Devising a Plan of Attack Against My Adult Acne with the Help of Silk’n Blue At-Home Acne Treatment! #SilknProducts

I participated in an Influencer Program on behalf of Mom Central for Silk'n Blue. I received a product sample to facilitate my review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Next month I'll be turning 41 years old.  I think I am experiencing more anxiety about this birthday than I did about my 40th.  I am suddenly aware of how many gray hairs I have, extra wrinkles, etc . . .   The only thing that made turning 40 slightly traumatic for me was suddenly noticing an increase in acne right around that time.  Now at almost 41, I am not only self-conscious about those gray hairs and fine lines, but I am painfully aware of how terrible my complexion looks.

So, here is a photo of me, with no makeup, no filter, and no air brushing.  Eeeeek!!!  I can actually live with the wrinkles, but the bumpy skin, enlarged pores, and scarring, I'd much rather do without.  That's why I agreed to try the at-home acne treatment, Silk'n Blue.  I've tried a variety of different over-the-counter acne treatments this past year, including various cleansers, toners, brushes, and more.  Nothing seemed to make a difference.  That's why the Silk'n Blue drug-free treatment appealed to me so much.  It was different than anything else I've tried in the past.

How the Silk'n Blue works is extremely simple.  Once charged, you remove the device from its cradle, turn it on, and place it on the problem areas  for 3 or 4 minutes.  The natural blue light heats the surface and destroys the acne-causing bacteria that's under your skin.  Although the blue-light area of the device becomes hot, it was never too hot for me to keep against my skin.  The spot that was being treated sometimes reddened, but the redness went away in about 10 seconds or so.

I experienced no adverse effects from using the Silk'n Blue acne treating device.  That being said, it did not work as well for me as I had hoped it would.  At times it seemed like I could notice a slightly smoother complexion and finer pores.  Then we would have 2 or 3 days of horribly humid weather and my skin seemed to go right back where I had started.  In addition to the sticky climate, there are a few other factors to consider . . . I only had about 4 to 5 weeks to test the product, I was not always able to complete the treatment twice in one day, and my stress level has been through the roof this summer.  That is why I have not given up on this acne treatment.

Like with many other types of treatments, sometimes one method is not as effective as combining two different methods.  My plan for overcoming my adult acne is to pair the Silk'n Blue with a type of complexion correction pads I had never tried before, one containing both Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid.  At the moment, I am testing out these pads alone.  When I'm certain there are no adverse effects from these pads, I will try using them in conjunction with the Silk'n Blue acne treatment.

Hopefully, my plan of attack will work as I envision, especially with the less humid fall weather approaching.  I'm not sure what I can do about my stress levels, but maybe those other few changes will be enough to give me a healthier looking complexion?  Cross your fingers for me!

Want to learn more about FDA-approved Silk'n Blue?  Visit www.Silkn.com, where you can save 20% off your purchase when you checkout using the Silk'n promo code EXTRATWENTY through 9/30/14.

Claro Acne Clearing Device for Treating Pimples the Chemical-Free Way

Since I became pregnant with twins well-over five years ago, my skin took a turn for the worse.  During the pregnancy I continually broke out with acne and pimples on my face and my body.  After the pregnancy, I have still been prone to breaking out on my face a few times a month.  Being a woman who is *cough* 38 years old, my self-confidence really takes a hit when I have one or two obvious pimples on my face.  I actually use Proactiv regularly, but cannot even tell if it is doing me any good anymore because I still break out.  I think I was just afraid to find out that my skin would be even worse if I stopped.  Well, I finally had a reason to see what would happen . . .

I was offered the chance to test out the Claro Acne Clearing Device, a chemical-free way to treat acne.  This little gadget actually uses Intense Pulsed Light, something that has been used for anti-aging treatments and hair removal, to treat blemishes.  I was quite anxious to try out this device and had to wait 3 long weeks for my first pimple to form since receiving the Claro.  I had even stopped using Proactiv completely during those 3 weeks.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

Product Specs:

• Claro is approximately 5-5/8" x 2-1/2" in size
• Included in the box are the Claro, a power cord, eye goggles, and a user's guide
• Available in pink, blue, and black
• Approximate retail price $194.99

My Experience:

After reading the instructions, I was nervous about trying the Claro.  There were many notes about what types  of acne on which the device would be effective, plus warnings about skin irritations for people with light sensitivity and about looking at the bright light during use.  After I tested the unit on the inside of my arm just below my wrist, I felt more at ease.  I did not experience any redness and, although that spot on my skin felt warm, I did not feel any burning.

The pimple I needed to treat was located just below my jawline, so I asked my husband to help me with the treatments.  It was difficult for me to see the spot in the mirror with my head tipped back so far.  This device is very user-friendly, as it only has one button.  You simply press the button to turn it on, causing the light around it to turn green.  Then put the Claro window firmly over your pimple and listen for 2 consecutive beeps.  Close your eyes and press the button a third time to prompt the 10 Intense Pulsed Light flashes, which only took 6 seconds to occur in total. After the flashes stop, lift the Claro off your skin, prompting the light around the button to change from red to green.  Wait 5 seconds and repeat the process again.  Once you have gone through the process twice, you have finished one complete Claro treatment.

It is not recommended to treat the same pimple more than 4 times during a 7 day period.  Each treatment should be about 8 hours apart, but my schedule did not allow that.  I ended up doing two complete treatments 12 hours apart.  Here are my results . . .

(Click photo to enlarge)

Other Things You Should Know About the Claro:

• Make sure you charge your Claro right away.  It needs to charge for 8 hours prior to the first use according to page 20 of the user's guide.  (Page 23 states that it needs to charge for 2 hours prior to the first use, but I did 8 just to be on the safe side.)
• The Claro turns itself off after one minute of being idle, but you can also turn it off manually by holding the button down.
• There is a battery indicator at the bottom of the Claro.  You most likely would not want to leave the Claro sitting out charging all the time if you have children who might pick it up to play with it.

Overall, I am happy with the results the Claro offered.  It did seem to make my pimple smaller after two treatments and definitely accelerated the rate at which it started to dry out and go away.  The Claro Acne Clearing Device would be a good investment for anyone who breaks out a few times a month or more and spends a lot of their time face-to-face with other people.  This gadget would make a great Mother's Day gift because it is something a mom might not purchase for herself.

To learn more about the Claro Acne Clearing Device, visit BestBuy.com.

I received the reviewed product from Best Buy for free to facilitate this review.