When you find something that works for you, you hold on and stay with it. It's like falling in love. When you find The One, you'd be a fool to let that one go. Sadly, I had to let this thing go even if it broke my heart to a thousand pieces (or rather broke my face with a million zits to be more precise!) but with hopes that one day I will find it again.

Among the things I had to give up when I got pregnant with NoodleLito was my vanity. I had to stop using all sorts of beauty and skincare products because I wanted to be better off safe than sorry. Since 2008, when I first discovered The Original Local Obagi kit during the golden age of Multiply.com, I was so happy to have stumbled upon finding an effective way to get rid of acne and pimples. It solved all my skin problems and gave me "celebrity" skin without having to sell an arm or a leg. Don't believe me? Check out my old blog entries from 2008-2010. I also posted this testimonial online around that time.

Updated with current phone number. :)

Religiously I used the product and after a year, there was hardly any trace of acne or skin problems on my face! It was flawless for 3 years! I also didn't keep it a secret because I wanted to share to everyone that ANYONE can have naturally beautiful skin. But I must warn you though that there are sooooooo many products out there right now claiming to be the Original Local Obagi, but mark my words... they are just not as good, heck, not even close! I have a lot of people, friends and strangers alike, sending me countless messages time and again asking me why they are not getting the same results as I did even though they're using "a local obagi set". Well, there's one very simple explanation -- they were not getting the genuine ORIGINAL LOCAL OBAGI.


But then in 2011, I got pregnant and my hormones went crazy then and I had to suffer the consequences. Previously when my acne flared up, it was more on my forehead rather than my cheeks and jaw area. So as soon as I stopped breastfeeding our Little Mao after 2 years and 6 months, I told myself I will get that flawless skin back no matter how long it will take me. I know it's just a matter of time. Tee hee.

The Original Local Obagi set still contains the same products albeit with improved packaging. For P850, you get the clarifying toner, medicated astringent, kojic soap, placenta cream with SPF 30, bleaching cream, and the peeling cream. Many "beauty kits" out there contain the same products, but questions is, are they made from the same high quality raw materials that is also used by one of the biggest skincare clinics in the country? Nah, I don't think so. There can be only one ORIGINAL Local Obagi kit as far as I'm concerned.

Instruction on how to use it effectively is included in the kit.

Come join me in this new journey. Photos uploaded are unedited with no filters, and of course, no makeup. Just my bare face after washing it with kojic soap. DO NOT JUDGE ME! LOL! It took guts to post these photos.

February 2014 - Started using the Original Local Obagi on the 12th of February. I experienced some peeling into the 1st week where my face got really red on my cheeks, around my forehead, on my nose and the mouth and chin areas. I stayed away from the sun and if I had to go out I made sure to put on a light moisturizer and applied a generous amount of placenta cream which also contains sunscreen. Applying medicated astringent caused quite the sting and felt like my face was burning and to alleviate this, I had to apply in front of an electric fan to "blow away" the pain. Tee hee! All for the sake of vanity...

March 2014 - I felt I had quite a purging stage since some of the big pimples erupted on my face and yes, it hurt like hell. However, I was glad that they simply disappeared in a few days and never came back. :) Also I'm really happy that some of the blemishes and pimple scars are really fading and my skin is on its way to becoming clear and blemish-free once more! Yayyy!!! I use the peeling cream and bleaching cream interchangeably every other night after I finished my first kit since I don't want my skin to lighten that much anymore. I already got re-matched for my foundation shade and now I'm an NC30. One whole Original Local Obagi kit lasts about a month, by the way!


April 1, 2014 -  I am 7 weeks into using the Original Local Obagi and the skin changes are quite remarkable when compared to the day I first started using it. No more huge pimples and annoying acne. I'm also having my period right now so it's good to know any skin breakout due to hormones has also been controlled if not totally prevented.

Slowly but surely. We're getting there!

May 2014 - Sorry for the color variation. I'll keep in mind to document the photos here on using the same light settings. Photos taken in February were from my mobile phone and current May photos were taken using my dSLR camera. Still got some redness where the acne/pimples used to be but no more cystic acne! WOOT!

June 2014 - For a week, I took a break from the Original Local Obagi and I trialed Belo Acnepro.  I'm happy to say that I have no more active acne or pimples right now. I did have one or two pimples coming out during my period. I still have scars and I'm hoping they'll go away soon. I'm pretty optimistic about it.

Bare face, 4 months later with the Original Local Obagi.

  July 2014 - To be updated. Please bookmark this page (hit Ctrl + D) and come back in a month. ;)

I guess a picture paints a thousand words, right? Also I realized that eating dairy, cheese, peanuts, and eggs really does trigger my acne so I also try to stay away from them as much as I can. But during days when a slice of cake or ice cream cannot be avoided (ahem, PMS!), then I must face myself, literally on the mirror, with the consequences that a pimple or two will pop out the next day. Although now I'm not worried about one zit or two anymore because of the Original Local Obagi. It may not have worked as fast as before, given my previous experience in 2008, but I guess I'll have to take my age into consideration here. Tee hee.

Aside from this regimen, the only other thing I use is a light moisturizer like Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin or Simple Sensitive Skin Experts Hydrating Light Moistuizer during days when it's rainy or cold and when it's fairly hot, I use my trusty Celeteque Acne-Clearing Facial Moisturizer Gel. I believe in moisturizing because even if you're skin is oily, trust me, you still need to moisturize!


FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORIGINAL LOCAL OBAGI, SEE BELOW:



BUT WAIT!  

Since it's my birth month, I'm giving away an ORIGINAL LOCAL OBAGI kit to one (1) lucky Basta Igat, Sikat! reader. As usual, all you need to do is simply join via Rafflecopter widget below. Wait for it to load!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This contest will end on April 30, 2014. Open to my international readers as long as you have a valid PHILIPPINE address to join the contest so I can ship your prize if you are unable to pick it up. The name of the winner will be announced on my social media accounts. Be sure to follow me on FB, Twitter, and Instagram!



Good luck! And thanks for visiting my blog!





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Towards the end of February this year, I started using the complete line of the Celeteque Dermoscience™ Acne Solutions except the product for back acne because I'm not experiencing that anymore. I was beginning to think I'm having another go at puberty because my skin was breaking out bad. Perhaps it was because the summer season is upon us and my super oily skin really does not enjoy the humidity. My honest review of the products is as follows.

Celeteque Dermoscience™ Acne Solutions + the Advanced Anti-Aging cleansing oil I'm currently using as a makeup remover

ACNE CLEANSING GEL - Since I use this after I wipe makeup off my face with the cleansing oil, for a gel it works great at getting rid of the oil as well as whatever make-up and dirt are left on my face. It has no particular scent to it and I think even though it doesn't create foam as much as regular facial washes, in my book I really love how it cleanses my face without leaving it dry. Rating: ★★★★

ACNE CLEARING FACIAL MOISTURIZER GEL - Since it is a gel moisturizer, I'm not really sure if it moisturizes my face the way I expect it to. But I love that it doesn't make my face oily at all and leaves it matte-like. I don't have any trouble applying my BB cream after using this moisturizer. No annoying scent, too. Rating: ★★★★★

OIL CONTROL TONER - The toner stings my face especially if I just popped a pimple. For its cleaning and pore-closing properties, I don't think it does the perfect job. Actually, I don't get what a toner really does besides cleaning whatever makeup or dirt is left on the face after washing it. Some say you don't need a toner but I think if you have time for skin care at all, then I really need to use a toner, too. Rating: ★★★★

ACNE SPOT CORRECTOR GEL - This got rid of cystic acne in 4 days to a week. Not as fast as I hoped it would compared to other spot correctors I've used in the past. Then again, this may not be as strong as the others which is good. But if you want a zit gone immediately, maybe you should look further. The smell reminds me of Garnier's Pure Blemish Pen. Rating: ★★★★★

OVERALL RATING: 






I think this product is wonderful if you want to keep your pimples at bay. However, my skin is extremely oily now that the sun is really screaming summer all over the place. And after sun exposure, I broke out so bad that I think I need a stronger treatment so my acne will disappear for good. This could be hormonal also so perhaps I may need to see a dermatologist again.

Okay, time to move on...

UPDATE: July 2013

I'm back to using the ACNE CLEARING FACIAL MOISTURIZER GEL and ACNE SPOT CORRECTOR GEL because of the chocolates and peanuts I've been eating lately. Yup, skin broke out again (just a little bit! nothing drastic really) and the spot corrector gel just works like a charm. :)) So I'm happy! A few days of use and the cystic acne is gone! It's so effective and it doesn't smell like medicine at all!!! Also I can't seem to live without the facial moisturizer gel as it's the only affordable gel moisturizer I could find that's perfect for our hot/humid climate. I also like to sleep with it because I don't like heavy night creams that get my pillows all dirty. Boo! Although the rainy season is here for the next few months, cream moisturizers just don't seem to work for me anymore ever since I discovered this moisturizer gel. TWO THUMBS UP!!!

Contains Acnidol™ BG to help reduce sebum secretion in acne-prone skin and has French spring water that gives moisture to the skin by stimulating the production of skin lipids

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