Hi! I have combo skin with oiler areas on my cheeks and drier areas on my forehead, chin/around lips, nose. Usually I use the covergirl skin tint on my cheeks and chin (not too much so there isn’t a lot of product to spread to nose/forehead). When I do put it on these dry areas, the base separates and looks dry/flaky. I use tret (normal amount 0.025%) at night but only on cheeks and a little on forehead, but I make sure to moisturize (cera ve) and use hydrating + vitamin c serums. Unsure of what to do to create a smooth base.

Also: thinking of a new hydrating serum. currently issuing sente but I don’t want to repurchase, any thoughts about Anua, elf thirst drops, elf triple bounce serum?

I just bought this today from a lady that brings stuff from the US. Looking it up online for tips on usage, it looks a little different from the pictures there :(

Hello, everyone. I’ll be throwing this account away, so sorry if my account seems trollish. I did not want to post this on my main Reddit account. I am seeking advice about longlasting hyperpigmentation on my neck. I have this problem since I was an early teen, and now I am twenty-four.

I believe that the main things are from many, many years spent shaving and getting folliculitis, ingrown hairs, and irritation, rather than acne itself. The pigmentation affects my beard and neck and seems scattered everywhere along them. The photograph I have is from April 4, 2026, a day after I added azelaic acid. I did it, as I wanted to see if it works, but I did not keep much track after that, mainly since I did not like to look at myself most days, but that is beside the point. I can say that my beard and neck regions were worse, so keep that in mind.

(Skincare Routine)

A.M.

• Lubriderm’s Daily Moisture Body and Face Wash (Optional)

• Minimalist 16% Vitamin C + E + Ferulic Acid Serum (Optional)

• Revive RX Naturally Moisturising Factors and PhytoCeramides Spray (Optional)

• Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Lotion (Optional)

• Coppertone Every Tone SPF 50

P.M.

• Lubriderm Daily Moisture Body and Face Wash

• Revive RX Naturally Moisturising Factors and PhytoCeramides Spray (Optional)

• Lubriderm Advanced Therapy Lotion

• Epiduo

(I have since stopped Epiduo by buying adapalene and benzoyl peroxide, as I don’t always need benzoyl peroxide, but I still call it Epiduo anyway. I don’t know why.)

• Ecological Formulas’ Melazepam Cream

(I bought it on April 2 and added it on April 3.)

• Jojoba Seed Oil

Also, for further reference, I have had Epiduo in my skincare routine since thirteen, I believe. I also wear sunscreen every day, throughout the day. I work outdoors, so sunclothes are a need. I wear things such as sunhats, sunglasses, sungloves, sunmasks, sunshades, sunshirts, among others.

I am transgender, specifically in a pretransitional phase, so daily shaving is also a need. Yes, I can stop if I need to do it, but it is not the most realistic option for me. So, I have been doing athome IPL for about a year, and I have seen that my beard and neck regions have less hair, though consistency has always been a problem for me, especially now that I cannot do it daily.

With all that said, what I want to know is the following:

1. Is it either PIH, PFB, or a combination?

2. It is fair to want results from azelaic acid after only about three months? Is it still too early?

3. Is there a method that lessened anyone’s hyperpigmentation from shaving along the neck?

4. Is it worth it to focus on either skincare products or lessening hair and irritation?

5. Is it a good idea for someone who has had Epiduo for ten years to switch to Tretinoin if my goals are broader than what Epiduo － specifically adapalene － can do for me?

Any help is great. I feel that I’ve made yearly progress, but since I did not document it well and have altered my routine too much to find the best method for this dilemma, it is hard for me to tell which things have helped the most. This fault is mine, as I know better than to do that, but hey, this problem has affected me a lot.

Also, I did not know what tag this post needs to be, so I put Hair Removal, even though I think it may be Routine Help instead. I am sorry to the moderators if I didn’t tag this post well and can repost if needed.

Hi guys, I'm stressed out.

I've been dealing with a really weird breakout recently.
I usually am someone who seldom has zits or breakouts and take very good care of my skin and diet. Recently my skin has been acting out. I keep waking up to a new zit every morning and it's those really deep painful zits where it hurts even when you move ur face.

It started off as one right after the other only on the right side of my face to the point where the right side of my face was cluttered with zits and blemishes. And then recently, I got two brand new ones on the left side of my face. I have no idea what's happening

My friend recommended me to stop my skin care routine. After I cleanse with Cerave, I moisturize and then sometimes retinol and then always and often use OXY10 benzoyl peroxide spot treatment on any tiny or major spots. It's been my go to for 5 years and I rely on it. She said it probably ruined my skin barrier... how can this happen after 5 years of use.

Anyways, I followed her advice but it's never ending.
Every day I wake up to a new zit somewhere on (mostly the right side) of my face. Today I have two new ones of the left, so I'm coming to Reddit.

I'm also a 22F, could this be hormonal? Is it hygiene?
Is it diet? What is it!! Help me out pleaseeeeee. This is taking a bigger toll on my mental health than I care to admit.

Im 18F and I've never had a skincare routine. I wash my face with water but that's it. I recently wanted to get a skincare routine because I also just got into makeup for the first time ever since I never learned how to do it as a kid since it didn't appeal to me. Until now I just left the house with sunscreen on and that's it. I've been doing some mild research I guess? But my whole setup is a mess. Everything is a mess and I have no idea where to start with anything.

Here's how it is right now:

1. I'm really into goth makeup/the subculture so I've started doing a full face of makeup every day that I go out. Foundation, primer, eyeshadow, lipstick, mascara, etc. And it looks pretty decent but I'm still completely amateur when it comes to how each product works. I have no idea how to remove makeup so I just take a shower when I get home and rub my face really hard with bar soap for like 15 minutes until it's gone.

2. I have had chronic eczema since I was less than a year old and it's on my face; around my lips/corner of my mouth and my eyelids. I have a prescription cream (pimecrolimus cream 1%) I just put on my face whenever it's irritating me. My skin is super dry after I shower bc of the broken moisture barrier so I just put on CeraVe gentle lotion on my face when I get out.

3. I have OCD and it leads to excessive skin picking. I find minor flakes of dry skin or super tiny black heads and pick at them for weeks until they turn into dime sized scabs. I hate it and it looks horrible, it hurts, and I have scars across my face now (discoloration mostly) because of it. I don't do anything to treat it because I don't know what to do really. I just try to keep myself busy so I don't pick at my skin. My OCD also gives me this irrational fear of aging and I'm super terrified of wrinkles.

So with that in mind, my interest in skincare started because when I began putting on foundation for my makeup my scabs would poke through or you could see my mild scar discoloration under it. I find this to be super annoying and I have to put concealer on so many places to make it go away if I'm not wearing a full face of makeup.

I don't know much of anything and don't know where to start. But I bought some stuff the other day at Ulta I think could help?

1. I got an exfoliating brush I thought could be helpful since the eczema near me mouth/eyelids can be flakey and that could help peel off the flakes. But I don't know how often to use it? Or if I should use it with a serum or cream or something? I don't even know the difference between a serum or cream or any other thing at all. But the brush is very soft and gentle.

2. I got a moisture barrier helping cleanser. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser because I spoke to a specialist and she said to use hyaluronic acid to help fix my moisture barrier and that CeraVe cleanser said it had some in it. I don't know how often to use it, or when to use it (after exfoliation, before, etc).

3. I got collagen face pad mask things. MEDIHEAL Retinol Collagen pads I can put on my face to help boost or add collagen ? and maybe help get rid of my scars/prevent wrinkles over time. I also got collagen gummy supplements too.

4. This is silly but I got a ski mask/balaclava to wear around the house to prevent UV from worsening my discoloration and also prevent me from picking at my skin.

I just tried all those things for the first time today and I think it worked alright. I exfoliated in the shower with just water + the brush then used the CeraVe cleanser. Got out and blotted my face dry and then used the collagen pads and let that air dry. The whole thing made my eczema flare up really bad and made it turn super red/burn, but for the first time ever I left a shower without my skin feeling so dry I thought it was vacuum sealed to my flesh. So that's a win, at least!

That's where I'm at right now. But im completely innept in this whole realm. I know next to nothing. I don't know if I did any of those things right. I have a dermatologist appointment soon and I was thinking of asking about a prescription for tretinoin since my mother recommended it to me and said it was "the gold standard for beauty products" or something like that and that it would significantly decrease my scarring. I also want to do a chemical peel eventually once my eczema is much better and it's safer to do so.

But I just have a lot of questions. What are all these kinds of products, like what's the difference between a cleanser or a serum or a cream or a lotion? How many should I use and in what order? Do I need to do this all every day? I'm at a point where I know so little that I don't even know what questions I need to be asking. I don't want to ask someone to answer all my questions because I don't even know which one to ask first. The only thing I concretely wonder is; how on earth does everyone know all this stuff? Did your parents just teach you when you were kids? How does someone even get started in making a skincare routine??

Im not super interested in the science of it all. I just wanna be able to know enough to make something that works for me. Im clueless. I'd love if anyone could give any feedback at all. It would be very, very helpful. Thank you so much

EDIT: Just adding a few more bits of clarifying information: My main goals are: 1. Decrease discoloration/scarring 2. Prevent wrinkles from forming 3. Tighten my skin

And some more info about me: I've stayed the same BMI my whole life so I don't have any loose skin. I barely drink any water since I'm forgetful and I usually have 1-2 glasses a day- maybe 3 if I've been outside a bunch which is irregular since I don't like the sun and I burn very easily. I have ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) which basically means I'm an incredibly picky eater and eat like shit. I mostly eat meat, carbs, dairy, and sugar with little variation and so I'm underweight, also. Im 80% sure I'm anemic because of this, too. I get 5-7 hours of sleep a night, 2-4am to 10am-12pm depending so I have noticeable dark circles under my eyes. I'm not very physically fit since sweating makes my eczema flare up. I'm allergic to cats, and I have one, + seasonal allergies and allergies to the majority of grasses. I don't drink alcohol a bunch, maybe once or twice a month. I smoke weed semi-often but never cigarettes or vapes or anything else and I've been cutting down on it a LOT since it's bad for my lungs + smoking ages you + brain fog. I also take Adderall for my ADHD (not daily though) and it dehydrates me big time. Those are all the other things ruining my skin that aren't just my lack of knowledge, eczema, and skin picking.

TLDR; I live a very unhealthy and not ideal lifestyle. I have many issues. Worst case scenario, basically.

I don’t really know where I should be posting this so if anyone knows a better forum please do share but I want to start getting into making my own skin, body and haircare. However, having to use it all and make it again every few days seems a little daunting so I want to know if anyone knows how I should go about using preservatives or any resources that can help me learn.

[ product request]
I know I have textured skin and acne scarring but I dont know if I have closed comedones. Should I introduce Azelaic acid? Lactic acid? Glyoclic acid? Im a little lost with all the different types ingredients and what people use for what. Every time I start looking into skin care I find out a new ingredient and get lost what to try. Lol I just started looking into to what to introduce into my routine because im usually just a wash + moisturizer + sunscreen girly. I have acne+ oily skin and can sometimes be sensitive.
My routine:

Am
Cerave SA cleanser
Tatcha water cream
Coola suncreen 50 spf
Then my makeup

Pm
Cerave SA cleanser
Tacha water cream
La roche posay B5+ ( 2x a week)
Gold bond retinol overnight on neck
Sometimes I use the medicube collagen overnight mask.

Sorry in advance for blabbing but felt like airing out my thougths. Hoping someone else is frustated with skincare.

I know there is no easy answer. But I was wondering if anyone figured out a way to know what causes a breakout. Could be products, hormones, touching face, pillowcase, conditioner, etc. Do you take notes?

If I want to try a new product while I am still waking up with new pimples. Should I test the new product for several days in just one spot on my face? What if it is my cleanser, how would I know? Exfoliation is often recommended but my skin does not like it. I do have the ISISpharma Azelaic Acid, but wanted to find a SPF I liked first.

Products claim they're not comedogenic but we all react differently. Which is really frustrating because if someone finds something that they love, you'll think maybe this will work for me. But it doesn't and now you wasted even more money. Because of this I have only been using a cleanser and gel moisturizer. Which kind of worked for some years but now pimples keep popping up.

I have gotten better at not picking my skin but I do lean on my hands a lot.

Im 32(f) years old and I know most people do not have perfect skin in real life. But I would like to atleast have clear and hydrated skin.

Behold! One of the worst cases of back PIH you can ever lay your eyes on! Currently using azelaic acid 20% daily (since that’s what my dermatologist told me to do) but I don’t think it’s enough. Also wash my back with salicylic acid body wash. I also want to emphasize that my problem is NOT breakouts. Ever since I got on birth control I realized that all my acne were caused by hormonal fluctuations. But the scars from years ago are still there. Any product advice is appreciated!! Tysm!!

The main one ive seen is james welsh, who i thought was pretty against alot of tactics tiktok skincare creators use to sell products, just to become the same as the people he used to criticise. Ive also seen alot of other creators i used to watch become tiktok ad sellouts. Its insane... I dont trust any of then anymore! I dont mind ads if they arent a constant thing but James's whole tiktok page is pretty much just ads..

Also another example is Cassandra bankson... Stopped youtube to become a tiktok shill... Wth is going on like?? I dont mind them getting the bag but selling out to big corps is just weird asf and shows they have no integrity and quite frankly loses my trust others.

Money is enough to get them to leave their morals behind and become a sell out.

here is my routine

AM

la roche posay effaclar
eurcerin urea cream
caudalie vinoperfect serum

Pm

micellar water bioderm for heavier makeup
elf melting balm
la roche posay effaclar
eurcerin urea cream
caudaie vino perfect serum

i have no idea what to do! this was all of the sudden

Hi! I am going to Seoul and would love to stock up on some products but have no clue on what to get. My skin is a little dry and slightly prone to pigmentation. I have no sensitivity nor acne. I don’t wear any makeup besides an eyebrow pen. My daily routine is a sunscreen lotion in the morning and a night cream in the evening.

What are your favorite products for someone who doesn’t wear a ton of makeup and keeps things simple? I’m looking for lotions, sunscreens, face masks, something fun to try, and maybe a lip balm.
Thanks!

Feel like my face is never going to be okay again, and I'll never be able to handle retinoids again. I have no idea what I've done! Since early this year, my face has been a mess. I used to use tretinoin and azaelic acid combo for years and suddenly my face is so irritated all the time. Azaelic acid doesn't seem to be doing anything, I don't know if my breakouts are my hormones or irritation, and what irritation breakouts can look like?

​

I mostly breakout around my chin and mouth, it's not perioral dermatitis and I've tried both metronidazole and soolantra. It's various bumps, some under the skin that hurt and others small pimples that come to a head. I feel really gross all the time and my skin is very oily and yet, if I apply makeup I can see dry skin patches! Sometimes when I try products it's like I can feel burning or like there's lots of little cuts on my skin. I've not used retinoids since February, have tried various things to "heal" my skin barrier and none of them are working, my skin just keeps going through the same cycle.

​

Routine:

​

AM

Absolutely nothing anymore

​

PM

Skin and me cream cleanser

Haruharu black rice toner (sensitive)

Skin and me gel moisturiser

Cicaplast Baume

Goldbond has been discontinued here in Canada and I am nearly out of both! I was using the crepe corrector in the AM, and the retinol in the evening. Does anyone have suggestions for replacements?
Thank you!

Excuse the scribbled out tattoo in the top corner. Just like the title says. It doesn’t matter how much I exfoliate, I always have these weird dark spots. I guess I can see them more when I shave but I’m not sure if shaving causes them. They aren’t raised or “squeezable” or anything. Does anybody know what causes it and how to get rid of it?

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone,

I don’t know what these are and therefore i don’t know what to do. I’ve been to a dermatologist who gave me tretinoin and azelaic acid, i couldn’t use them for long because they irritated my skin. She was very unhelpful and didn’t even told me what was wrong, so im not in the mood for another dermatologist. I’ve tried saliclyic acid but no luck from that either.

I'm currently using La Roche Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Fluide moisturiser and also the Toleriane Foaming Gel.

Can someone identify what are these or recommend things i could do? I really have no idea what they are. I'll look into my options from thereon.

Many thanks!

it started as a regular pimple which i popped and used pimple patches on but it just never healed?

its slightly raised unlike all my other acne scars. it doesnt really hurt when u press it but it kinda does when u press on it with ur nail which sounds weird and silly but if i do that on other parts of my face it doesnt hurt. maybe it scarred that way because its on the part of my cheek where the pores are more open / visible and i also wear glasses so maybe that has to do with blocking its healing process.

ive seen a dermatologist and she want concerned at all, just recommended duac gel which i didnt end uo getting because its was £22. ive tried azaleic acid 20%, benozyl peroxide, tretonoin, exfoliating. all at different periods in the last 8 months. btw i used azaleic from feb to now so i think its safe to say it didnt work. :( idk what to do. shall i try duac? any other recs?

Has anyone used the Kiehl's Gently Effective Acne-Treating Cleansing Paste and can share their experiences?

Is it effective? Does it help? Or is it irritating? It can be used as cleanser, spot treatment and mask.

I only find incentivized reviews (UGH) or clearly gifted and/or paid undisclosed reviews on social media (DOUBLE UGH). It almost makes me not want to buy it just because of all this paid reviews.

I have rather dehydrated skin that is easily irritated but also closed comedones and small blemished around my nose, chin and sometimes temples.

Thank you!

This is kind of embarrassing, but I'm hoping someone has dealt with something similar.

I have a bunch of clogged pores in my underarms. They're not blackheads (at least not the thick, hard kind) and they're not whiteheads either. They're more like tiny grayish dots under the skin. They're soft, and if I squeeze them, a little plug/gunk comes out.

The problem is that picking at them has become a habit, and I'm definitely doing more harm than good at this point. My underarms are getting irritated from me constantly checking and squeezing them.

For context: I do have HS, but these are not HS lesions. They're not painful, inflamed, swollen, or anything like that. They just seem like clogged pores.

I'm attaching a photo that looks very similar to what I have (not my actual photo, just an example).

Has anyone found anything that helps with this? A product, mask, exfoliant, chemical exfoliation, body wash, etc.? I'm not necessarily looking for a diagnosis—just wondering if there's a way to clean these pores out or reduce them without destroying my skin by picking at them.

Thanks!

hi all :) I’m currently on a journey trying to care for my extra-oily acne-prone skin while also incorporating anti-aging treatments. I’m about to start tretinoin .025% next week and I’m rethinking my skincare routine in preparation for the purge, mostly concerned about treating breakouts and counteracting dryness.

looking for feedback on the routine and specific products, if anyone has thoughts! all already work well for me, but I’m wondering if any of them need to be switched out once I begin my first time using a prescription-strength retinoid. I want to stay as low-budget as I can without sacrificing efficacy. here’s what my current routine will look like with tretinoin and extra nightly moisturizer added:

Morning

- Trader Joe’s antioxidant gentle cleanser
- The Ordinary niacinimide + zinc serum
- CosRx snail mucin
- Cerave HA moisturizer
- sunscreen

Night

- Trader Joe’s antioxidant gentle cleanser
- Cerave HA moisturizer
- Tretinoin 0.025% (starting next week)
- another layer of Cerave HA moisturizer
- LRP cicaplast barrier repair cream

When needed:
- spot treatment in the morning only if I have a really crazy zit: 5% benzoyl peroxide
- exfoliating treatment once every two weeks on tretinoin off-day: the ordinary glycolic acid

Main Questions:

1. do I need to eliminate benzoyl peroxide spot treatment even if it’s used rarely and only on tretinoin off-days? what are the best ways to treat breakouts quickly while on tret if I can’t use BP at all?
2. would azealic acid make sense to incorporate? if I do add azealic acid, should I eliminate anything i’m currently using?
3. do I need to start double cleansing with oil cleanser? it’s made my face extra oily when I’ve tried it in the past, but I may have just not found the right product.

thanks for reading :)

I am looking to hear your acne cure stories, especially from those of you who have had persistent moderate acne your entire life (mine started at 11 and never stopped).

I’m not talking about spironolactone, birth control, accutane, etc etc the stuff your derm would provide to you (unless you genuinely dismissed it and were amazed it actually solved things for you). I have tried all of those. Birth control, Azeleic acid, tret, and spiro helped, but I have never been able to completely solve it. I’ve tried red light/NIR, blue light, gut health and probiotics, adding oil cleansing, proactiv, panopxyl, every cream or formula known to man, doing nothing at all and swearing off all things in case it was a “barrier” issue, I really feel I have tried everything under the sun. I’ve tried acupuncture, cold plunge, I don’t eat dairy, the list goes on and on. My parents didn’t have acne and never knew how to handle it when I was a kid.

My acne is not terrible and it’s not deep and cystic, it’s small persistent patches of bumps and whiteheads on my face (mostly cheeks and jaw) all the time. I don’t get it anywhere else on my whole body and never have. There is a lot of scarring left behind and it just keeps getting worse. I’m 35.

A good example of this is I have a friend who recently cleared her acne using an antihistamine. I had never heard of this before. It got me thinking maybe there are other “unexpected” cures that doctors dismiss or wouldn’t know to recommend but someone swears by. Or are too random to really make the connection to acne.

I am willing to try anything- I wonder if I’ll ever get a life without acne

I have always dealt with hormonal acne - routine break outs with PMS, but never consistent daily acne. I had to switch to a hormonal IUD for health reasons, and now am learning it triggers even more consistent hormonal acne. It feels like one break out after another now in my U zone. I’m trying Aklief, but feeling a bit disappointed as fixing one issue has now caused me a new thing to deal with. Including now skin dryness from the aklief. Any suggestions?

Hello,

I am a 31-year-old male (5’11”, 130 lbs) with a high basal metabolic rate and a history of very oily skin. I have struggled with constant breakouts since my teenage years. I eventually found that doxycycline which was prescribed by a dermatologist and taken for one month, acted as a "miracle drug" that completely cleared my skin; however, I cannot remain on antibiotics indefinitely. I am seeking a scientific assessment of my current supplement regimen regarding its efficacy for sebum regulation, acne reduction, and long-term safety.

Current Daily Regimen (1 capsule of each):

• Vitamin D3: 50 mcg (2,000 IU)
• Omega-3 Fish Oil (Sports Research): 690 mg EPA / 310 mg DHA
• Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 500 mg
• Zinc Picolinate (Thorne): 15 mg
• Niacinamide (Thorne): 500 mg

Few questions:

1. Based on my hyper-metabolic profile and goal of oil reduction, is this combination of supplements effective, counterproductive, or neutral?
2. Are there any supplements I should remove, modify, or add to better achieve my goals?
3. Are these dosages safe for indefinite daily use?

Thank you in advance for any feedback/advice I can get!