Sunday, September 19, 2010

Review: Clean and Clear Persa-Gel 5

This is like a miracle worker for destroying acne flareups. I have used several spot treatment products such as Clean and Clear's Advantage Acne Spot Treatment and Neutrogena's Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel, but this one has given me the best results. This product is described on the Clean and Clear website as "This #1 pharmacist-recommended acne treatment contains maximum strength Benzoyl Peroxide acne medication. The unique formula goes to work immediately, releasing the medicine deep into the pores where pimples start." It contains 5% Benzoyl Peroxide, which is a medication that helps fight acne-causing bacteria, and helps to eliminate and prevent acne.

I have to admit, I have had more acne in my mid-late 20's then I ever did in my teen years, and the majority of it is on my chin. I have an area on my chin where they always pop up, and it's a constantly healing while new acne forms type of disaster area. It really bothers me because I generally do not break out anywhere else and my skin is quite dry. Dry skin gets acne too though, believe it or not. And the zits on my chin are the painful, under the skin types that linger. I have read that many women in my age group experience the same problems and apparently it's caused by hormones. I am not currently on any birth control and have not been for years, so I don't know what is causing it. I have tried peppermint tea (read that helps somewhere), wash my face twice a day, exfoliate regularly, and do not wear makeup unless I need to. I think maybe the cause is how I constantly switch my products around, I should really stick to one skincare line or product and let my skin adjust. I am not dermatologist though, I am just learning on my own. If anyone here has pointers, please let me know.
Anyway, now that the nastiness is over, Clean and Clear Persa-Gel 5 for me is a wonderful product. This was about $8 at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. It has 5% Benzoyl Peroxide and as far as I know, in Canada we don't have the 10% available over the counter. I would of tried that one instead, does the 10% work better? The Persa-Gel comes in a squeezy tube, the product itself is a white substance, I just squeeze out a tiny about and dab it on the monsters and blend it in. I have read that people use this all over their face everyday, I've only used it for spot treatment. Is it safe to use all over your face? seems like it would dry out a lot.

I got a new one of those under the chin pimples (to add to the collection) and put this on over night. In the morning, the swelling and size went down a lot, it's still there but greatly improved. The only thing is, this will dry out the area around the zit. I noticed once it dried, it left a kind of white powdery residue, which is definitely a downside to this product, but if you use it at night, this isn't a problem at all. I did find that after using it for a few days, the zit would bleed too, not sure if that is normal. If I push down on it too, I can feel fluid inside which is what is still causing the zit to be there. With repeated use, the zit will clear up altogether I think. Skincare is a very personal thing and varies person to person, but for me, this product works.

Have you tried this product? What is your favourite acne-fighting product?

9 comments:

Miss War Paint (Nic) said... Best Blogger Tips

I have the 10% version that I got in america! It works wonders for drying out pimples but obviously it's quite harsh so I only use it when and where I need it! xxx

Emmie Wong said... Best Blogger Tips

OMG Persagel! This is my HG, no kidding. I just never posted anything about it. I've purchased this at least 4 times.

Something I have to tell you is that they changed the formula and the packaging. Before it was super drying and took a while to dry, but it worked for me. The new one is less effective for me.

Cinnabunnie said... Best Blogger Tips

i think i have the exact product but with different packaging cuz i bought it a year ago. i think it works too! i put a really thick coat on the big ones and they dry up after a few uses. its too bad it dries out my skin if i use it too regularly so i get random flakes

Junerose said... Best Blogger Tips

Sounds like you have cystic acne due to hormones. There are two ways that you can deal with it. The quick, short term way is to get a shot of hydorcortisone from your doc into the cyst. It shrinks it down right away. The long term fix is to take bcp like Ortho-Tricyclen. You start seeing the results to clear skin in about 3 months. That's what I did.

Jamie Dorman said... Best Blogger Tips

This product is great! We actually don't have this in 5% in the US, only 10%. 10 does work better (it becomes 4% benzoic acid once absorbed into the skin rather than the 2% you will get with a 5% benzoyl peroxide treatment) but it also has higher risks of drying out the skin. I hope you know from my posts that peppermint tea is actually horrible for your skin! It does cause aging and acne. Also, your skin does not "adjust" to a certain skin care routine. You are probably just using the wrong products for you or just bad products in general, but don't feel bad because I would say that 90% of skin care products are actually bad for the skin. If you would like me to create a skin care routine for you feel free to email me, my email is on the side of my blog.

Justine (Productrater) said... Best Blogger Tips

@poorcollegestudent - Do you think that the breakouts on my chin are hormonal or may be something else? I only really break out on my chin and it's driving me crazy. No to peppermint! thank you!

Crystalnextdoor said... Best Blogger Tips

I'm not sure where the commenter above read that peppermint tea is bad for your skin but I have to highly disagree. There have been studies done showing that peppermint tea helps to reduce androgens (Excess male hormones) in women's bodies (which is what can cause acne). I know there are a lot of women suffering from PCOS and other horomone related issues that drink it with success so I just kind of disagree...

About the acne, I have had my doctor tell me that breakouts on the chin and mouth area are hormonal and I know this is something I am continually struggling with. I have used persagel, as well as other benzoyl peroxide products, and have only found there to be a mild amount of success for me. I'm glad it is working for you though, and yes people do apply it all over their faces as treatment + prevention but it can for sure cause dry skin. If you want to read more acne.org (and the message board there) has a lot of useful resources.

good luck!

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips

hi, new to the site, thanks.

Niki said... Best Blogger Tips

This stuff is freaking MAGICAL. I have pretty oily skin and have had acne problems for years, and persa-gel almost completely cleared up my skin within a matter of weeks. I use this day and night as a spot and all-over treatment, and it works great for both. It's pretty drying at first if you use it on large areas, but your skin usually adjusts within about a week. LOVE it :D