Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

Ever since I've stopped the pill about 6 months ago, I've noticed drastic changes occurring in my body.  You see, I've been on the pill for over 10 years and recently stopped because of a wive's tale I heard that later got squashed by my GYN as having absolutely No Validity.  That wive's tale?  If you plan on conceiving, it's best to quit the pill at least 1 year prior to "trying" to conceive.  This way, your baby will have fewer medical related problems.  The GYN informed me that this is simply not the case as the low-dosage birth control pill that I was on literally leaves my system in three days.  Which means that 3 weeks of "on" and 1 week of "off" medication leaves me with a clean system every single month.  That is great news.

Because the killer cramps I've lived in fear of since starting my period are back with a vengeance.  It's funny to me, to see horror movies where you scream in fear of something else-- a ghost, a monster, a killer, a rabid dog, whatever.... but imagine screaming in fear of your life as your body attacks itself.  That's what I've gone through and nothing, nobody, no doctors, no boyfriends, not even my own loving daddy- can help.  Has helped.  The only thing that gets me through is a half dose of vicadin or a codeine and a prayer.  Them Advils and Tylenols by now don't do diddly-squat.  I'll need to take at least 6 to 8 of 'em to even feel a difference!

Also, I've noticed a steady decline of my skin.  Now that I'm on the pill once more, I'm hoping that will also improve.  Because a bride cannot have ugly skin on her wedding day!  That is the biggest saddest red flag.  Luckily the bumps on my skin are small... I wouldn't even call them pimples, per se.  You'd have to get in awful close and look really hard to be able to see them at all, but the unevenness is obvious.  I can take my fingers and feel the skin on my face and literally not be able to feel smooth skin! Just a series of small and annoying bumps!

Thankfully, I've found something that seem to be helping.

photo courtesy of manekineko.us

Sure, the commercials are cheesy with actresses that obviously already have great skin, but I remembered trying this when I was younger and really liking it so I stopped into CVS with the huns and scooped one up.  I used it that night and felt so refreshed!  It doesn't really have a strong overpowering scent to the product.  It squeezes out of the tube creamy (not foamy) and smooths on over my face really nice, almost like a thick cream (probably, hence, the name).  I lightly circled my problem areas and rinsed off the cream.  Instantly it feels amazing!  Zing! Like a fresh breath of open sea air hitting your damp face in the light of the softly fading dusk.  I don't use lotion after using this product at night, simply putting a metronidazole gel 1% on my skin for rosacea. During the day I follow this facewash with Olay Sensitive SPF 25 and additional sunscreen.

During the night I felt a difference with the amount of oil secreted on my T-zone.  On days 2, 3, 4 it has continued to feel less and less oily!  It feels as though my skin is slowly coming around with the decrease of oil production.  It is reacting nicely, as today I've touched my skin multiple times and actually felt soft, smooth skin rather than bumpity-bump-bumps!  My skin is noticeably smoother and with fewer bumps.  During the day I feel less shine and almost no need for mid-day touch ups on my skin!  I love it!

Watch Hayden's Neutrogena commercial!