that leads to skin damage (aka post-acne red marks).  Hyaluronic Acid to super hydrate dull, dry skin.  I was told that it worked really well on hyper-pigmentation, blemish prone and sensitive skin – and that it was very gentle.  Of course, that got my attention.

The kind of hyper-pigmentation I was experiencing is technically called, Post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation (PIH). According to Dr. Taylor:

When dark changes in your skin’s color remain after the underlying problem has gone away, you have PIH. The most common causes are injuries such as scratches, burns, cuts, or bruises. Rashes of any type can cause PIH (examples of which include eczema, psoriasis, pityriasis rosea, lichen planus, and fungal infections). Ordinary conditions such as acne or pimples are a very common cause of PIH in individuals with brown skin. PIH can also be caused by injury to the skin resulting from sunburns, surgery or cosmetic procedures such as chemical peels, dermabrasion, lasers and cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen treatments).

After reading several of Dr. Taylor’s articles on skincare and understanding how Dr. Taylor’s skin care line addresses the complex factors involved in PIH, I was ready to give the Rx for Brown Skin collection a go.

What I Liked:

An exquisitely, elegant creamy cleanser, “Rx for Brown Skin Bright and Healthy Ultra Gentle Cleanser”, that cleans deep, and leaves skin feeling smooth, supple and happy. By happy I mean not a single trace of irritation. After the first week I used the Bright and Healthy Ultra Gentle Cleanser with my Clarisonic Face Brush and would highly recommend the cleanser as an alternative cleanser to the Clarisonic cleanser.  The cleanser, as is true of all of the Rx for Brown Skin products, is formulated without known skin irritants and toxins such as fragrance, alcohol, dye, lanolin and propylene glycol.  The cleanser is formulated with a balanced blend of hyaluronic acid, soy and pomegranate.

The gentle and amazingly non-irritating “Rx for Brown Skin Bright and Clear Toner for Oil Prone Skin” does a good job of oil control but in my case I still needed to use facial oil blotters after a few hours, as my skin is constantly on oil production overdrive. The toner left my skin feeling refreshed and with daily use (over a four-week period) I noticed my skin getting clearer and clearer.  I find it refreshing that such a gentle product, though it has glycolic acid, can be effective without feeling like my face is being burned. The toner also contains Salicylic Acid which is a Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA) that is really effective on blemish-prone skin.

“Rx for Brown Skin Absolute Radiance” is an intensive exfoliating serum, like the other Rx for Brown Skin”  products, that is very gentle and very effective. “Absolute Radiance” contains Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) which really help refine skin tone and very gently keeps skin cells turning over – so for those of us who are acne prone that’s a very good thing. Same goes for the glycolic based Bright and Clear Toner.

The hydroquinone-free botanical brightener, “Rx for Brown Skin Naturally Flawless” contains Kojic Acid, Green Tea, amongst an impressive list of anti-oxidants and natural brightener. The brightener absorbs quickly, is non-greasy and non-irritating.

How I used the “Rx for Brown Skin” skin care Regimen: I used the entire product line for four weeks (morning and night) – exclusively. For three of those four weeks I was under tremendous physical, emotional and mental stress due to a very serious family emergency. And as is typical with my skin – it mirrored whatever stresses were occurring internally, and it did so in  a big way – my skin erupted. Dr. Susan Taylor’s skin care products helped get my skin through the crisis.

No, the blemishes did not resolve overnight, but the duration was shortened tremendously using this skin care collection and my trusty zit zapper, the Zeno Acne Clearing Device. And best of all instead of being left with angry, red hyper-pigmentation marks – the marks were pink and have almost resolved. I still have some hyper-pigmentation but it’s less marked and I’m confident that it will resolve soon with continued use. One note here, it was new marks that resolved fairly quickly. Older marks (pre-Rx for Brown Skin) are much slower in resolving but they are fading.  As for the melasma spots on my cheeks, I really can’t tell if it’s working well yet.

I also used the “Rx for Brown Skin “ sunscreen to protect my skin from the damaging UVA/UVB rays – which as we all know can aggravate and darken hyper-pigmentation and melasma. It bears repeating, and I probably sound like a broken record, but always, always use sunscreen.  Your skin will stay more even-toned and wrinkles will be kept at bay.

What I didn’t Like:  Toner Product Packaging – the Bright and Clear toner for oil prone skin is a treat but the delivery system is less than ideal. The toner comes in a spray bottle, quite pretty and elegant but in no way the method I’d prefer for dispensing toner to a cotton ball. I’d love to see the toner repackaged in an easier to use container.

Price-wise: The Rx for Brown Skin is well-priced ($18 to $38) making it an affordable skin care solution.

Recommendation: Would I recommend Dr. Susan Taylor’s Rx for Brown Skin? Absolutely. This is a wonderful product line for all women that suffer from hyper-pigmentation, uneven skin tone and blemish-prone skin.

I’ve been able to use less foundation and cover-up since the hyper-pigmentation and uneven skin tone are fading away. That’s a big deal for me since I rather not spend 10 minutes of my morning spot concealing those dark, red after-acne marks.

Where to Buy: Sephora and Dr. Susan Taylor’s Skincare website.

Skin Hyper-Pigmentation Resources: Dermatologist, Dr. Susan Taylor shares her expertise on achieving beautiful skin. I highly recommend this reading material for all women suffering with uneven-skin tone, hyper-pigmentation and blemishes.

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I’m admittedly biased when it comes to The Body Shop. I’ve been a huge fan for years, 13+ years to be exact when I first purchased some oil blotting papers and a great tea tree oil blemish zapper.

Fast forward to today, and I’m excited to share with you Nature’s Minerals make-up collection from The Body Shop. I’ve played with the foundation, blush and eyeshadow for few weeks. Testing and comparing it to other lines and came away pleased.

First let me share with you the criteria – the things I wanted from a mineral makeup. Most important was no reaction. Some other mineral make-ups I had tested caused my skin to burn and itch at the slightest evidence of perspiration – that’s major considering I live in the heat and humidity capital of the USA – South Florida. Check! No burning, redness or uncomfortable irritation.

Next, layerability. Perhaps, I made up a word, but in essence I wanted a makeup product that I could build from sheer to heavy. Again check.

The mineral makeup went on smooth and had good staying power. My favorite was the eyeshadow mineral makeup. So incredibly smooth and went on like a dream – that’s a big plus for us almost 40 types. The last thing we need is eyeshadow that drags and accentuates those fine lines.

Overall, I liked the line. Wish they had a bigger color selection, other than that I was quite pleased.

More info on the mineral makeup at The Body Shop.

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Mature skin plagued by oiliness, blemishes, icky blackheads and enlarged pores? Calidora has a skin care collection to address each and every one of those concerns. As you all know, I am the queen of confused skin – oily yet aging, and fine lines appearing, dried out in areas and blemish prone in others. A constant struggle I deal with on a daily, and I swear it feels more like hourly, basis. I’ve also been a living, walking bio-lab test subject for hundreds of skin care products over the last few years; some have worked well, while others have failed most magnificently. So when I find a product that works on my bi-polar aging, oily, blemish prone skin, I take it upon myself to spread the word far and wide.

I’m proud to have added the amazing and effective Calidora skin care product line to my ever evolving skin care toolkit. Some of you may recognize the name “Calidora” as that of the renowned Santa Monica skin care clinics.

Calidora Foaming Cleanser deep cleans pores and battles acne causing bacteria with Salicylic Acid and Zinc. The added Panthenol hydrates the skin for supple skin that feels great. Many deep cleaning cleansers on the market tend to leave my skin feeling like Joan River’s skin – tight as a drum and most uncomfortable. The Calidora cleanser contains a plethora of good-for-you anti-oxidants derived from red wine grapes. These powerful anti-oxidants fight off free-radicals, soothe irritated skin, reduce redness and increase hydration.

Calidora Balancing Masque is one of my favorite clay/mud style masque I’ve used to date, and trust me I have tried many facial masques over the years. It’s formulated for all skin types and like the Calidora Foaming Cleanser it’s chock full of anti-oxidants and other wonderful skin nourishing ingredients. Why I love it? It’s gentle, effective and leaves my skin with a spa-like facial cleanliness and youthful vibrance. The Calidora Balancing masque leaves skin with a perfect texture, never overly dry or overly hydrated, hence the “balancing” part of the name

Calidora Ultra-Light Moisturizer bumped my number one favorite oil-control product out and now sits proudly as #1 in my book. Words can not even begin to express how wonderful I believe this moisturizer is, but i’ll give it a go. To repeat, I have crazy, weird skin: Oily and dry, wrinkling and blemish-prone. To find a skin care product that moisturizes and leaves my skin looking and feeling supple while at the same time keeping the oilies at bay has been my personal quest for the beauty grail of balanced skin. Calidora Ultra-light Moisturizer delivers. As with other Calidora products, the moisturizer comes replete with a working arsenal of anti-oxidants, and added to that it boasts the acne bacteria killing and oil regulating power of Salicylic Acid and Zincidone (Zinc teamed up with L-PCA (not sure what this is, don’t care – whatever it is, it’s part of a skincare team of ingredients that works wonders).

Special 15% off order for distressedDERMA readers: enter “DermaSavvy” at checkout. Calidora Foaming Cleanser ($27), Calidora Balancing Masque($35), Calidora Ultra-light Moisturizer($35) – available at Calidora.com.

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I’ve learned to travel with nail polish remover, emery board, a double duty base/top coat and two pale shades of nail polish (I like to alternate I bore easily, must have different colors…). All in the effort to have presentable hands. Here’s what’s in my “Emergency Manicure Kit” by brand:

• Belle Hop LA FRESH Towelette Series for Travel: Nail Polish Remover Wipes (package of 6 for $4)
• Ms. Manicure Purse Size Emery Boards, Medium to Fine Grit (12 matchstick size files, $2)
• Nailtiques Formula 1 Nail Protein – a recent addition which has replaced OPI for base and top coat ($10).
• Rescue Beauty Opaque Nude Nail Polish ($18) and Sally Hansen Salon Lacquer Peachful Breeze ($6)

All the above travel manicure items can be found at drugstores or drugstore.com with the exception of Rescue Beauty – order that online at rescuebeauty.com.

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The pumpkin mask which smells and looks a lot like pumpkin pie filling is applied to freshly cleaned skin with a fan style brush avoiding the eye area. I did experience a slight stinging but it wasn’t uncomfortable or untolerable. My aesthecian left it on for about 15 minutes and then wiped it off using two large round wet sponges. After my skin was dry I noticed that my skin felt super soft. I did have some redness but my skin is quite sensitive and I’ve come to expect a certain amount of redness when undergoing any procedure.

A few days after the pumpkin peel I did notice that my pores seem much smaller, my skin appeared more even toned and was staying clearer longer all of which I attribute to the acidic nature of the pumpkin peel dissolving that nasty cellular glue gunk that leads to clogged pores which then leads to the dreaded acne.

Ms. Distressed Derma rates this treatment:   Treatment with a for price which ranges from $65 to $80 per facial.

Disclaimer: All opinions and reviews at DistressedDerma.com are based on my experience. This is not a medical opinion nor a paid product endorsement – it’s only my opinion. Your experiences may vary.

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As we age, our skin becomes less able to repair itself due to a loss of collagen. The skin of adults is not as resilient as that of younger people. So adult acne can be a much more serious problem because it can cause easily cause scarring in adult skin. It is a good idea to treat breakouts and not give in to the temptation to squeeze or pop whiteheads or blackheads that appear on the skin. Doing this type of thing can lead to permanent scarring of the skin. (from Acne Product Review)

In the coming days and weeks, I will be adding specific resources, educational information and product reviews all of which address the troublesome and frustrating topic of dealing with aging skin and acne.

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Derma Doctor Calm, Cool and Corrected has a soothing, calming property that helps reduce the inflamation and redness caused by acne and roscea. Derma Doctor Calm, Cool and Corrected

MD Formulations Continuous Renewal Complex (a 14% glycolic cream that exfoliates gently)and in my opinion, is the best acne and wrinkle buster in the world. I use it regularly and my skin is clear, bright and smooth. If I get lazy or complacent and skip a week or two…ugly disgusting pimples and acne. I am never without this product, ever. MD Formulations Continuous Renewal Complex

My facial skin used to be an oil slick. I am quite serious. Within two hours of cleansing my skin my make-up would melt off. I had tried other oil absorbing lotions in the past and they were awful. I usually ended up with dry, white patches intermingled with greasiness. YUCK. Derma Doctor TeaseZone is the first oil absorbing lotion that I’ve used that works and works. I’m talking about 6 to 8 hours of beautiful matte skin. Buy Derma Doctor TeaseZone

NEOVA is simply the leader in collagen rebuilding skin treatments. I’ve been using the NEOVA anti-oxidant serum and NEOVA eye gel for over three years and it’s nothing short of incredible. Wrinkles that had started prior to the NEOVA treatment are now barely visible. Acne scars are smoothing out and the skin on my neck looks much younger than it did three years ago. These copper based products are a must have in any anti-aging skin care arsenal. NEOVA anti-oxidant serum and NEOVA eye gel

MD Formulations My Personal Peel (glycolic peel with special treatments for skin brightening, clearing and smoothing) is the absolute best facial peel I have ever experienced. The Personal Peel system outperforms all of the expensive professional peels I’ve had and it cost much less. I have multiple skin issues; acne, sensitivity, fine lines and wrinkles and stubborn dark melasma spots -this product targets and treats them all.

MD Formulations Vit-A Clear is a powerful zit zapper. I apply it at night, by morning the blemish is either gone or resolving itself. MD Formulations Vit-A Clear

The Zeno MD Acne Clearing Device is a revolutionary tool in the war against acne. I love this product. My only regret is that it wasn’t available 10 years ago. The key to using the Zeno effectively is to get to the pimple before it breaks through the skin. Tough task at times but if you do, the pimple will never appear. The Zeno has also worked on my more stubborn cystic acne lesions.

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