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Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:15 pm  |
Thanks for sharing the routines ladies  I'm looking forward to spending less time in the a.m. on my skin during maintenance - but worried I may have become institutionalised to Obagi - it is indeed an ingrained habit now kim
angel - I've just ordered a Zo Oclipse trial size (still stupidly expensive) from eBay - so will see if tinted ss works for me - I do really like the Nia tho' - probably as I'm so corpse-pale, the iridescent thing looks okay on me 
I've also ordered some Jane Iredale pressed powder that I read some raves about (I really shouldn't spend so long on the pc... it's bad for my bank balance...) in the hopes it'll do something for the redness in these last 5 weeks - I may get away with makeup if I avoid the mouth area / major flake area
V much hoping the flakes will stop when maintenance finally arrives...  |
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42, reddish-blonde hair, pale, combination skin with sun damage & hyperpigmentation issues. Using Obagi Nu-Derm system |
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Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:40 pm |
I decided to on maintenance today. I know I'm only 8 1/2 weeks in, but any longer on obagi and I'm gonna start looking like MJ  I also don't feel that I will get much more out of this, I will do another stint in the next 6-12 months.
I'm stopping all obagi products except for the exfoderm forte and the tretinoin. I am now using:
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REN rosa centiflia cleanser
Aubrey organics vegecol toner
Exfoderm forte
Obagi sunshield SPF50
PM
REN rosa centifolia cleanser
Aubrey organics vegecol toner
Obagi tretinoin cream 0.05%
I really wanted to stick it out for the 12 weeks but as I stated, my face is now the same colour as my neck and chest, although there are a couple of areas that could do with a bit more. A friend of mine told me yesterday that she thought the scarring had improved by 95%, I would say it's more like 75-80% and the skin tone overall is even so I'm happy for now.
I may add the blender to the tretinoin in a few weeks if I feel it's necessary, I'll just see how it goes. |
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Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:23 pm |
| angel, that's great that you've seen such good results so quickly - let us know how your maintenance goes |
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42, reddish-blonde hair, pale, combination skin with sun damage & hyperpigmentation issues. Using Obagi Nu-Derm system |
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Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:42 pm |
one more thing... I know I've read (somewhere on here)part of a thread that discussed whether it really matters if you mix the Blender & Retin-a, or put them on one after the other...
can anyone enlighten me? I can't find the thread again now (I've read so many different ones )
the last couple of nights I've done the separate application method (just by way of a change, like) & it seems to absorb much easier... or is this a bad thing? Still some rubbing required
so does it really matter if it's blended on the back of your hand, or by being rubbed into your skin straight after each other? |
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42, reddish-blonde hair, pale, combination skin with sun damage & hyperpigmentation issues. Using Obagi Nu-Derm system |
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Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:53 pm |
| dianew wrote: |
| angel, that's great that you've seen such good results so quickly - let us know how your maintenance goes |
Thank you Diane, it really isn't easy giving up obagi after 8 wks, I've never been so dedicated to any cosmetic in the way that I have with obagi! It had become a habit but you've got to know where to draw the line if it can cause an adverse reaction
I'll still be in the obagi threads updating my progress and checking in on you guys |
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Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:56 pm |
| dianew wrote: |
one more thing... I know I've read (somewhere on here)part of a thread that discussed whether it really matters if you mix the Blender & Retin-a, or put them on one after the other...
can anyone enlighten me? I can't find the thread again now (I've read so many different ones )
the last couple of nights I've done the separate application method (just by way of a change, like) & it seems to absorb much easier... or is this a bad thing? Still some rubbing required
so does it really matter if it's blended on the back of your hand, or by being rubbed into your skin straight after each other? |
I've wondered about this myself. The nurse I had my consultation with told me to mix the tretinoin with the blender, the instructions in the obagi kit said to apply the blender first and then the tretinoin cream?
I still haven't found out where or why it has been suggested that the two be mixed together. |
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Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:46 am |
Hi angelofthenorth and dianew
The blender is designed to be mixed with the retin A. Its supposed to help each other penetrate deeper into the skin. Although I have used the blender on it's own, from my experience if you don't want to mix the blender, then use the clear first then the retin A. I got better results.
I have to agree with going on maintenance after 8 weeks is a good idea. I went to 24 weeks and honestly I stopped seeing improvement after 12 weeks! I think you will know when you have reached the maximum result from Obagi. |
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PamL
New Member
 
Joined: 11 Jun 2011
Posts: 9
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Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:52 am |
| My favorite sunscreen is Obagi 50. It's a combination physical and chemical block, so you can apply it and immediately feel safe to be in the sun. I also love its matte finish; most sunscreens leave a somewhat sticky feel to my face but not this one. It also doesn't leave any of the whitish cast that every other physical block sunscreen I've tried has. I have very pale skin and don't need a product making me whiter than I already am! The packaging works better than Obagi 32 too. The Obagi 32 is in a stiff plastic container which makes it difficult to extract the product from once you've used about 1/3 of the product. Obagi 50 is packaged in a more flexible tube, allowing for easier extraction. |
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Pam L. |
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Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:04 am |
| PamL wrote: |
| My favorite sunscreen is Obagi 50. It's a combination physical and chemical block, so you can apply it and immediately feel safe to be in the sun. I also love its matte finish; most sunscreens leave a somewhat sticky feel to my face but not this one. It also doesn't leave any of the whitish cast that every other physical block sunscreen I've tried has. I have very pale skin and don't need a product making me whiter than I already am! The packaging works better than Obagi 32 too. The Obagi 32 is in a stiff plastic container which makes it difficult to extract the product from once you've used about 1/3 of the product. Obagi 50 is packaged in a more flexible tube, allowing for easier extraction. |
I love this sunscreen too. It really doesn't leave a white cast, I think it is quite moisturizing but doesn't leave my face oily/shiny. I like the packaging as the tube makes it easy to dispense without too much coming out, meaning no wastage. It reminds me of Johnson's baby lotion, I think it smells a little like it too. |
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Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:24 am |
Can anyone recommend a sunscreen that is moisturizing or for extremely dry skin but can be used with obagi?
My Mum has got a bad case of the "uglies", her face is so red and wrinkled, it looks like crepe paper! She finds the obagi spf50 really drying.
I've advised my Mum to stop the obagi and retin a for a few days until her skin goes back to normal and then reintroduce the clear (she doesn't get any side effects from this) everyday and the retin a mixed with blender a 2-3 times a week, do you guys think that is a good idea, or should my Mum, B: use the retin a alone at night or C: continue the obagi programme as normal?
The more the redness is going down the more we can both see how much of the melasma has cleared up, I'm sure if it wasn't for that, my Mum would have hung up her obagi kit already |
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Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:14 am |
| angelofthenorth wrote: |
Can anyone recommend a sunscreen that is moisturizing or for extremely dry skin but can be used with obagi?
My Mum has got a bad case of the "uglies", her face is so red and wrinkled, it looks like crepe paper! She finds the obagi spf50 really drying.
I've advised my Mum to stop the obagi and retin a for a few days until her skin goes back to normal and then reintroduce the clear (she doesn't get any side effects from this) everyday and the retin a mixed with blender a 2-3 times a week, do you guys think that is a good idea, or should my Mum, B: use the retin a alone at night or C: continue the obagi programme as normal?
The more the redness is going down the more we can both see how much of the melasma has cleared up, I'm sure if it wasn't for that, my Mum would have hung up her obagi kit already |
I think your advice to your mom sounds right on, Angel. And, it's great that she can already see the melasma fading! |
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50 Is definitely NOT nifty!! |
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Thu Jun 30, 2011 1:24 pm |
| kims wrote: |
| angelofthenorth wrote: |
Can anyone recommend a sunscreen that is moisturizing or for extremely dry skin but can be used with obagi?
My Mum has got a bad case of the "uglies", her face is so red and wrinkled, it looks like crepe paper! She finds the obagi spf50 really drying.
I've advised my Mum to stop the obagi and retin a for a few days until her skin goes back to normal and then reintroduce the clear (she doesn't get any side effects from this) everyday and the retin a mixed with blender a 2-3 times a week, do you guys think that is a good idea, or should my Mum, B: use the retin a alone at night or C: continue the obagi programme as normal?
The more the redness is going down the more we can both see how much of the melasma has cleared up, I'm sure if it wasn't for that, my Mum would have hung up her obagi kit already |
I think your advice to your mom sounds right on, Angel. And, it's great that she can already see the melasma fading! |
Thanks kims, I'm not an obagi veteran by a long chalk but based on what I've read here and elsewhere, I thought that would be a commonsensical approach, although I do feel like I'm my Mum's personal obagi coach |
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Thu Jun 30, 2011 7:48 pm |
angelofthenorth,
You have come a long way with knowledge on Obagi! I think that's how we all are, it's from experience and what did and didn't work for us. It's great to hear your Mum is getting a good response from the products |
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Fri Jul 01, 2011 10:16 am |
| fongflyer5 wrote: |
angelofthenorth,
You have come a long way with knowledge on Obagi! I think that's how we all are, it's from experience and what did and didn't work for us. It's great to hear your Mum is getting a good response from the products |
Thank you fongflyer, I definitely feel like I've learnt a lot regarding obagi, everyone's input of their Knowledge and experiences have been invaluable and the support goes a long way too.
My Mum's still red, she has decided to keep it simple and wait until Monday to reintroduce the clear. She is just cleansing toning and using her thalgo moisturizer under her obagi spf50 ss. |
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Sat Jul 02, 2011 5:41 pm |
After 4 days on maintenance, I've decided to tweak my regimen. I think the NIA24 really congested my pores undoing some of the good work the obagi did and also made me look extra pale almost a greyish shade so I'm having second thoughts about going on maintenance now that I have stopped using it and can see a big difference.
I've started to use the clear again (probably about a 1/3 of a gram, I find I can spread this amount over my face with with ease and still have to rub it in and I don't want to overdo the HQ), because I'm using the clear, I thought it would be a good idea to use the obagi cleanser and toner again in the AM seeing as this is preporation for the clear.
AM
cleanser obagi - (with microfibre cloth) I feel that's when my face seems the most dirty (because of the retin a, it seems to change colour and washes off brown in the morning) and with the microfibre cloth I can see it coming off, ensuring that I get all of it off.
toner obagi - (I ve started putting my toners in the fridge after reading a suggestion from Keliu in the OCM thread (I'm loving it)
clear - 1/3 of a g
exfoderm - 1/2 a g
obagi ss -spf50
PM
cleanse - I use my clarisonic once a day in the PM mainly for the reason mentioned above and I also don't feel the need to use it 2 x a day as of yet
toner -
retin a - no blender for now
I'm unsure about whether or not to reintroduce the blender? I'm also unsure whether or not to stick to the obagi cleanser and toner in the PM or to continue with my maintenance products if I don't start back on the blender 
Thoughts/suggestions please? |
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Sun Jul 03, 2011 1:37 am |
angleofthenorth,
I would see how you go with re introducing the clear in the AM before you decide to use the blender at night with the retin A. Or you could alternate between the clear in the AM with blender and retin A in the PM?
4 days on maintenance isn't very long. Maybe you are being too hard on yourself with noticing a slide in your results? |
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Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:18 am |
| fongflyer5 wrote: |
angleofthenorth,
I would see how you go with re introducing the clear in the AM before you decide to use the blender at night with the retin A. Or you could alternate between the clear in the AM with blender and retin A in the PM?
4 days on maintenance isn't very long. Maybe you are being too hard on yourself with noticing a slide in your results? |
I probably wasn't clear in my earlier post. Basically, while I was using the NIA24, it made me look like I was lighter than I actually was and this was my main reason for going on maintenace so early. Now that i have stopped using the NIA24, I can see that I don't actually look the awful colour I did whilst using it so I'm thinking maybe I can resume the clear and perhaps blender?
I think my experience with the NIA24 has left me rather paranoid, that's why I'm being ultra cautious about going full throttle again, I should stop being such a scaredy cat and just go for it. I can't say I've back slided with the results per se, I just noticed that in the 2 wks I used the NIA24 my nose was plagued with blackheads and quite a few returned on my chin too. I've had to manually extract them as neither my clarisonic or microfibre cloth did anything for them. I just keep thinking I want more results...
I went a bit crazy on my chin, using the retin a definitely thins out the skin, it doesn't take much for my skin to break while I'm extracting blackheads. I've got a few marks on my chin that will no doubt peel off in a few days, I must say the retin a does help to heal the skin super quick, the blackheads on my nose have since returned and I'm thinking it could be the retin a, but it didn't do this to me before, that said it wouldn't be the first time that something I've been fine with turns out to start clogging my pores up, I had the same problem with murad. |
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Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:59 am |
angelofthenorth,
I understand you now! Yes I did get a bit confused. The clear will help with any PIH marks, so will the Blender and Retin A. The retin A and the exfoderm forte should help with skin renewal. I honestly thought the retin A would help to stop my blackhead completely but it has helped. I don't get as many. The only way for me to remove any blackheads is to manually remove them. If anything they do sit closer to the surface and I find they can be removed easily. Obagi didn't really made any difference to reducing my blackheads, except in making them easier to be removed.
I must be the same as you, despite whatever we try our pores are going to be congested. I even get regular microdermabrasion done, it's good for a while but the problems still returns!
Using a good AHA product helps, I'm currently using Dermalogical renewal booster which has 10% AHA and 0.5% BHA and I find this has made a difference. My skin starts to glow again if I use it regularly for a few days in a row. |
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Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:14 pm |
| fongflyer5 wrote: |
angelofthenorth,
I understand you now! Yes I did get a bit confused. The clear will help with any PIH marks, so will the Blender and Retin A. The retin A and the exfoderm forte should help with skin renewal. I honestly thought the retin A would help to stop my blackhead completely but it has helped. I don't get as many. The only way for me to remove any blackheads is to manually remove them. If anything they do sit closer to the surface and I find they can be removed easily. Obagi didn't really made any difference to reducing my blackheads, except in making them easier to be removed.
I must be the same as you, despite whatever we try our pores are going to be congested. I even get regular microdermabrasion done, it's good for a while but the problems still returns!
Using a good AHA product helps, I'm currently using Dermalogical renewal booster which has 10% AHA and 0.5% BHA and I find this has made a difference. My skin starts to glow again if I use it regularly for a few days in a row. |
Hi fongflyer, I'm having problems finding the dermalogical renewal, I keep getting dermalogica  Can you post a link for me please?
ETA: I think I've found it now |
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Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:11 am |
angelofthenorth,
EDS stocks it, they are having a store wide sale 15% off at the moment. I think the reason why I like it so much is the .5% BHA helps with breakout problems. On the directions on EDS is said not to used, if using retin A. However, I've spoken to a Dermalogical consultations and they said it was fine. I've been using it since January and had no problems. I though it really made a difference. When my skin starts to look a bit red, dull and blotchy from Obagi I just use the renewal booster for a few nights and my skin starts to look brighter and clearer. |
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Mon Jul 04, 2011 7:43 am |
| fongflyer5 wrote: |
angelofthenorth,
EDS stocks it, they are having a store wide sale 15% off at the moment. I think the reason why I like it so much is the .5% BHA helps with breakout problems. On the directions on EDS is said not to used, if using retin A. However, I've spoken to a Dermalogical consultations and they said it was fine. I've been using it since January and had no problems. I though it really made a difference. When my skin starts to look a bit red, dull and blotchy from Obagi I just use the renewal booster for a few nights and my skin starts to look brighter and clearer. |
I really like the idea of a AHA/BHA mix, I'd love to find a natural/organic one. I don't think AHA alone does much for me and if I'm not mistaken, it's the BHA that give the preventative treatment?
Fongflyer: do you use this in the PM before your retin a?
OT: I know you've posted this somewhere in the thread but I just wanted to ask again, how often do you OCM?
I'm learning so much here and want to try many things, I'm so glad I have enough discipline to hold off and do one thing at a time, obagi first... of course |
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Mon Jul 04, 2011 8:12 am |
I thought I might add, I've decided to go back on the full obagi regime but just reduce the amount of product I'm using so, I've had 5 days off and am back on wk9 I've also reduced the amount of retin a to about half a g and am also convinced that the cream id now causing me congested pores! Last night I steamed my face and pretty much cleared the clogged pores (minimal amount of visible pores/not enlarged and my nose was shiny), I applied about half a gram (maybe a tad more) of the retin a with under a half a g of blender and this morning my pores were congested and looked dark. I'm considering testing out using the the gel after appling the blender as I remember reading they cannot be mixed together that well?
I'm glad I was able to thrash out my thoughts and feelings on obagi in these threads, it can be a little difficult to get your head around sometimes, especially when noone you know in realtime has even ever heard of obagi.
Sorry if I went off on one in earlier posts, just so confused about what to do
Thank you fongflyer, it was great to have someone to bounce my ideas off of |
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Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:27 am |
angleofthenorth,
I did exactly the same thing I reduced the amount of retin A I was using to amount half a gm also. I do the OCM about twice a week, I steam my face afterwards with a hot towel to help to remove any residue. I think this helps to open the pores as well. There is a great thread on the DYI section on EDS about OCM. A lot of people have had great results in clearing congested pores, especially if they spend over 5 minutes just on the massaging. The first few weeks I started doing the OCM, then I had a breakout which really surprised me. I was really worried about PIH but because I was using Obagi it quickly cleared and left no marks.
With the Dermalogical or any other AHA product use it on alternate days to retin A if you use it in the PM. Tretinion is said to regulate cell turnover, which results in less hyperpigmentation, bighter, more radiant skin. AHA work as an exfoliant, they "unglue" the dead skin cells. Obagi Exfoderm Forte is a AHA which is why it's used in the AM. Whilst it was good, I found the Dermalogical renewal booster better.
It's no problem bouncing ideas off my me, I'm just really happy I can be of some help. |
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Tue Jul 05, 2011 7:38 am |
The funny thing about reducing the amount of retin a cream is that, I still have to massage it in for the same length of time.
I really want to try OCM as I think it will be beneficial for my easily congested pores and could have other benefits too. I just finished reading the whole of the OCM thread yesterday, I want to wait until after the summer to start as I don't want breakouts during this time and want to enjoy obagi results for a little while, by then I'll be on proper maintenance 
I'd like to try and replace an AHA/BHA mix with the exfoderm forte when it's finished as I really feel I'd benefit from the BHA's function.
Thanks fongflyer, you've been a great help |
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Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:10 am |
half way through week 19 now... I decreased the Exfo Forte to every other day at the start of the week, so am red less often. The side efect seems to be even mroe flakiness on the 'off' days though.
my skin looks about as bad as it did in the first few weeks, peeling and sore - aided by the fact that as I don't have my car at the moment, I'm using the motorbike, & pulling the helmet on & off repeatedly is a fine exfoliation method (as well as suncream removal method) - so I've got sore red peeling patches by both temples, as well as lower face
I really don't see how maintenance will ever work for me - my skin hasn't made peace with the ingredients at all, & I've reduced the amounts to a half gram (sometimes less of blender/tret)
help! seriously thinking of calling it a day... can anyone recommend a retinol cream that works? I don't think my skin can tolerate retin a without looking a total mess - which rather defeats the object doesn't it? I read the huge Zo thread, but people seemed disllusioned after using it for a while, & it's too expensive for me really...  |
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42, reddish-blonde hair, pale, combination skin with sun damage & hyperpigmentation issues. Using Obagi Nu-Derm system |
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