After my initial test of washing my face with water, I decided it was time to move onto the tried and true methods. For my next test, I wanted to try out a routine that I was familiar with as a teenager. Ooh, can't you just smell the salicylic acid already? Yes, that's right I tried Neutrogena and OXY. Most specifically, I used Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Cleansing Cloths and OXY Deep Cleaning Medicated Acne Pads.

Now, the Neutrogena cloths I remember using as a kid because my mom bought them to help clean up my acne. They came in a deep blue box back then and I hated them. It was just another chore to me and I wasn't about to do that. (Sorry, Mom.)  Anyways, now they come in this lovely orange box and I almost missed that deep blue box that eventually came to hold my pencils and other knick-knacks.

The OXY pads on the other hand were not something I used, but had been recommended to me by my partner as he used them growing up. They had a much stronger smell than I was expecting and came in a stark black and red little bottle. I figured from the way they were presented that the OXY pads would be the stronger of the two products.

My basic routine using the cloth and pads went like this: I washed my face twice a day using the Neutrogena cloths and a little bit of warm water. Afterwards, I would dry my face with a towel and then I'd apply one of the OXY pads to my skin. It was pretty simple to follow and hard to mess up.

After trying them for a month, I learned a fair bit about my skin and what it likes. It did not like this

Yes, my acne appeared to get a little bit better. I had less super large pimples, but breakouts still occurred and they didn't seem to go away any faster either. My pores were still huge and the blackheads never went away. The only major change was that I was no longer oily! Nope, no more oil slicks. Just so much dryness. My face became the Sahara, and I was not impressed. Honestly, I think I need to go back to just a water cleanse for a while before I try a new product.
routine, not at all. Now I don't have dry skin, not even close. However, while using this routine, my skin decided it hated moisture and began to flake. Yuck! That was not what I was expecting at all.

I'm going to give the Neutrogena cloths and OXY pads a 4/10 for lessening the acne and killing the oil-slick, but it created a whole new dryness problem that I now need to find a way to fix.

Dana~