Follow my 10 Year Acne Journey: Post Peel

By: Rachel Mazza

My Acne Story: Post Peel

After the peel, my skin was less oily and it reduced the frequency of my acne breakouts, but I was still left with scarring. To help fade the scars, I bought a line of products called Zo Medical by Zein Obagi that we suggested to me at the medical spa. These were extremely expensive. I think it was around $550 for the set but it promised to help with fading the scars.

The products I bought included:

Zo Medical: Exfoliating cleanser

Zo Medical: Effects Pore treatment

Zo Medical: Glycogent Exfoliation Accelerator

Zo Medical: Melamix Skin Lightener and Blending Cream

Zo Medical: Melamin Skin Bleaching and Correcting Cream

Zo Medical: Vitascrub Exfoliating scrub

I also bought .025% Retin A, on prescription from the medical spa—the highest level of the medicine available.

Every evening and morning I had to follow a schedule of alternating these products on my skin. I really made sure I stuck with the schedule because I’d spent so much money on these products. The full washing process took about ten minutes so I had to allow time for that in my schedule. I also went back to the medical spa for the acne draining treatment one a month.

The Retin A really dried my skin out to the point where I could only use it about once a week. After two months, and despite the intensive skin bleach and exfoliation, I wasn’t seeing enough results for me to consider it worth it. I was still breaking out, less frequently, but with the amount of money I spent on both the peel and products, I expected my breakouts to be even less frequent. The good part was that the creams last a really long time because you only need a pea-sized amount to cover your entire face. I liked that the creams didn’t leave my skin feeling heavy or oily and also seemed to prevent an excess of oil from building up on my face. It helped, but it had by no means healed my acne.

However, about a year after using it, I learned that skin bleach of any kind, even the medical grade, is really toxic for both your skin and your body. Some of the studies I read really worried me, so I stopped using the bleach right away. I wasn’t seeing enough results with it anyway and for me the cons outweighed the pros. I personally would NOT recommend putting anything with bleach in it on your skin. I don’t think it helped all that much (it faded a few more minor dark spots but the spots were still there under the skin) and the potential health risks don’t make it worth it in my book.

I was really disappointed in the Zo Medical products, and after I moved to London, I stopped using all of them and decided to try a new approach.

Products mentioned:

Zo medical face creams 3/10 (Not effective enough for the high price)

Part one of my Chemical Peel Experience