Clear Proof Challenge Day 6

Today would have been Clear Proof challenge day 6. I've been testing all steps of the Clear Proof system on my arms and this morning, I can see reactions. Both arms have itchy, red bumps, similar to a light rash. The rash is all over the testing area, not just the acne cream spots.

My conclusion:

It takes a few days to develop sensitivity to the system. I'm not going to continue testing to pin point the exact product. I haven't used the system on my face since day 3, when I first had the bad, allergic reaction. My face swelling is finally gone, the redness in  my cheeks is almost gone, and now I have red bumps on my arms. I think I've tested this system more than enough.

I hope that this system works for other people who are not allergic to it. Unfortunately, for the safety of my health, I cannot complete the 30 day challenge.

Side note:

The products I normally use on a regular basis have salicylic acid and/or benzoyl peroxide as ingredients. I've never had a reaction to any acne cream, soap, toner, moisturizer, or cosmetic before. The Clear Proof system is the first time I've ever had a reaction. I've used Mary Kay cosmetics in the past as well with no reactions (eye shadow, lip stick, facial powder).

Final test day - small, reddish bumps/rash - left arm, no Garnier

Final test day - small, reddish bumps/rash - right arm, Garnier used

I want to thank Influenster and Mary Kay for the complimentary Clear Proof system they gave me to try, and I am sad I wasn't able to safely test the product for the full duration requested. I hope they still consider me for testing other products in the future.

Before | After

Clear Proof Challenge Day 4 Continued

1:52pm - I just washed my right forearm with the Clear Proof cleanser. After dabbing it dry, I applied the toner, followed by 2 separate spots for the acne cream. I will repeat these steps tonight before bed time. So far, no reactions on either arm.

Clear Proof Challenge Day 4

Today is day 4 of the Clear Proof challenge. I haven't used the product on my face since day 2. I haven't used ANY product since then. Yesterday morning, I applied the cleanser to my forearm to see if I had a reaction. Last night, I used the cleanser to clean my forearm, then applied the toner. Over night, there were no reactions. This morning, I cleansed my arm with the cleanser, applied the toner, and applied the acne cream in 2 spots on my arm. I rubbed in the cream, and kept a "control" area free from acne cream (still has cleanser and toner applied though).

So far, there are no reactions on my arm. I only applied the acne cream a few minutes ago, so we'll see what happens later tonight. I will apply the cleanser, toner, and acne cream to my arm again tonight, leaving space between acne cream spots.

My arm 11:15am 10/21/14

My facial swelling has gone down a lot since Sunday. It is almost completely gone. I still have some swelling under my eyes, but I'm hoping that will be gone by tomorrow.

10/21/14 11:15am

10/21/14 11:15am

To be sure my reaction wasn't caused by using Garnier that one time, I cleaned my right forearm with Garnier, and will clean it again with the Clear Proof products in a few hours. Here is the before photo of my right arm:

10/21/14 11:34am Garnier washed

Clear Proof Challenge Day 3

Well, I had to stop the Clear Proof challenge. I woke up this morning with an itchy, swollen face and neck. I've never had an allergic reaction to any cosmetics or acne products before. I took a Benedryl at about 10:30 this morning, and again at around 2pm. My face is still swollen. I did a patch test on my arm, so we'll see if any of the spots react. I got a little itchy in the test areas earlier, but nothing continuous. I emailed Influenster informing them of the allergic reaction, so hopefully this won't disqualify me for future VoxBoxes. I really enjoy testing products, and was looking forward to seeing how Clear Proof helped my complexion. Unfortunately, an itchy, swollen complexion was not what I was hoping for. It's 12 midnight, and I'm still swollen. I've only used water to wash my face today.

10:54 am

10:54 am

1:56 pm

11:57 pm

Clear Proof Challenge Day 2

Ok, so I'm on day 2 of the 30 day Clear Proof challenge (that I received compliments of Influenster and Mary Kay to try). I washed my face in the shower this morning with Garnier oily skin face wash, then applied the Clear Proof toner, acne cream, and moisturizer. I wanted to stick to it all once a day to start, but I was curious how it would hold up through the day. I washed my face around 2pm. My boyfriend and I went to the movies (saw Gone Girl) and by 6:30pm, my face looked like the kitchen of McDonalds. I've never seen my face so oily before. I should have taken a picture, but I was out in public and didn't want to take a bathroom selfie.

Now, I'm not sure if it was the moisturizer that made me greasy, or if it was the combination of using 2 different brand products together. I just now washed my face to remove the day's dirt, grease, and makeup. I have to admit, it removed my makeup and dirt without having to scrub. The cotton pad I used to apply the toner was also clean, meaning there wasn't much dirt and grime left behind. I've never applied toner before and had a clean pad afterwards.

I have been congested and blowing my nose a lot the last couple days, so my nose is breaking out. The toner burned on my raw nostrils and acne, but we'll see how long the blemishes last.

I'll try the whole system tomorrow before I apply makeup, then see how oily my face gets.

Clear Proof Challenge Day 1

I received my free Clear Proof® acne system today courtesy of Influenster and Mary Kay to try. Today is day 1 of my 30 day challenge.

Clear Proof acne system courtesy of Influenster and Mary Kay

My skin is very oily on my forehead and nose. I'm constantly wiping my face to remove the oil and greasy shine. My acne problem areas are my neck, cheeks, nose, and forehead - so pretty much everywhere! My back, arms, legs, and chest are also problem areas, but I will be focusing on my face for this challenge.

Here are my before photos. You can see the oiliness on my forehead, and a few blemishes that appeared over night.

Before wash

Before wash

First, I used the clarifying cleanser to clean my face. It was gentile and fragrance free. It lathered up nicely and rinsed off without problem.

After dabbing my face dry, I applied the blemish control toner. It has a mediciney smell, but it isn't overpowering or perfumey. When I applied it, my face had a cleaning-type burn. It wasn't a bad burn, but I could feel the toner getting into my pores.

I let the toner dry into my skin a bit, then applied the acne treatment gel. I focused mainly on my problem areas and blemishes. It absorbed quickly and left my skin sticky for just a few seconds while it finished absorbing.

After it was absorbed, I applied the oil-free moisturizer. I've never really used a moisturizer because it never really made sense to me. I'm oily, so I figured moisturizer was the last thing I'd need. I was wrong. Since I'm working on getting rid of oil, I need to replenish my skin with an oil-free moisturizer. This cream was gentile and spread without using a lot. It has no smell and left my skin soft. To touch, my skin does not feel dry. It feels like it is slightly oily, but I've never used a moisturizer, so this is a feeling I'm not used to. My skin doesn't look oily, but doesn't look dry either.

After wash

After wash

To start out, I will only use the system once per day, until my skin gets used to it. Then I will use it twice per day - morning and night. I didn't have any makeup on today, so we'll see how well it removes my makeup tomorrow.

I don't know if it's important, but I'd like to note that I have hard water, and use a salt water tank to soften the water. I used warm water to wash my face, and usually have to rinse my hands with cold to remove the soap after washing. I didn't have to use cold water to remove the face cleanser; I was able to just use warm water.