Step 1: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo is an acne treatment serum that you work into individual spots. This will sting a bit at first and gives me an itchy sensation. Don't be alarmed by this, it just means that it is working. It can cause some drying and irritation at first, but since then my skin has gotten used to it. When I see a pimple coming or did the nasty deed of popping one, I apply this on the spot. I also notice that using this product makes the pigmentation of acne scars go away faster.
Step 2: Vichy Normaderm Triple Action Anti-Acne Hydrating Lotion is an acne treatment to be used as a proper moisturizer following the first serum step. This lotion is not oily at all and has a pleasant fragrance to it. This product is to be applied all over the skin and helps prevent more acne from surfacing. I use this ALL the time versus the serum, which I only apply when the spots pop up. My two critiques about this product are that it doesn't have SPF, which means I have to layer on another sunblock on top of it, and it does not mix well with my foundation (Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua), creating some product peel-off. If you want to avoid that, I suggest only using this regiment at night, even though I use it night and day.
These two products can be found at select CVS drugstores and the prices are reasonable for French pharmacy items, which I think are top of the line when it comes to skincare.
Now, onto something that does not work.....
Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion for acne spots is not my cup of tea. I actually felt that this astringent-type solution made my acne more irritated, not to mention, it feels pretty harsh on the skin. The smell is pungent of alcohol. The lotion is the pink stuff at the bottom of the bottle and is to be applied with a q-tip on acne spots. Not worth the hype. This product just didn't work for me.
j
