#itsallclear :: My Acne Story + Murad Giveaway!

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Once an acne-ridden duckling. I have suffered from acne for as long as I can remember. And yes, it did affect my self-esteem when I was a teenager. The night before our senior high pictorial, I was looking at the mirror and cried in silence "why me? why do I have all these zits?" I've always felt alienated because my friends were blessed with beautiful and flawless skin.

Was it a face with acne or acne with a face? So Ms. Whitehead and Mr. Blackhead inaugurated Zitville, and around it they scattered oil and drilled craters. Humor became my outlet in dealing with this curse, after all what would self-pity do? With my wallet drained, no thanks to uneventful treatments, I accepted the fact that even in my adult duck years, acne is etched in my destiny.

The infomercial that changed le duck's outlook. I was in my early 30s when I initially saw Murad's infomercial.  Intrigued, I immediately placed my very first order for the entire anti-acne line. My skin dramatically improved after few months of religious use. Looking back, I realized that my first ever blog post back in November 2010 was about skincare must-haves mentioning Murad products! 

murad.com

Now a Brand Ambassador for Murad. When I was approached to be one of the brand ambassadors, my heart skipped a beat. For one, I am very selective when it comes to affiliation and whatnot. Murad, as most of you know is a world-renowned skincare brand developed by Dr. Howard Murad, a leading visionary in the field of dermatology. Second, I had great experience with Murad pre-blogging days so that alone is reason enough to embrace this opportunity! Okay, I know what you're thinking, will this affect the way I review products? Of course not. Honesty is one of the reasons you're here, I speak my mind and always give you the highs and lows. When it comes to skincare, what works for me may not for you and vice-versa. In short, I am here to present you the facts and my experience, the rest is up to you. Also, my skincare needs have changed now. While I still experience breakouts, my main concerns at this point are maturing skin and pore size.

Do you have acne or know of someone who needs help? Murad may have the answer for you. I have tried the Acne Clearing Solution and Clarifying Mask before and was pleased with the result. The Acne Clearing Solution ($39, 1.7 fl oz) is a spot treatment containing 0.5% salicylic acid, tea tree oil, among others. Apply it on the affected area sparingly because it can cause dryness especially if it's your first time to use salicylic acid-based products. I know "acid" sounds scary but so you know, salicylic acid is safe and is used widely in skincare products, particularly to treat mild to moderate acne. I used this last night because I have two small zits on my forehead, and as of this writing, they are almost flat and dry. The Clarifying Mask ($37, 2.65 fl oz) as the name suggests, is a mask you can use once or twice a week to compliment your anti-acne regimen. It has 4% sulfur which reduces acne, zinc oxide and licorice root extract to soothe troubled skin, Kaolin clay to reduce shine, among others. The Skin Smoothing Polish and Transforming Powder are new to me so I am going to try them first and post my review on another occasion. Okay, I don't mean to sound like a nagging granny but when it comes to skincare, we may have varying expectations and outcomes. Finding the holy grail is a challenge but once you decoded the right combination, clear skin can be yours!

Ready to experience Murad? We're giving away Acne Clearing Solution and Clarifying Mask to one lucky zilla! Before entering this giveaway, please read the complete rules here. Open international. At least 18 y/o. Runs from 9/17 to 9/24/14. Wait for Rafflecopter widget to load. Good luck!

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