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Thursday, March 3, 2011

A Love Affair Renewed

Confession: I am resuming a love affair from my teen years. It started innocently enough, just a taste of the former compatibility, but then…well, then it turned into an obsession. When I remembered how we were together, how we completed each other in ways no other could do.

Oh I had tried others, many others, so many others. People would say “hey, that one’s good, too” but I returned with open arms because…well, they weren’t good, too. Not as good, not even close.

I’m back in love with Neutrogena.

I’ve bemoaned my skin problems here and of course the whole Funky Friday episode.  And I thought I had found the perfect solution here.

But, right before a major work trip and after an ill-advised chapstick switch, I ended up with the worst breakout I’ve had since I was a teenager. If you read my Funky Friday post, then you know it was an unpleasant time for me.

I tried my mint julep masques and other things that had worked in the past. I tried just using Cetaphil products. It just got worse and worse.

A week before my trip, I was losing my mind. I thought about seeing a dermatologist, but I was still reeling from my last visit costing me $500 after she casually said “while you’re here, why don’t I go ahead and remove this mole on your back?”

I asked the pharmacist at Target (the actual pharmacist, not the 12-year-old in a red shirt and khakis who asks me EVERY TIME if I am sure I have the right insurance card because my prescription would actually cost less with cash) if they have anything with more salicylic acid because I want to get nuclear on this face.

Nada.

So I read label after label. I kept coming back to Neutrogena. Back in the day, Neutrogena and Almay products were the only ones allowed to touch my face. But back in the day, they didn’t have 400 choices, or an entire aisle called “ACNE” in Target. An aisle I am just so very pleased to be in at frigging 32 years old, thanks.

After hemming and hawing, I chose this



I figured the fact that it was a 7-day intervention and that was precisely how long I had until my work trip felt cosmically bound. Oh and I had $30 to my name, and this was $20. SOLD!

After two days, I almost cried when I looked in the mirror. Gone were the red angry welts. I still looked like I had broken out, but it was almost coverable by makeup. After two days!

Day 4, my skin looked better than it ever had. Not only had my skin completely cleared, but it was looking healthy again, almost dewy!

Day 7 I entered that airplane confident and secure in my skin…something that’s priceless to me.

Have you tried Neutrogena? Do you have a favorite go-to product when your skin is extra sensitive?

1 comment:

Kristy said...

Neutrogena rocks, without a doubt. I hadn't seen the Rapid Clear stuff, but considering the constant breakouts I've been dealing with lately, I'll certainly be looking for it!