Tazorac, Duac, and Solodyn Product Review

The reason for me reviewing all three of these products at once is because I was using them all at during the same time. About a year ago during my senior year when my acne was at its ultimate worst I decided to see a dermatologist. I basically told her that I had tried everything except Accutane but nothing had worked. So she prescribed me all three of these products and told me to apply the Duac in the morning after I shower along with one Solodyn after breakfast, and then apply the Tazorac after washing my face before bed. She explained that these products are very strong and should be treated that way, and that they are the last step that someone usually takes before going on Accutane. She also explained to use the creams in very little amounts, and that it was important to always wash your hands right after. Lastly she said it is extremely important to try and avoid sunlight as much as possible and always use sunscreen when you are going to be in the sun.


Before I go on I just want to say that this regimen has been the only thing to completely clear up my skin whenever I was using it! Now the Tazorac and Duac are strong creams, and the Solodyn is an oral supplement that kills acne causing bacteria inside the body. The Duac kills all the bacteria and acne on the surface of the skin, while the Tazorac penetrates and goes into the pores to kill and prevent acne causing bacteria. Here are some links that go more into detail about each individual product:

• Tazorac:
 http://www.tazorac.com/tazorac_acne_treatment.aspx

• Duac:
 http://www.drugs.com/cdi/duac-gel.html

• Solodyn:

http://www.solodyn.com/

Once you pick up your prescriptions the Tazorac should come with a Cream 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Wash which works really well but dries your face up like no other, so it’s important to ask your dermatologists about a good moisturizer! Both the Tazorac and Duac also come with a gentle cleanser which is pretty much the same as Cetaphil, but still comes in handy when your face needs a little break.

My personal experience on this regimen was really good! The first couple of weeks to a month are pretty rough though; my face was super sensitive, dry, easily irritated, and a little flush or pretty red on some days. My skin was so sensitive on this regimen that if anything barley touched my face the area would light up like a cherry! The thing that set this regimen apart from others was that, I was beginning to see results from the 3rd week all the way up until I was completely clear about 2-1/2 - 3 months later! The process was slow, but sure enough every week I was seeing slight improvement, and from having super bad acne to none at all 3 months was nothing! I was finally able to walk with my head in the air and not be scared! I had a new sense of self-worth and confidence! Though whenever I tried to stop using the products I would begin to breakout again only after a couple of days, so I continued using them until I was out and had to see my derm again. I told her that I tried to stop, but would breakout so she said that I would have to try Accutane then! I told her that I was totally against Accutane, and that I just wanted another prescription. She agreed to one more, but that was it because it’s not good to be on anti-biotics for more than a couple of months as there can be some bad side-effects. So I used it all up and tried things like using the creams every other day and taking the Solodyn every other day to try and make it last, but when it was gone my acne started coming back. I guess that it’s just because of my age, and it’s inevitable that I’m going to have acne until I just grow out of it. I definitely definitely recommend that you go to your dermatologist and ask them about these products, and see what you can work out! Also one big mistake I made was not caring to wash my hands after I used the creams, and I would touch and rub my eyes without realizing it. I started to have eye problems but I didn’t know why until I went to play laser tag one day and I looked in the mirror in this black lighted room and my eyes were straight neon yellow! I then realized that whenever I was picking an eyelash out of my eye I was getting all of those harsh creams in my eyes, and I still don’t think they’re better to this day!

Last but not least some final pros and cons!

Pros:

• It works! (for me that’s all that matters)

• Started seeing results fairly quickly!

• Gives you confidence!

• The Duac and Tazorac last a pretty long time!

Cons:

• Pricey, around $120 dollars for all three!

• Dryness and flaking occur; the flakiness goes away, but not the dryness unless you use a moisturizer every day.

• Being in the sun for 30 seconds feels like your cooking your face in an oven.

• Face becomes extremely oily throughout the day. (My friends would sometimes joke that my face was literally dripping!)

• Redness and flushness can occur at anytime from just about the littlest things.

• Solodyn has many possible side-effects one of which is depression, which I think I might have felt when using it.

Hope you guys enjoyed, and if you decide to try it tell me about it!

-jpc

The Almighty Aspirin Mask

News of the Aspirin mask is spreading like wildfire because it’s cheap, it’s easy to do, and it works! It is excellent for people looking to soften their skin, or for people who have acne because Aspirin has Salicylic acid in it and gently exfoliates the skin. I started using the mask a little over 3 weeks ago, and I do it every Friday or Saturday on parts of my face that have the most/worst pimples. This is one of the first things that I have done and been stunned by the results after I tried it! Just about every pimple I apply it to will literally be half the size if not gone within a day or even a couple of hours. Basically all it is are some brand name Aspirin, or generic brand (either works the same) non-coated tablets. They can found at just about any of your local markets for around $3 bucks.

You get 3-4 Aspirin or more if you want, but I have read that people vomit if they use more than 4-5(I’m not sure if that is true though?). You then put them in a plate or bowl and add a few drops of water or more depending on the consistency that you want. You then wait a few minutes for the tablets to soften and take a spoon or your finger to mash them up and apply it to your face. It will be chalky depending on how much water you use, so be gentle when applying it to your skin. I end it with that and put it on my skin for 20 minutes, but there are a lot of variants! For example: Adding honey, or lemon juice, olive oil, etc. So be creative and experiment a little to see what works best for you!

Some things to remember are: Don’t use it more than 2-3 times a week, 3 times being the most! Don’t put it on or around your eyes. It’s probably not a good Idea to leave on for too long, but everyone is different so whatever works for you. Also beware it does smell sour.

So that is about it for the Aspirin mask, I definitely would recommend giving it a try or two, and telling me about your experience! Thanks for reading, and have fun if you decide to try it!

-Jpc

Product Review: ZENO Hot Spot Acne Treatment

So I read about this acne device called the ZENO. I hadn’t read any really bad reviews on it, and everyone just about had something good to say about it. It claims to remove your blemishes fast, eliminates acne bacteria, and that it starts clearing your acne in 1 hour.

I decided to try it to see if it could help get rid of some of the whiteheads I get, and to help prevent new ones from forming. So I picked one up at CVS for $40, and went home to try it. The whole device is really simple; there is an on/off button, and a plastic tip that heats up and is what you put on the pimple. Also it only has 80 uses in it, so there is also an indicator light that lets you know how many more uses you have left. Each pimple needs to be individually treated for 2-1/2 minutes, and the ZENO beeps every 30 seconds, and then turns off after the 2-1/2 minutes are up. It heats up pretty fast, but it doesn’t get super hot or anything, so you don’t have to worry about burning your skin.

I tried it on 2 whiteheads I had, and a pimple I had forming under my skin, in front of my ear. The process went by pretty fast, but I couldn’t see myself doing for every pimple I had. Also the heated plastic tip is small, so it’s annoying trying to keep it on the pimple the whole time without looking in the mirror. After an hour went by absolutely nothing had changed, so I tried again a few hours later as directed, and they decreased in size a little, but nothing drastic at all. Though the back of the box says that in their studies “up to 90% of blemishes treated with ZENO disappeared or faded within 24 hours.” So before I decided if it was complete garbage or not I waited till the next day.

After about 24 hours I looked in the mirror and the whiteheads had gotten a little smaller, but whether or not it was just my skin healing naturally or the ZENO, I was disappointed.

The bottom line… I think the ZENO is a piece of junk! I could use an ice-cube on my pimples and see results 4-times as good, and it’s free! If you suffer from mild – severe acne and breakout a lot, the ZENO would be just a big money and time pit, and I wouldn’t recommend it. If you are thinking of trying it though I suggest that you try putting an ice-cube on your problem pimples and see how that helps; I guarantee that you’ll see results! Also more picture updates on my face will be going up in a couple of days, so be looking for them!

                                                                   -jpc