The Retinoid Diaries: Day 1 of Tazorac

Most people talk about tret-face, the ultimate purge before good skin finally unveils itself.

Me? I've got Taz-attacked, or I plan on being so.

Ages ago, but not too long, I was scared by a dermatologist because of an odd sty that they scraped my face getting a sample of. Being on Medicare at the time, I didn't care, none of these visits cost me a dime. But they did cost me my skin, well, scarless skin, because his assistant left a gash on the bridge of my nose.

Past aggression aside, I was prescribed a tube of Tazorac Cream, .1%. Using up all the samples he gave didn't seem to make a crazy difference. So I put the tube away, it is still good until April 2017 anyway.

Now that there's a love affair with retinoids and skincare gurus.... and this new toner or new cleanser is making my skin horrid....

Time to bring the tube back out!!

And to do a double no-no, I also brought out the Laneige Water Sleeping mask I bought at duty free. Because if a possible dry "tret-face" is going to happen, you betcha I'm going to over moisturize.

So today's routine went like this:

1. Oil Cleanser - Shu Uemura Yellow Bottle (which works better with my step 2 cleanser)
2. SUM37 MRCS (still not used to bits of rose petal being rubbed around my face)
3. Tazorac (which I did wrong, I should have put a toner/essence on, but I am so tired of this Chia Seed failing)
4. Laneige sleeping pack
5. Laneige sleeping pack reapplied when the first layer was dry.


And now we wait.

Until then, i hope to say adieu to all the darn whiteheads popping up this week. New products, much stress, less sleep, bad skin.

Missha FTE I miss you so much, can't wait until my Amazon order comes in the mail. Though I have to say, I am also missing the clear toner. But if the Chia Seed really is the issue (maybe it's the MRCS?!?!) I am just going to go out and buy a $13 500ml bottle of Kikumasamune Sake Skin Lotion High Moisture. Or maybe just the regular white bottle and not the the pink "high moist" one. Nah, the white bottle has Propylparaben listed, which is a 7 out of 9 on the list of "not good for you," the other parabens are merely at a 4 in the pink "high moist" bottle..

HAUL HAUL HAUL HAUL HAUL HAUL HAUL HAUL

I really should have taken a picture before I squished everything into my luggage, but still, MAJOR HAUL TIME.

MASKS GALORE!
DUTY FREE IS STILL NOT THE BEST PRICE!!
IMPULSE BUYS!

Items purchased in Duty Free (which is cheaper if you can order it online first and pick it up later, which I foolishly did not do):

• Su:m37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick 80g Cleanser Stick ($20 USD)
• The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Light Oil ($7 USD)
• Tonymoly Egg Pore Blackhead Steam Balm 30g (~$7 USD)
• Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream (~$10 USD)
• The Face Shop Chia Seed Watery SET ($24 USD)
• The Face Shop Real Nature Mask Pomegranate 10 Sheets ($8 USD)
• Laneige - Water Sleeping Mask ($21 USD)
• Nature Republic Ginseng Royal Silk Watery Cream 60g which came with an Essence I don't remember what exactly ($44 USD)

Items purchased in Taiwan:

• BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence - SPF50 PA++ 50ml (~$7.50 USD)
• My Beauty Diary - Imperial Bird's Nest Mask (10pcs) (~$6.25 USD)
• My Beauty Diary - Black Pearl Mask (10pcs) (~$6.25 USD)
• Daiso Japan Reusable Silicon Mask Cover for Sheet Mask (White) x2 (~$1.25 USD each)
• Etude House Collagen Eye Patch (x6) (~$1 USD each)
• Etude House I Need You Assorted Mask Sheets: Collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Pomegranate, Vita Complex, Coenzyme Q10, Korean Ginseng, Snail , Damask Rose, Korean Strawberry, Silk Cocoon (~$1 USD each)
• Mizon - All in One Snail Repair Cream (75ml) (~$15 USD)
• LoveMore Pearl Barley & Milk Smoothing Mask (~$3.25 USD)
• LoveMore Rosa Hybrida Whitening Mask ($3.25 USD)
• Girls Face Washing Headband, Purple With Ears!! (~$2 USD) Not exactly the same as the link, but you get the gist. 
• Guerisson 9 Complex Cream 20g (~$6 USD) Usually you only ever see the 70g one for $20 or more. Oddly enough they had a small size of it in Taiwan and I thought that would be enough to try it out.
• My Scheming Masks (~$.80 USD each)
• NRK Masks (~1.25 USD Each)
• Esfolio Volcanic Ash (x2) and Snail Essence (x2) (~$.50 USD each)