I have tried many different acne lines over the years in my attempt to clear my complexion and put my best face forward. Here's my timeline:
- 1990's- In middle school I started breaking out. I told my mom I needed something for my skin so we reached for Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser. For my light, superficial acne this was great and served me well for years. And then came high school. The stress was greater, my diet got worse and the acne went deeper. This is when I experienced my first cystic-pimples and it was miserable. I went to the dermatologist and tried a bunch of prescription medications, both topical and oral, which I can't even remember the names of. I had little relief.
- 2000's- I was having break outs on and off. Some month's my skin was clear and great, others it was pimpled and angry. In 2008 I jumped onto the Proactiv train and bought the starter kit. I began using it every other day, then worked up to once every day and my skin became angry, dry, and red....but the pimples were gone! Ugh, I was miserable. I tried switching back to every other day, but my skin stayed angry AND the pimples came back. I stopped using the system and threw it all away. I was back to the drawing board.
- 2010- I was shopping at Sephora and expressed to the employee about my skin woes. She suggested Philosophy On A Clear Day (it has since been repackaged as Clear Days Ahead). I bought the starter kit which lasted about a month. I thought it had just started working, so I went ahead and bought the full sized products and continued using them....but it never fully cleared my face. I always had some blemishes and only occasionally would I get massive break outs. I would still get cystic-acne, but it would never come to a head. I went back to the affordable route and tried Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash in Pink Grapefruit. It kept the acne at bay, but I still had regular break outs.
- 2011- I had surgery on my foot in July and had started dating someone. My skin went ape-shit. After surgery, my chest and back started breaking out. By August, my chest and back were fully broken out and my face was heading that way. Desperate, I went back to Sephora and asked a different employee what they suggested....which brings me to the happy part of my story!
The Murad Anti-Aging Acne Line was suggested by the Sephora employee. She asked what concerns I had about my skin, and acne and aging were my top two. She suggested I start with the Time Release Acne Cleanser and the Acne and Wrinkle Reducer Gel first. I balked at the price! It came to almost $90 for just the two items! Desperate and vowing not to use more than a pea-size of each product every day, I paid for the products...and I am so glad I did!
With in a week my acne stopped multiplying, my complexion started clearing and my skin became soft. After 2 weeks I had no break outs, my skin was not dried out or red, and I was finally happy with my skin. I went back and purchased the Anti-Aging Moisturizer with SPF20 and the Essential-C Eye Cream with SPF15 to add to my regimen. With those products, my skin became more moisturized and dewy, my eyes felt hydrated and refreshed, and my skin was less oily. I rarely have break outs now, and when I do its just one or 2 pimples around "that time of the month". I try to focus on eating lots of fresh veggies, drinking tons of water, and avoiding caffeine. I have only had ONE really nasty cystic-pimple (but admittedly I was under much more stress than I was used to) but the rest of my face stays almost clear the entire month. I have recently purchased a Zeno Hot Spot for both myself and my brother on Amazon.com for those pimples that do pop up. I have not had the chance to use it yet though.
I bought the products in August 2011. It is now January 2013 and I am just now looking at mostly empty bottles. I may have another 3-4 months from each product. Admittedly, I did not use them every single day (as I have all the products that are sent to me in the sub-boxes that I tried) but more often than not, these were in my regimen.
Now onto the body acne. I was still battling the break outs on my chest and back. I started with the cheap route and reached for Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash in Pink Grapefruit. When this did not eliminate the acne, I paired it with the Neutrogena Body Clear Body Spray. This spray ends up feeling sticky on my chest, neck and back. I would try to use it regularly but it was just so uncomfortable. Fortunately, my financial situation changed in January 2013, so I decided to see what Murad had to offer. 
I found they had a body acne line of their own so I ordered the Clarifying Body Spray and the Acne Body Wash. It has been one week, but I am already liking these 2 products. I have been using the body wash on a small loofah and only about a dime-sized amount. The break out on my chest is almost completely gone and my "bacne" has all but disappeared. The spray is very light and feels refreshing. The nozzle is a little weird as mine sprays out in a thin stream and not a wide spray, but it is not sticky and after it dries you don't feel it at all.Buying all of these products was a HUGE investment upfront. In my opinion, I feel that they work more effectively than drugstore brands and are most cost effective when used sparingly. Since the initial products lasted me close to 2 years (and the facial products have a 24 month shelf life) I felt that I really got my money's worth. The eye cream may be the only product I do not purchase again, as I want to try their Renewing Eye Cream next.
Murad is the only product line I have found that has cleared my skin and I hope by coupling these products with a healthier lifestyle, better eating habits and a copious amount of water daily, things will just keep clearing up and getting better!
Jenn
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