Let me cut to the chase. I love CeraVe. Its changed my face.
Back Story Time!!! I managed, during my teenaged years, to not struggle with acne very much. During my pregnancies in my twenties, I had constant breakouts on my chin and around my mouth. So nasty. These came back about a year ago. My skin routine was always the same, lots of Clearasil and anti-acne moisturizers, etc. My goal was to strip away all the oil, leaving my skin with that squeaky clean feel, like after you clean your Tupperware and rub your finger across it..you know that sound? Like a "uree, uree"...maybe that's just in my brain...
SO, then about 6 months ago, I decided that on top of having acne like a middle school student, I am also old. I start experimenting with those age reversal lotions with retinols in them. These severely irritated my skin to the point where I would have to take a Benadryl every night just to keep my eyes from swelling up.
Luckily for me, I have a dear, sweet, beautiful, smart, and gracious friend who is a Physician's Assistant in the Dermatology field. (You should really all get yourself one of those). I sent her a text with a nasty picture of my eyes, asking for help, and expecting to hear that I would need to spend hundreds of dollars on specialized lotions to get the results I wanted.
Nope! She recommended CeraVe. Available at Walgreens, Walmart, and other such stores.
I was hesitant at first for two reasons.
First of all, I am cheap. I bought the big Hyrdating Cleanser, the AM lotion and the PM lotion, per my friend's instructions. Total, it may have cost me $40 at Walgreens. To most of you, that's a good deal, but as a Midwest girl of Dutch descent, I don't like to spend $40 on anything. However, these are not the tiny 1 oz. Oil of Olay containers. Mine have lasted since August and I still have not had to run to the store for more.
Secondly, it was all moisture-based! CeraVe proudly promises to protect your "moisture barrier"! What? This did not sound like a product for a pubescent, aging lady in her 30s. Creamy cleansers were for wimps.
But my friend is smart and her skin is flawless, so I gave it a try.
Oh. My. Gosh. It was awesome!!!
Results: My skin is luminous. My eye irritation is completely gone. My face no longer looks red and irritated, as I also have mild rosacea. AND...wonder of wonders...within a couple weeks my acne was completely cleared up and has never come back. Any random spots are quickly cleared up, but I can usually trace those back to 4-year-old peanut butter hands touching my face. And, something I wasn't expecting, the scars from the very harsh blemish cream that I used are not nearly as noticeable. My skin seems to be repairing. My sister has since started using it and also gives it rave reviews.
Why it works: Okay, Science Time. Most of this is courtesy of my smart, beautiful, P.A. friend.
Your skin, on a microscopic level, looks like a brick wall. A new, pretty brick wall has straight lines, no cracks, no moisture getting into the bricks to damage them. That is because of the mortar between the bricks.
The "mortar" of your skin is your moisture barrier. It gets damaged all the time by genetics, exposure to the elements, and things like harsh skin products. Your skin begins to look like an old brick wall. Pretty scary. With the mortar gone, cracks form, and foreign things like bacteria can get into your skin, which cause irritation and acne.
CeraVe has ceramides and lipids in it...these make up that precious "mortar" in your skin. Using CeraVe has restored my moisture barrier and allowed my skin to heal from some of the damage I'd just done to it with all the chemicals I was using.
Now, it will NOT reverse aging. It is "anti-aging" in that it will drastically slow down the process, but your genetics and past sun-exposure will require the help of a Dermatologist or some of those age-reversing lotions in stores. However, CeraVe will help your skin look smooth and keep that supple, healthy look that most of us thought we'd lost forever. I didn't realize that many of the "wrinkles" around my eyes were just my skin's cry for attention and moisture. And, if any of you struggle with adult acne, this stuff is absolutely wonderful.
You will need:
Hydrating Cleanser - it comes in a foam, too, but I use the one that goes on like a lotion. It takes some getting used to if you don't usually use creamy cleansers.
AM Lotion - this stuff REALLY slows down the aging process with its built-in SPF 30 Sunscreen. It doesn't feel like a facial sunscreen, though, which is a relief.
PM Lotion - my favorite. Its a great way to end the day. You can almost feel your little skin cells saying "thank you"
If you have any questions about the products, let me know! If I don't know the answer I will ask the Dermatologist P.A. that I keep in my pocket.
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