With the weather changing, temperatures cooling down, and the wind picking up a bit, my skin always suffers through change-of-season blemishes and flakiness. I've been experimenting with a few new products lately to get things under control, and as usual, some are winners and some are duds. Read on :)

Joey New York Pure Pores blackhead remover ($10 for one ounce)
Since Joey NY came out with this original Pure Pores product, the line has expanded to include a cleanser, toner and several other treatment products. I hope they are better than this one. At first I thought it was just human error - something I was doing (or was not doing) was causing it to not work. After half a dozen tries, I think the product is just a dud. I cannot get it to dry successfully every time, and the times that it does dry, it does not remove even one blackhead. It's just a goopy mess - definitely not a product I would recommend.

You can find Joey New York online at joeynewyork.com, Beauty Cafe, Beautydoor.com, ibeauty.com, beauty.com and Sephora.com.

Biore Warming Deep Pore Cleanser
Since I like Biore's two self-heating masks so well, I had high hopes for this cleanser. It did not live up to, or even approach, my expectations. The texture is thick and gooey, the warming sensation is sometimes almost hot (ouch!), and it just doesn't do anything in terms of cleaning. It does not remove makeup well and my skin just didn't feel clean afterwards. Another dud.

You can learn more about Biore products at http://www.biore.com.

Sage At-Home Peel ($75 for 2oz, about 40-50 peels)
When I first got this product, I was a little nervous about using it. The thought of "peeling" my skin made me squeamish, but, since I already use AHAs and BHAs, how bad could it be? Thankfully, my experience was fantastic.

Basically, this is a high-powered chemical exfoliant that you apply to damp skin, leave on for a maximum of four minutes, then rinse away. It contains 30% glycolic acid (AHA), 2% salicylic acid (BHA), 2% vitamin C and 2% hyalauronic acid in an aloe vera gel and alcohol base. The alcohol evaporates quickly so it doesn't dry or irritate the skin. It is safe to use every 5-7 days; personally I like using it once a week, usually on Sunday so my face feels fresh and renewed for Monday :)

This does for my skin what few AHA lotions have been able to do - make the bumpy areas of my face truly smooth. Also, the salicylic acid gets down into the pores to clear out the dead cells that help cause blemishes, so I get fewer breakouts. I have used the peel 5 times and have noticed fewer pimples and an overall smoother texture. I am hoping with continued use it will reduce some of the blotchiness still lingering on my cheeks. I'll let you know...

You can find Sage products at http://zerozits.com.

Neutrogena Pore Refining Cream ($13.99)
Neutrogena has such a wide selection of skin care products, many of which are very good (Extra Gentle Cleanser, the Healthy Skin line), so I really wanted to like this new AHA plus retinol cream. I wish I could say I did...

My experience with it did not start out very well. The first night I tried to use it, the cream would simply not come out of the tube. When I squeezed firmly, about half of the tube came flying out! I tried to get it back into the tube, but I ended up washing most of it down the sink.

Over the few weeks that I used Pore Refining Cream, I noticed no positive changes whatsoever. My skin felt greasy and "clogged" most of the time, and I developed blackheads in areas I normally don't, like on my cheeks. I think if you are looking for a product to help keep your skin free of blemishes, a straight AHA or BHA would probably be more effective. This cream did nothing for me.

You can learn more about Neutrogena products at http://www.neutrogena.com

Product Review Spotlight
Check out this week's new review on Cosmetic Connection, Komenuka Bijin and DHC. You'll find it in the Spotlight section on the Product Reviews page.