My Obagi experience
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Products Reviews Forum

Sun Aug 14, 2011 10:21 pm

Thxs FFlyer5 Ya its been a rough 4 weeks. I have to say I miss some of the peelies. I could literally see the dark spots peeling off, I have noticed after the initial peeling the rest of the spots will probably take longer to fade as it seems deeper below the surface. Although overall it is definately not as dark. Has anyone noticed if some pigmentation seems darker after the major peeling stage? Below my bottom lip seems darker (corners of mouth)almost as if pigmentation was always there but the dead skin was hiding it. Yuc...almost like a buried treasure...one more problem to take care of on this face. AM I THE ONLY ONE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO?

free skin care · Mon Aug 15, 2011 4:41 am

jujubean

I never had any darker pigmentation around my mouth. My only overall complaint was that although my skin tone become more even, the skin on my neck still remains a lot lighter. Some spots did take a bit longer to fade, but eventually the skin tone did become a lot more even.

Mon Aug 15, 2011 10:42 am

Hi, I;m using obagi on the 10th day already, my cheek had been slightly swollen or say puff up since day 3 besides redness,scaling and dryness. is it supposed to be like this? getting a bit worried. thx for any info. my estetician was not in town, so I try this post.

free skin care · Mon Aug 15, 2011 2:06 pm

There is nothing subtle about doing Obaji. Your face will be red..it may swell..and it will peel.
Things get worse before they ever get better. It is a tough road. But..you will have baby skin if you push through...trust me.
I found when my face got too red and peely..I backed off the exfoderm... and after I got my clarsonic..that really helped with the peeling skin. That is the weird part..when during the day you look in the mirror and see cracked skin all over your face! the clarsonic took care of that part for me.
But...I remember..towards the end of my first six weeks on Obaji..I was out..and a woman came up to me and said.."oh my gosh you have such beautiful skin!" and it was all worth it. Good luck.

Mon Aug 15, 2011 3:32 pm

I am on day 7 and my lower face is peeling in sheets. I'm actually enjoying it as the skin underneath is so soft..well until it peels again anyway... But I look so rough! I literally do nothing but go to work and come straight home.
I am o glad I'm not in a relationship right now... I dnt think I could do it if I was. How do the rest of you manage this stage and maintain a relationship? I scare my niece at the moment. She won't let me kiss her! Lol

Mon Aug 15, 2011 4:17 pm

Hi,I;m new to this forum but just want to know the opinion of obagi users. I;m on 10th day, and my face is very red, itchy,scaling which i can tolerate,but the one that i;m worried about is my cheeks are puffy,slightly swollen. is it supposed to be like this?thx for any info

Mon Aug 15, 2011 6:52 pm

Hi Swancity I'm new to Obagi too, but am a few weeks ahead of you. I'm at week 4. My first week on Obagi went by with no redness peeling or itchyness. But by about the 10th day same as you I was puffy, red, and peeling. This lasted to just about the 3 1/2 week mark. Because we want to see results I think we tend to study our faces a whole lot more while on Obagi. I know I do. I wake up everyday hoping to see a face that has no acne scars and brown spots. It's getting there. Anyway I've been reading a lot of the Obagi threads on this site, and there are a few women that are very knowledgeable KIMS and RILEYGIRL. You may want to ask them. They have both answered a few questions for me which made a lot of sense. At week 4 1/2 I'm not really peeling and not that red. So although I'm still using the products maybe the OBAGI GODS are giving me a little break before the next bout of peeling and redness starts. Don't give up.... but also make sure you are not having a bad reaction to the products meaning you may need to slow down a bit.

Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:38 pm

thx juju bean, just being cautious,I think I use very small amount,didn't expect like this.

free skin care · Mon Aug 15, 2011 11:24 pm

hi swancity,
Welcome to this forum..I really hope it helps you as you as you struggle with all the skin's reaction to the Obagi products. The side effects you are experiencing are very normal. Peeling, redness, flaking, dry skin is all part of the Obagi journey. There is no time frame when all this will stop. Some users will experience this the entire 18 to 24 weeks, whilst for some it will ease off earlier. Just remember if things become too much for you to handle, just ease off some the frequency of the usage. Is your cheeks puffy because they look more red or are they swollen?

I agree with jujubean, when you start on Obagi you tend to be more critical of your face and every little imperfection or reaction is looked at more thoroughly than ever. I loved hotdocgirls post about the response she received from other women that made the journey worthwhile, it's really encouraging!

Tue Aug 16, 2011 1:58 am

I've been using the products for over 6 weeks now and I really expected to see results by now, but instead it feels like the products have stopped working as my skin looks practically how it did before and i've also started getting spots again. Is this normal?

free skin care · Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:12 am

Fecky1

Are you using all the products in the Nuderm in the strict order and using the right amounts? Also during this 6 weeks did you experience the side effects? The spots shouldn't be appearing again if you are using a good sunscreen and staying out of the sun.

I know it can be frustrating but we all response at different levels. Everyone gets different results from Obagi and for some, it may take a bit longer. It also depends on what your skin issues are. Obagi doesn't alway work on all skin problems. In the case of pigmentation for example, if the problems are very deep, Obagi may not be able to reach these layers in the skin to have any effect.

Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:16 am

I am on day 7 and my lower face is peeling in sheets. I'm actually enjoying it as the skin underneath is so soft..well until it peels again anyway... But I look so rough! I literally do nothing but go to work and come straight home.
I am o glad I'm not in a relationship right now... I dnt think I could do it if I was. How do the rest of you manage this stage and maintain a relationship? I scare my niece at the moment. She won't let me kiss her! Lol

free skin care · Tue Aug 16, 2011 5:06 pm

My peeling wasn't so bad as in sheets, rather it was more like constant flaking. And yes, it was great to see soft clear skin underneath. My skin looked worst because I had to wear makeup for work. Every time I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror, it was so dry and cracked, the makeup highlighted it more and I was only using mineral powder, so I had no choice except to constantly remove the makeup on the lower face especially around the month and chin area and reapply it. I think in the end I became so conscious of how I looked I started to tell people I'm using a skin routine called "Obagi" and the side effects. As for my partner he never noticed anything! I think in the end I was more personally conscious of the side effects than anyone else!

free skin care · Thu Aug 18, 2011 11:31 am

Well im coming to the end of my second week on the nuderm .I have been doing the system every second day and second night and my cps in between ,i know this isnt the way they reccomend but im in no hurry and i really dont want my skin coming off in sheets i couldnt go to work like that i would be sent home.So far my skin is a bit red nothing major a bit like ive caught the sun but to be honest it looks great but maybe thats the calm before the storm so to speak.I think using the cps in between is enhancing it too .I know it will take longer to acheive the results i want but im willing to to wait.I will update in a few days .Before i go i wanted to mention ive been doing the system on my hands to fade age spots i have been doing this every day and night without breaks but ive had no peeling or redness at all.Has anyone else had success on their hands .xx

free skin care · Fri Aug 19, 2011 1:13 am

I've never used it on my hands, but I have read both HQ and retin A is effective on hands to lighten sun spot, so Good Luck

Fri Aug 19, 2011 9:01 am

Hi All!!

I am on my 5th full day of Obagi Nu-Derm. I am probably going to regret saying this, but I haven’t noticed any peeling yet, only minimal flaking around the sides of my mouth. I’ve been reading different posts and so many folks talk about their whole face peeling during the first week. Is my minimal reaction normal? Also, I’ve read about folks peeling in “sheets” or saying they peeled 2 layers that day. Peeling in sheets would be obvious, I would think, but how do you know how many layers are peeling? I’m using the Nu-Derm regime: Gel cleanser, Toner, Eye Cream (Elastiderm), Clear (2 x/day), Exfoderm Forte, Blender, Refissa (tretinoin .05%), and Sunfader. Thanks for your time and help! Lauren

Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:26 am

hi Tandlg I think peeling in sheets means a constant peeling. Although it seems like it... You more than likely will peel so don't get discouraged, but at the same time if it gets too bad just stop for a few days. Better that then to get a bad burn from the products, because they are harsher than we think. Today makes 5 weeks for me. I do remember that at about my 3rd week around my mouth and sides of nose peeled so bad that I did not apply any product there for about 3 days. From reading all the posts it seems this product works a little differently on everyone and at different speeds. Depending on skin type color etc... I'm half Asian so I'm really careful. My skin scars really easily. At 5 weeks I have very minimal peeling and I don't know if that's good or bad. But I do like how my skin is looking. Softer, a little smoother, brown spots about 40% lighter, and more evenly toned. I'm mainly doing this for brown spots and acne scars. I use the Foaming gel, toner , clear am/pm , and blender w/differin 0.1 in the pm. Can't wait for week 18.

Fri Aug 19, 2011 10:33 am

I forgot... I also use the exfoderm forte in the am which I love. My skin never did exfoiliate on its own so this product along with the rest of the system is a Godsend. I've been learning alot about skin from everyone's posts. Thank-you!

free skin care · Sun Aug 21, 2011 1:25 am

hi tandlg
Not everyone experiences peeling, I never did. Rather I had a lot of flaking and dryness, but my skin never actually peeled. You don't always experience the side effects right away, sometimes you may find it hits you few weeks into the cycle. Just remember you have only just started, 5 days is too early to make a judgement call.

jujubean
It's great to hear of your progress. I'm also Eurasian and I initially started on Obagi to give my skin a more even tone and to fade some pigmentation. I had minimal peeling also.

Sun Aug 21, 2011 7:15 am

margarett wrote:

Hi girls,

Just a little update. I am very happy today. I followed your advice yesterday and got in the shower, let the water pour down on my face for a loooooong time and rubbed it softly with my fingers. I got a bit of Clarins exfoliator, just a bit and rubbed it gently too. So, my skin was much better this morning, did not feel dry at all. Then, I went to see my doctor to Vancouver (long trip) and just before the appointment and got into the bathroom and saw flakes around my mouth.. yuk... I grabbed a kleenex and with water removed them .. it was an emergency Razz

The meeting went ok, I don't need more surgery, both my eyes are in good shape.. yay!!!!
Then, I went to my favorite store Sephora and was looking at the make up mineral foundations/I asked the clerk there which were good mineral make up to cover my problem: flakes and dryness, she pointed at Dior. So, ok she gave me a little sample to take home and I saw something that attracted my attention and it was this make up base in form of spray (by Dior) and just to play with it (I have not really worn foundation in years, I always end up taking it all off before going out) I tried it and starting to like it. I did my whole face and OMG.. it's the most amazing base I've tried in years. I have bottles and bottles (Dior, Estee Lauder, Lancome in every form). It looks so natural, so well done, so professional, my skin now looks like when I was in my 30's with make up on. I did not buy it because it usually happens that every make up I wear it's ok for the first 10 30 minutes and after that it looks... well, you know, mmm.. very ugly, no matter what kind it is. So, it's been 3 hours and it still looks very good on me, not dry, it did not set it in the wrinkles or in the flakes, nothing.It's less color of course, because some has absorbed, but it does not look like my other foundations after hours, not at all. I'm going first thing in the morning to buy it.

Please, please, if by chance you happen to be around the Dior counter when you do your shopping, please to try it out, you'll see the difference, you won't regret it. I am going to throw away my brushes and give away my make up that was saving for the day my skin would come back to normal Laughing

There is bronze in spray too.. You just won't believe it.

By the way Margarett, what is your skin type? Mine is dry and wonder if it would work

Mon Aug 22, 2011 8:13 pm

debo wrote:

I just started using the Obagi Condition and Enhance system one week ago. I haven't had the horrible effects yet that I've read about online. My skin is starting to look a little dry and taught, some minor peeling. I am in a public job and cannot afford to take weeks off of work while going through this process. Any tips for getting through it and looking presentable on the job? I use a clarisonic every morning in the shower. If I use Philosophy Microdelivery and Neocutis Skin Cream when needed will it mess with the PH balance of this system? Gotta say, I've been pretty freaked out with what I've read on different websites!!!I'm hoping because I have taken good care of my skin with the Neocutis product line that maybe I won't have extreme side effects and will get through this a little easier than some have. It's pretty scary! Shock

[/quote

Hi, good luch with your new venture with obagi and I hope it goes fantastic for you. Just read this and wondered which websites have really bad horror stories,just wnat to be informed. Thanks Cool

Fri Aug 26, 2011 8:04 pm

Hi Anyone out there use Tretinion Microsphere Gel 0.4 ? With Obagi? Today makes 6 weeks on O Nu Derm. I have been using it with Differin 0.1 gel. I have been studying up on he effects of Retin A vs. Differin and it seems that Differin is not for antiaging? I don't have much acne but I do have Hyperpigmentation issues. I figured if I'm going to do this I may as well do it right. Any feedback would be greatly apprciated.

free skin care · Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:19 am

Hi there i thought i would do a bit of a update .I have been using the nuderm for about 4 weeks now i have had no peeling at all no redness at all ive had a bit of a itchy face but thats it .I havent really noticed any big changes as yet but im still early on.I am just concerend as to why i have no peeling at all not even flaking .I am maybe thinking it is to do with the retin a strenghth i use the 0.5% and i had been using that for 6 months prior to starting the nuderm so im wondering if i need to go up to the 0.1% as maybe my skin is to used to the lower one.I have been trying to find a stockist for the 0.1% but cant i usually get mine from allday chemist or ebay but they only have the 0.5% .Any ideas ?kind regards xx

Sun Sep 04, 2011 2:33 pm

Congratulations!! And thank you for sharing!!

free skin care · Sun Sep 04, 2011 6:20 pm

marcia36 wrote:

Hi there i thought i would do a bit of a update .I have been using the nuderm for about 4 weeks now i have had no peeling at all no redness at all ive had a bit of a itchy face but thats it .I havent really noticed any big changes as yet but im still early on.I am just concerend as to why i have no peeling at all not even flaking .I am maybe thinking it is to do with the retin a strenghth i use the 0.5% and i had been using that for 6 months prior to starting the nuderm so im wondering if i need to go up to the 0.1% as maybe my skin is to used to the lower one.I have been trying to find a stockist for the 0.1% but cant i usually get mine from allday chemist or ebay but they only have the 0.5% .Any ideas ?kind regards xx

Your skin may have already acclimated to the retin a because of your previous use. Are you also using the Exfoderm and Blender? You could try the 0.1% and see how it goes. If it proves to be too irritating, you can always go back the 0.05%. I've purchased the 0.1% from ADC in the past. Are they no longer carrying that strength?

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.