Thursday, December 15, 2016

Trending Face Mask Rips Off Hair


I've been seeing a number of bloggers reviewing the ever so popular Hell Pore mask and was very excited when I found out that I won the review campaign for it on 0.8L. If you are unfamiliar with the website, it is a product review site. Essentially you sign up to review certain products. I've been register for 5-6 months and I have won 6 products. You then provide review on either Instagram or Facebook using certain hashtags.


Since I started taking Accutane my skin has been purging all of the impurities especially on my nose. I have never dealt with so many blackheads in my life. I have literally been using a pore strip every few weeks because of how rough my nose gets. 


If you would like to see my experience with this mask be sure to check out the YouTube video that I made while using it for the first time. 


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Angela Zimsky

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Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Why should YOU care about haircare?

A couple of months ago I went through a bit of a hair "crisis" due to Accutane. I did quite a bit of research on how to take better care of my hair. As you all may know my hair, along with the rest of my body, has been very dry. This has caused it to become brittle and break. My hair feels great after only one use of the Inspired by Dead Sea products.


Not only do the strands feel healthier but my waves aren't as frizzy. I wish I was able to capture a better picture of the back of my hair but it was quite difficult. These two photos were taken after going to bed with my hair wet and merely running my fingers through it in the morning.


The first product I used was the in shower masque. I applied it to the length of my hair and left it on for 10 minutes. The only issue I had with the container was scooping out the product and replacing the lid without dropping it. I love how this product made my hair smell outside of the shower. I would recommend this to anyone interested in an inexpensive alternative to Macadamia Professional: Nourishing Moisture  Masque. That brand will run you anywhere from $25.00-$36.00 depending on where you purchase it and that is only for 8 fl oz.

$20.99 for 16.9 fl oz Click Here

The second and third products I used immediately after getting out of the shower. Again I applied the  Reparative Hair Serum to the length of my wet hair. It claims to restore elasticity, reduce breakage and rebuild hair strength. This product made my hair feel SO soft. I've found other products to make my hair feel oily the next day but with this I didn't run into that issue. 

$20.89 for 3.4 fl oz Click Here

The Night Booster is by far my favorite because of how different my scalp felt after using it. Since I started taking Accutane I have had quite the sensitive scalp. I massaged this product into my roots. It is meant to reduce hair loss and promote fuller looking hair. I'm not sure if you noticed in the pictures above but my hair sure did have some volume the following morning. 

$18.99 for 3.4 fl oz Click Here

In the past I have not found these steps necessary to maintain healthy hair. So why should I care about haircare? As we age everything on our bodies changes from our skin to our hair. By researching products that would help with my current concerns I've discovered that preventative care is very important. I may only be 31 years old but why not get a head start on taking better care of my hair AND skin before its too late.



I hope that after reading this information you look into taking better care of you hair whether or not its using the products mentioned above. Thanks for stopping by and spending a few minutes reading my blog. Check out my other social media platforms if you haven't already and have a great day.

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Angela Zimsky

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Sunday, December 4, 2016

Optimum Accutane Dose Met

I had my 4 month check up with my dermatologist last week and he advised me that I've met the optimum dose of Accutane for my weight. He told me that it would be safe for me to stay on it for another 2-3 months to increase the likelyhood of my acne not coming back. I figure that since I am finally used to all of the side effects then it wouldn't hurt.

Skin update:


My skin is feeling softer and softer with each passing day. I am doing everything I can to keep in moisturized. I've been using quite a few new products trying to figure out what works best for me. If you havent checked out my YouTube channel you should because I do a series called "Mask & Tag". 


I recently received a set of sheet masks from Skin18 that I have been thoroughly enjoying. 


If you follow me on snapchat you may have seen me masking. My screen name is just "angelazimsky". 


I loved the way my skin felt after I used this mask. I will continue to posts updates on these masks on my other social media platforms so be sure to check those out. I'm going to be doing an Accutane update video this week too.

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Angela Zimsky

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Sunday, October 30, 2016

Acne Scar Laser Procedure

As many of you know I started taking Accutane this summer and have been having quite a difficult time with all of the side effects. I should be completing the course of medication within the next two months. My dermatologist recently told me that I would be a prime candidate for laser repair. I have what are called "boxcar" scars lining both sides of my cheek.


I have 8 months to save up $1700 for this procedure. As of right now it doesn't look like I will be getting it done right away. I've been living with the scars for so long that I haven't really hadn't considered how different my life might be. Of course it won't be different in any ways that those who don't have acne are probably thinking about. 

For instance, since I have had oily skin for so long it was quite different getting used to my skin always being dry now. While dryness is a side effect of being on Accutane I am not sure what skin type I will have after the treatment. All of the products that I used to use, I can no longer use because my skin is too sensitive to them. This is my current night time routine is much different than it used to be. It used to be an extensive cleansing process followed by topical medications that smelled horrible. 

Another example of how my life might be different would be makeup. I have always been a heavy makeup wearer to cover acne and now all off the scars. I'm sure that my skin will not be flawless after the procedure but any improvement would be lovely. Ill admit that since my skin has been healing from the acne I have been wearing less and less makeup. There are day that I go without makeup and some that I will only wear a tinted moisturizer. This is huge for me since Ive always felt like I was wearing a mask. 

After talking to a few women in the small skincare community I am part of, I decided to start a GoFundMe. Now this is not me asking for a large donations. If you have struggled with anything over the years that might have you feeling insecure then I'm sure you understand how I feel. Check out the link for more info.


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Angela Zimsky

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

A Path to Happiness

Over the last few weeks I have been struggling with depression. A viewer on my YouTube is the one who actually pointed it out. It wasn't until that moment when I finally put it all together. It made sense with my lack of interest in doing the things that I typically found joy. I re-watched the video that this comment was on and knew that I need to change this immediately.

I would have never guessed, when I started taking Accutane, that I would be experiencing everything that I have been. There have been many days in which I have wanted to completely give up and just live with having acne. The online support community I am part of is the only reason I haven't. I just can't thank every single person enough for being there for me, a stranger. I hope that I can be there for each of you the same way. 

All I need to do now is find myself. I no longer want to feel disconnected from the world around me. 
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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

The Struggle with My Skin

When you deal with having acne prone skin your whole life it is extremely difficult to get used to having dry skin. In the past I found that applying certain moisturizers would break me out. Now that I am on Accutane I just want to slather my face in moisturizer 24/7. I've been trying a number of different moisturizers in an attempt to find one that provides extraordinary hydration. This medication makes my whole body dry including my scalp.

I was recently sent a haircare system that I am hoping will give my sensitive scalp some relief. When I first noticed that I was having increased hair loss I was highly upset. It sent me into a depression whenever I thought about losing my hair. My dermatologist reassured me that hair thinning is a normal side effect of Accutane.

There are so many different side effects associate with this medication. At this point I am on the fence about whether or not it worth staying on it to be quite honest. It has always be a dream of mine to have clear skin however I am not sure how much more I can take. All I want to do is make it until the end of my treatment in order to have scar repair done.

Another woman that I have become close with is also having the same struggles. Neither one of us wants to give up on our journey but its a lot to deal with. Every morning we wake up to find that our skin is different than the day before. There are days that my skin appears to be improving while other days it is more red than it has ever been. On top of it all my doctor advised me that my blood work came back showing that I have high cholesterol.

To what lengths would you go to for clear skin?

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Angela Zimsky

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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

An Emotional Hair Week

I almost gave up on my Accutane journey. I discovered that my hair appeared to be thinning. I noticed that while washing my hair in the shower that I was experiencing quite a bit of shedding. This hit home a bit harder than it should have because I have had hair problems in the past. Two years go I caught ringworm on the nap of my neck from a tanning bed headrest. Needless to say that a patch of my hair fell out and I had to apply cream for two months.

Another instance of having difficulties with my hair happened 5 months after having my daughter. I developed postpartum alopecia on the top of my head. In the case I just started taking Biotin and using the Walmart brand "Rogaine" on the one bald spot. So here I am a year later fearing that I am going to yet again have another bald spot in my hair. I spent a number of hours online doing research to figure out whether or not it was relation to being on Accutane. Unfortunately, hair loss is a side effect of the medication.

At this point Ive been on the medication for two months and have noticed significant improvement in my skin. Not only have my number of breakouts reduced but the over all texture looks better. In my mind I was juggling the idea of going off of Accutane. To me, I thought that having my hair meant more than having clear skin. I felt like I was already doing all that I could to help with the health of my hair. I take a number of vitamins direct towards healthy hair, skin and nails and rarely use heat on it. The medicine has made it very dry so I even resulted to only washing it once a week. 

My emotions were all over the place last week. The day that I uploaded a video to Youtube about my dilemma, I had spent the whole day crying.

Video here:       https://youtu.be/uLnkWOCxP8A

The following two days weren't much better but at least I wasn't crying off and on. All I could think about was losing my hair in order to have clear skin. One woman in particular that I met on Instagram was very helpful. I talked to her about it a lot and she is also going through the same issue. When this was all happening, there were still 5 days until my next recheck with my dermatologist. 

Today I was met with great relief after having a long discussion with my dermatologist about the concerns I had with hair loss while on Accutane. He explained to me that it is normal to lose 100 strands of hair on an average day. If a person was to wait X amount of days before washing their hair they might notice more. He advised me that waiting to wash my hair would not cause any less hair to fall out. I was very glad to hear that once I completed the course of medication that my hair would return to normal. 

I want to thank everyone who reached out to me. You all have made this journey easier to deal with on a day to day basic. Thank you for all of your kind words and encouragement. I can not wait until we have all reached the end of the tunnel. I know that all of our skin is going to be flawless. We are each going to move on to whatever each persons next step might be. I hope to have laser to deal with some of the scarring on my cheeks. What is your next step? Email me at Zimskygirls@gmail.com if you want to talk. 

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Angela Zimsky

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Saturday, September 10, 2016

My Skincare Mission

I am on my way to having blemish free skin. At least that's what I keep telling myself. According to my dermatologist the cure rate for Accutane is only 80%. Quite frankly I like those odds and feel like they are in my favor. When I started taking the medication I decided that I was no longer going to pick my skin. For the most part I have been successful. There were a couple of white heads that did rupture because of my being too rough while cleansing or exfoliating. Two cysts in particular bled and scabbed over.

Now I am on a mission to find the best products out there to help with dry skin. Not only for me but for everyone else that is taking Accutane. Having dry skin is a different playing field for all of us. We are all so used to having oily skin. My skin used to get oily in the "T" zone but I experienced a majority of my blemishes on the sides of my cheeks. This is also where I have developed the few cysts since going on Accutane. My "T" zone is now very dry and flaky. The sides of my nostrils are chapped like Ive had a runny nose for weeks. 

There are so many companies out there that have all natural products that provide relief for dry skin. This is not my saying that if they aren't organic, they won't work. I have tried quite a few products, that had a number of ingredients that I couldn't pronounce, that worked marvelously for my acne prone skin. That being said, what works for me may not work for others and the same goes for me. My skin is very sensitive to benzoyl peroxide and I could not use it as a treatment for my acne. While for other people, that is the only form of  treatment that they need to use in order to be blemish free. 

I hope that you all find my future product reviews helpful and know that these are all my honest opinions. When trying new products I always read the product reviews hoping that there might be a bit of information that relates to me. For example I like seeing the key phrases "When I had cystic acne", "While I was on Accutane", or "For very dry cracking lips". I am not a wealthy person so I cannot go out and spend a lot of money on skincare. I'm looking for products that offer what I'm looking for at a reasonable price. 

I always state in my videos that if there is a product that you find helpful please do not hesitate to let me know what it is because more than likely I will try it. Of course, keep in mind that I am on a tight budget since I do only work part time and have a toddler to feed. I take all of your suggestions to heart and do not be offended if I end up not purchasing it because of my own research about the product. I'm thinking about getting a P.O. Box so that if anyone has products they would like to send me, its an option. 

Thank you for taking the time to listen to "My Mission". Have a great day!


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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

15 Years of Scars

Im having quite the surreal moment right now after going through some old photos from back in the day. I ran across quite a few pictures of my skin before acne. As I continued through the years I could see the progression of my scarring. Then I go look in my mirror and see what my skin looks like now.

Im not going to lie and say that it doesn't make me sad. I WISH that there was to tell young Angela not to pick her face. Of course that it something that my mother always told me. Did I listen? No. Did I wash all of my makeup off every night before bed? No. There were many beauty mistakes that I made back then and now I have to suffer the consequences.

Im sitting here 30 years old with a massive amount of cystic acne scarring on my cheeks. I started my Accutane journey almost 50 days ago. Since then I have been experiencing a number of side effects. Oh the things that we do for beauty, right? I want to do everything that I can, while taking the medication, to help my skin stay hydrated and heal well.

I follow many women on Instagram who also have acne or are on Accutane. Its very helpful to see everyone posting how their skin is doing on a particular day or what side effects they might be experiencing. I didn't realize what a large community existed for those who have the same troubles that I go through.

I guess where I am going with this post is that I wanted to THANK YOU. Thank you for being so supportive during these low moments that we all experience. Thank you for recommending products that might help me when my skin feels sensitive. Thank you for being a friend when I feel like I have no one else to talk to.

Thank you.

Angela circa 2005 at the age of 19 years old.


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Monday, September 5, 2016

Accutane and all that comes along with being on it.

I started taking Accutane on July 20th and my skin has not been the same since. Ive had acne for going on 15 years not and it hasn't gotten any easier over the years. I reached the end of my rope back in June and decided it was time to try one last treatment. Accutane was a medication I had heard about but not done much research about. After making an appointment with my dermatologist to go on the medication I started to look into all the side effects of the medicine. There is a long list of possible side effect that each person may experience. I had literally scared myself out of starting the medicine at one point because I didn't feel like it was going to be worth it all.

It wasn't until I went on YouTube to watch other women's videos of their Accutane Journey that I decided it was something I did in fact was to do. I found it so helpful to watch the testimonials of other women who had gone through the same skin issues I had it real life. Now that I am on the medication it really isn't as bad as I thought it might be. Yes, I experience a number of side effects however I feel like in the long run it will all be worth it. My journey to clear skin started a month and a half ago and I'm ready to see what the future holds.

Since starting the medication I too also decided to start making videos on YouTube about my journey. All I hope is that other people out there find my videos as helpful as the ones I had watched. My goal is to provide as much useful information that might help people along their Accutane journey. This whole process hasn't been easy but I'm glad that I'm doing it. I feel like I'm part of a community of people who all share one common thing: bad skin. We are all sharing our healing stories and struggles with one another so that we can provide support.

Today I figured that as long as I am getting into Vlogging my Accutane story that I would also try giving blogging a go too. I'm very excited to reach out to and talk to everyone that wants to be part of my journey. Because in the end we are all in this together. I will help you through the rough days and I would hope someone might be there for me when I'm not feeling 100%. Thank you for taking the time to read this blurb and I look forward to writing more in the future. Have a good day!

Angela Zimsky



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Angela Zimsky

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