DERMAdoctor Photodynamic Therapy, and random chatter

I consider this to be my gateway drug into the world of expensive beauty products. I was strictly a drugstore cowgirl as far as my beauty routine went, and I never had much luck with anything from there. At 24, Retin-a cleared my skin and that lasted for years until I started using things like Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask, Neutrogena's 60 Second Scrub/Mask, and St. Ives Apricot Scrub, not to mention things like aspirin masks. My skin looked worse than it ever had, Retin-a be dammed, even it couldn't stop the chaos. I finally caught on that is was the anti-acne stuff causing my breakouts and quit everything cold turkey. I started using only grapeseed oil and sunblock. Then only sunblock, because I'm quite lazy. Fast forward 4-5 years to 2011, when I received a little jar of Dermadoctor's Photodynamic Therapy from Sephora. Oh, let me tell you, it was like a miracle. A lotion I could actually use on my face?! I managed to get a total of 3 sample jars from Sephora, because I always chose it as my $25 deluxe sample. I'd still choose it if they were still offering it. I have one jar left, and I use it sparingly, mostly under my sunblock, or when my face is chapped from doing a Retin-a peel. The full-size is $85. It is so velvety, I could lick it out of the jar it looks so yummy. My skin never glowed before, never looked dewy, not until I started using this. I didn't stop with Photodynamic Therapy though, I tried other things-- Ole Henriksen Pure Perfection, Peter Thomas Roth Laser-Free Resurfacer, DDF Amplifying Elixir, Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. Had great success with them all--no breakouts at all. I looked awfully jowly before I started my eclectic regime (I'll be 40 this year), and I can see a big difference in my before & after photos. I use them all in conjunction with Retin-a, so I don't know what is doing the lifting, or if it is a combination of everything. My next adventure will be Clarins Bright Plus HP Intensive Brightening Mask:

Can't find very many in-depth reviews though. :-( It is $32.50 for 8 tubes. The claims:

Smoothes skin's texture and leaves incredibly bright with a beautiful matte finish.

- Diminishes existing dark spots and helps slow the source of production of melanin.

- Soothes stressed skin and restores comfort. After 4 weeks use: 97% of women reported brighter skin. 97% of women reported more luminous skin.

Oh--I just ordered a full-size tube of the Clarins cleanser that I liked. Big splurge--$20. But, I ordered a jacket from Macy's before Christmas, didn't like it, wanted to return it, hated losing my shipping, and maybe a restocking fee, so I exchanged the twenty-some-odd dollar jacket for the Clarins cleanser. So it is like getting it for free, except it will end up costing about $35. Oy, I'm dumb....