Julie Rose Sews

My first review is going to be a tragic tale of a skincare line which I loved dearly, then became horribly allergic to.  In general, my skin is pretty clear, but I break out in my T-zone occasionally and it gets dry on my cheeks and around my eyes.   I started using AcneFree shortly after I got to college, because between the stress of moving and the whole new eating and sleeping schedule, my skin was taking a beating, and I figured the last thing I needed was to have to worry about zits.  So, I went to my friendly neighborhood Duane Reade and picked up this nifty little set.  I immediately loved it-- the cleanser was milky, not foamy, so it didn't dry out my skin.  The toner felt refreshing, and the repairing lotion was light and didn't have any scent, so it didn't keep me awake at night.  I stopped getting new zits after about 3 days of use, and within 5, the ones I already had were clearing up at an astonishing rate.

I continued to use the AcneFree system for about two months before I had to go buy some more.  This is where the problems started.  When I first used my new Acnefree face wash, I noticed that it was much grainier than it had been previously.  It also had an unpleasant plastic-y scent.   The toner was basically  the same, and I still use that occasionally if I'm feeling especially oily.  The lotion was another story.  It now had the same synthetic smell as the cleanser, and a rough texture that actually hurt a little to apply.  The bottles were different, too-- the blue was darker (not that this really matters, but it's a way to differentiate the reformulated version, which I'm allergic to, from the old formula, which I adored), with an adhesive label that peeled off in the shower, and the bottles were a stiffer plastic that was much harder to squeeze.  That night, in bed, I noticed that my face was kind of itchy and uncomfortable, especially around my eyes, but I didn't think too much about it.

The morning after I used the reformulated Acnefree for the first time, I woke up with my right eyelid swollen so much I could hardly open my eye (Gross, right?!).  Two benedryl took care of that, but nearly knocked me out.  The same thing has happened every time I've tried to use either the cleanser or the lotion.

Now, it's entirely possible that the AcneFree line could work perfectly for someone else whose skin isn't so sensitive.  I would say that you probably shouldn't try it if your acne is very mild, like mine was, but if it's more severe  and you don't generally have sensitive skin, it might be just what you're looking for.  The spot treatment by AcneFree, their Acne and Blackhead Terminator, still works wonders on any problem spots that pop up (isn't that just a lovely visual?  Ick.) on my face.  Overall, I'll be staying away from the three-part system, but if they ever go back to the old formula, I'll be first in line.

Old formula:  5 of 5 stars           New formula: 2 of 5 stars for me, maybe more for someone else.

In other news!!

On Saturday night, I ordered some decals for the wall of my dorm room.  It's entirely eggshell at the moment, and it's starting to drive me crazy.  Soooo, onto etsy I went!  I ordered decals from three sellers--

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=14032324

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=14032321

http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=14032318 one of three flowers I bought from this seller.

Check them out if you're in the market for affordable, removable wall decorations.  I'll post pictures of mine when they're here and up on my wall!

And with that, I am off to my next class!