It's been almost 2.5 years since I started my new skin care routine that required removal of acids (lactic, glycolic, salicylic, tretinoin, etc.) and I'm glad I made the switch. Here's an update of my progress that's been long overdue.
Let's see….in my last "non-acid skin care" post, I left off at about 3 weeks into my new 302 skincare routine.
Here's how my skin has been doing for the past 2.5 years since the change: grrrrreat (I used to love those Frosted Flakes commercials).
I started off by changing my entire skin care routine, which required me to SIMPLIFY everything. I used to be one of those girls that took 30 minutes to get ready for bed, because I had such a complicated evening skin regimen. It's crazy how easy it was for me to put a ton of product on my skin in hopes of making it better. Now, I use very few products, managed to cut my evening routine in half and my skin looks better than it did when I was loading it with products.
So what did I do exactly? I started by weaning my skin off of acids or any other strong ingredient. The 302 line wants you to get your skin to baseline before you start adding in anything with active ingredients to ensure you don't get any bad reactions or bad breakouts. Oftentimes, our skin gets addicted to ingredients in the products we use, so this weaning process will vary from person to person.
Two weeks of no retinol, glycolic or salicylic acids, and I was scared of breaking out. Strange thing was, I didn't break out during the weaning phase. Typically, if I stopped any anti-acne treatment, I would break out. I attribute this to the quality of the products I was using (even though most of those products were very high-end). My skin did get extremely tight and dry, which was a sign my skin was addicted to products I was using.
During the weaning process, I used just three products in the 302 skincare line: Sensitive Cleanser Rx (cleanser), Calming Mist Rx (toner made primarily of green tea), and Remedy Rx (a micronized zinc oxide cream). I got the Rx versions of everything because the Rx versions are free of essential oils and I didn't want to add anything in that could potentially aggravate my skin. This was my routine for day and night for about 2 weeks. After then, I started on their A-Boost, which is their non-acid vitamin A serum, by applying it as a pre-wash 1-2x/week (I'll write a separate post about what a "pre-wash" is, or if you can't wait, feel free to send me a message and I'll happily respond). After a week of that, I began adding in the 302 serum in the evenings on Mon-Weds-Fri only. The 302 serum contains the Avogen molecule the 302 company is known for, and is supposed to renormalize cells (Avogen is a lipid found in certain avocado varieties). One month later, I added in their A-boost once a week on Tuesdays in the evenings as a leave-on treatment to keep acne away. The evenings I wasn't using the A-Boost or 302 Serum, I would use Remedy Rx. This company doesn't advocate using actives daily, because they say it weakens your skin and makes it less effective when used daily (skin stops reacting to strong products if over used, as a self-protective mechanism). Their ideal evening recommendation involves rotating 302 serum/drops (Mon), A-Boost (Tues), C-Boost (Weds) and giving your skin a day to rest on the 4th day (Thurs), then using the three items again. None of the boosts should be more than 3x/week or used on consecutive days. Interesting stuff--most companies try to get you to use their stronger products every night, so this was an interesting concept for me to accept.
The most unexpected thing happened--over the next few months, my skin became less oily, less congested, less sensitive and more supple.
Before the change, I used to get congestion around my chin and forehead. Every esthetician said that the chin congestion was "hormonal" and that there was nothing I could do to help it. I tried every night treatment to put on these monthly bigger zits that would appear--I also liked the burn that came with these overnight treatments because I thought that meant it was "working." I thought I had to accept this because it was hormones, right? No, I don't believe that anymore. A few months into this program, my chin was no longer congested. Even now, I hardly get any big, red pimples (*knock on wood*), unless I try some new makeup and anger my skin.
Progressively, people started commenting on how "nice" my skin was. Since my skin was less oily, I blotted less often and the area around my nose became less red. For many years prior, I was using Retin-A Micro or a different form of retinol, and I think this really thinned out my skin, contributed to the redness around my nose, and lead to super dry lips. I'm REALLY glad I'm stopped using this stuff.
It's been 2 years since I started and my skin has balanced out immensely. It looks healthier, feels thicker/more supple, oil production has decreased, and zits are kept at bay. I had no idea simplifying my routine and finding this brand would help change my complexion so much. I've never stuck with any skincare line for longer than a year, so 2+ years is a pretty big deal for this skincare junkie.
I still get the occasional spot, but they're not typically the big, ugly ones--they're completely manageable.
I love the line so much I asked if I could carry their line when I open up a green beauty shop. I have tried most of their products, but I won't be selling all of them-- just the ones that I use and really do love. Go to www.greenbeautique.com to see the 302 products I carry. Use code buy302 to access the 302 products page.
Please please ask me if you have any questions! It's a professional line and products must be used as directed to be effective. If you have a particular skin care concern, let me know and I can recommend some things.
pps. A word about the weaning process: 302 will warn you that the transition process varies from person to person…some have no problems with the transition, others have to battle initial dryness, and some break out for a few weeks/months before their skin normalizes and gets better. I have read blogs of others who broke out for 3 months before their skin normalized and their breakouts went away! Yikes. I was lucky enough to only get dryness for the first 2 weeks (skin felt tight like I got a face lift) with no new breakouts. Every person is different, just throwing that disclaimer out there.
I'll be posting about my CURRENT skin care regimen in a few weeks for those of you who are interested! Thanks for reading. :)
