I don’t even know where to begin. Except that I am recovering from the biggest skincare debacle I have ever encountered. Blemishes have nothing on what appeared on my face last week.

So, I posted about this wonder product by Dr. Dennis Gross a few months ago. Its great, but I cautioned about using it with benzoyl-peroxide because it can cause bad skin reactions when mixed with regular Hydroquinone. Even though the Dr. Dennis Gross was a Hydroquinone alternative  I knew that regular Hydroquinone caused the skin reaction, so I was very weary.  So I switched to a benzoyl-peroxide alternative while I used the Dr. Dennis Gross stuff. But my skin while it reacted normally at first super clear etc. eventually I broke out without the regular use of benzoyl-peroxide.  So I went back to benzoyl-peroxide, very careful not to mix it with the Dr. Dennis Gross stuff, using benzoyl in the AM and the Dr. Dennis Gross stuff at night. I figured washing my face and the hours between using the two would keep me safe. I even emailed Dr. Dennis Gross’s people to see about the interaction ( I got no response).

Well, one day I was not careful. I was sleepy or something and used them together. When I mixed them together, I had this blemish spot that was healing, totally normal– another day or two and it would have been completely gone. But what happened next was weird. It got bumpy, and dark purple red and I developed red spots around where it had been fading. This spot eventually developed into a very dark spot the size of quarter on my face. I initially figured it was a cold sore in a random spot, an infected healing blemish or something unknown to my untrained eyes. But then I realized it was a result of benzoyl-peroxide and the Hydroquinone alternative mixing.

Be CAREFUL FRIENDS. Skin care ingredients can be powerful and you should be aware of their interactions. When these products are “tested” they are tested in isolation of other products, so while they are safe on their own, when they interact with other products the results can be unpredictable. This is why we need more stringent guidelines and rules for cosmetic companies.

Get involved in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics! They are working hard to change the status quo for cosmetic companies!

Am I the only one who this has happened to? Share you similar stories below! Also, I’m looking for a spot lightener/ face brightener thats as natural as possible! Thanks!