Anti-Blemish Basics Acne Kit

I've used this a few times now, and I feel comfortable enough with it to leave a review.

First, I LOVE the smell. Most face washes have that chemical smell, but not this one! It's so natural, with a hint of citrus and tea leaves that is so pleasant. I have skin that isn't particularly sensitive, but can dry out in areas other than my t-zone, and this hasn't caused ANY drying, which is great! If I have to use any moisturizer, then I get way too oily, but this leaves my skin softer.

As for blemish control, I'm having adult acne issues the likes of which I didn't even know were possible. I never had major acne issues as a teenager, so I had no clue what works for me and what doesn't up until now. This hasn't made everything go away (yet), but I've used it for about 2 weeks so I definitely intend to keep using it. I will say I've noticed that the angry red irritation has lessened, and that my acne tends to stay pink or flesh toned now, and more sub-dermis rather than white heads and black heads, which I can handle! It's easier for me to hide them when they're not red angry welts on my face. This stuff seems to calm my face down, and I love that! I'm happy with it thus far, and holding faith that it will continue progress in terms of beginning to help me clear up the acne too.

I will of course update this review in a few weeks on it's success or not on that front!

If you're in the market for a gentle, more natural face wash that smells nice, is gentle on your skin, and isn't chalk full of chemicals (especially pregnant gals or anyone with major skin allergies!), I would highly recommend this! It's not just acne friendly... I wish I had known about this stuff long ago, it's way better than aveeno and a few other "skin friendly natural" style brands.

UPDATE: (about 4 months later!)
So I have been using this since January, and it's now the beginning of May, and while I love that it is good for helping with surface blemishes, I don't think it's cut out for helping with the sub-skin issues. My angry welts persist, and I am having to alternate between this and one of the Cetaphil foaming washes. I feel like that one dries my skin out so much, which really sucks, but at the same time it helps with the welts, which is something this one lacks.

I still really think this one is so gentle, and for someone like me who has to keep their face pretty clean, aka cleaning makeup off up to twice a day because it melts in Texas heat, and that's when my pores are clogging... I really appreciate that this isn't drying me out! Still loving the smell too!! Just wish it could handle the bigger acne issues

I am using it from last 2 yrs truly its gives me smooth & glowing skin.

Immediate effect on acne and pregnancy skin issues.Could see big difference after 2 wash and I continue use even after delivery. Soft on skin and best product in the market.

Wow this product is the only face wash that has actually worked for my pregnancy acne! Within a few days it was already clearing up my skin, and while it is a little pricey it is definitely worth it for the results it has given me!

Discovered this product when pregnant. Incorporating it into a truly consistent cleansing schedule/routine truly helped with my always acne-prone skin. After pregnancy I continued using it at night on my T zone, which is more prone to breakouts, prior to a gentle non-active cleanser (on entire face). It helps with blackheads on my nose, and practically eliminates my need for benzoyl peroxide.

As time passes obviously I age and perhaps my skin changes. However, historically, I have a greasy T-zone, and am prone to breakouts (whiteheads and cystic acne) especially where my hair or hands touch my face a lot (in and out of the T zone). Through experimentation, I know that if I touch my face a lot, don’t wash my face within 18ish hours of prior washing, and don’t manage two washings a day generally, I will experience some cystic acne about 2 weeks later. Very consistent. Benzoyl peroxide has historically been my preferred acne treatment product, until pregnancy. Salicylic acid never worked quite as well for me in terms of reducing redness/inflammation or healing zits or preventing acne, but helped.

Even with a consistent routine, I need some help from a product for added exfoliation. And I particularly rely on products like benzoyl peroxide if I have strayed from routine. The lactic acid in this face wash offers a boost of exfoliation that my cleanser doesn’t provide (which the more sensitive and dry skin on my face does not need or tolerate generally).

The literature on skin and acne (the same that say acne takes two weeks to form) indicate that physical exfoliants (towels, scrubs) just scratch up the facial skin and allow bacteria into the skin, leading to acne. For years I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, or the thing about taking two weeks for acne to form, or the other thing about moisturizer helping to even out oil production! For twenty years it seemed like literally anything I did or used could make acne worse within a couple days (and my skin was flaky and irritated). The two week time period, if true, made it very difficult to really tell if there was a cause and effect for any product or action, since acne was popping up all the time. Eventually I got desperate and rather than chase antibiotic creams, I stripped the routine down to one cleansing product for over two weeks to get a baseline, tracking my product use and skin/acne status in a calendar, and introducing one new product (lotion, acne treatment, new cleanser) only after at least two weeks had passed. This is how I confirmed the routine/scheduled I need, and that some moisturizers are terrible for me while others are great. This made it much easier, since, to see when something like a product or schedule change impacts my skin (yes, two weeks later). In fact, scrubs don’t help sensitive skin.

All of this to say, this product is definitively part of my life forever more while I continue to get adult acne, and certainly when I am pregnant.