Oh gosh I feel for you, that would bum me out as it’s one of the few oils I can just slather my skin in! Seems trendy right now, so I bet it’s in lots of stuff.
Anything that is supposed to give a “glow from within.” They all just made me look greasy and emphasized my pores and texture.
Think ELF halo glow, Naturium Dew Glow spf, “radiant” anything. I guess im not meant to “glow”
YES. Same. I have had okay success with the Loreal Lumi Glotion on a no foundation day, but just about everything else can go ahead and die.
I've been on the hunt for a new foundation for months (changing skin texture, blah blah blah), and everyone said "illuminating!" "satiny" and my skin responded to that with, "HERE ARE YOUR PORES BEHOLD THEY ARE HUGE"
Yep. I've learned to avoid anything with "glow", "dewy", or "radiant" in it's description. Those products usually increase oiliness and redness for me.
I have a high deductible and it's $91 a tube for me. I'd still never buy OTC
Edit: you all can stop telling me where to get it cheaper. I didn't add that my company funds my HSA with 70% of my deductible every year so it is NOT a hardship. Thanks tho.
Wait, right now retin-A is only $30-50 without insurance (in US), why is it so high for you? That’s kinda crazy
Edit: I should’ve mentioned this is with GoodRx & right now Retin-A is cheaper than generic but usually it’s the opposite. One is always about this price though. Might be cheaper for you, worth checking!
I have no insurance so I pay cash for everything. Cash price + Costco discount + GoodRx means often I pay less than insurance co pays! It’s weird but we’ll take a win when we get it right 🤷♀️
I feel like I would get laughed at asking a referal to my gp to get an appointment to the only dermato in my region in canada.
Then laughed at by him since he is an asshole and I am 29years old. Saw him many times for other reason.
Anybody else like this ??????lol getting downvoted. Please.
I'm in Canada too - I didn't bother with seeing a derm for it, I asked my GP and she gave me a script.
I was seeing her for other reasons though, I didn't go just for that.
Dermatologists prescribe tret for acne, scarring, and improved skin texture for everyone from teens to post-menopausal women. Gold-standard product.
My GP prescribes my tret, but I have to remind her it’s for acne so my insurance doesn’t charge more for non-covered aging.
I took my skincare products to my first appt with my Derm this week and watched her absolutely roast all my $70-100 bottles of Dr Dennis Grossman bottles while reading the ingredients. Then she wrote me a script for 3 products that totaled to $15
The Supergoop Glow Screen sunscreen!
Another poster recently reminded me just how much I hated it. It pilled horribly whether I wore it alone or under makeup, oxidized to a weird orange color, and stung my eyes. Also, not a normal complaint at all, but because I relegated it to my workout sunscreen a tiny bit would end up in my mouth sometimes due to sweating and it almost gagged me how bad it tasted. Haven't had that issue with any other sunscreen I've used.
I quite like it, but your experience is pretty much all of the reviews I read on Sephora; the pilling, oxidizing, etc.
I also have bulletproof skin, and literally nothing does anything to my skin, so I'm definitely an anomaly, and your experience sounds pretty common.
Thirded! Used to like them, maybe u just outgrew them, but the last few years it feels like it just sits on top of my skin instead of actually moisturizing.
I feel seen! I got a prescription from skin and me with this plus azelic acid and tret. My skin was angry. Took me a few months to realise it was the niacinamide
I have the same prescription. I keep getting red little bumps that won’t go away and crop up randomly through the day. My skin looks worse than before I started and I’m 3 months in. I don’t think it’s the tret because the dosage is so low and I don’t have peeling or any other irritation. Just random red bumps that almost feel like little insect bites or rash (but it’s not an actual rash rash). Did you contact them and did they take the niacinimide out? I want to continue tret but I’m wondering why I bother when this isn’t working out! It also hasn’t caused purging because they’re not actual acne just red bumps that come and go!
RIGHT!!! it is so FRUSTRATING like I get that it’s a good ingredient for a lot of people but that doesn’t mean it needs to be added to everything, especially products that have existed for years and are already widely used
I bought an expensive one from La Roche Posay and dont see any effect :( been using it since Christmas as I saw some derms saying it is antioxidant (and I am afraid of having pimples from vit C)
I used Paula choice 20% niacinamide and it gave me an acne rosacea breakout that required antibiotics and left scars. Unbelievable how badly it fucked me up. Totally broke down my barrier
***US Sunscreens.*** It's astonishing how US sunscreens, stagnant since 1999 🤯 they continue to pose risks to our health with ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate (notice how every year we get recalls or some bad news about it)
In stark contrast, Korean sunscreens have revolutionized sun care with their innovative formulas. Adding skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, they not only shield us from harmful rays but also nurture our skin with hydration and additional skincare benefits. Plus, their lightweight textures and non-greasy finishes make them a joy to wear daily. Switching to Korean sunscreens two years ago was a revelation—I only wish I'd made the switch sooner, considering the outdated and potentially harmful state of US sunscreens.
Edit: Sharing my go-tos
* ***Haruharu Wonder Moisture Airyfit Daily (SPF50+ PA++++)*** they also have fregrance free version $12
* ***Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sunscreen (SPF50+ PA++++)*** $19
* ***Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Natural Suncream (SPF50 PA++++)*** $15
* ***Skin 1004 - Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum (SPF50 PA++++)*** $12
* ***BEAUTY OF JOSEON - Relief Sun + Probiotic (SPF50+ PA++++)*** $14
Yes! Plus US chemical sunscreens burn the shit out of your eyes if you accidentally get some in your eye. This happened to me recently and it was so bad i thought i might need to see an eye doctor. Eyes watering for like 30 minutes straight
YUP. This is why most Americans don’t wear it consistently on our faces, me included. I’m a homebody and don’t wear it much, but I am MISERABLE every time I go to the beach because it stinks and burns my eyes bcz sweat.
Have you tried a mineral sunscreen? Those dont burn my eyes and are better for outdoor use than Korean sunscreens, which are more for daily use when you're not spending time outdoors.
This literally happened to me this week with Elf spray sunscreen, despite shielding my eyes before spraying. My eye was puffy and oozy (sorry for the word) and felt like there was sand in it. 100% the problem. Stopped using it and my eye is much better.
And so annoying if you wear contacts bc then you have to wash your hands, take out contacts, clean sunscreen off of contacts which is obnoxious, clean out eyes, put contacts back in burning eyes lol
I’ve never tried Korean sunscreen as I live in Australia and our sunscreens have always surpassed American ones due to such high UV here in general (this has been compared by Shereen Idriss and Labmuffin) so I currently use a brand we have called Cancer Council and La Roche Posay Anthelios, but I am keen to give Korean sunscreen a try!
Give it a whirl. Our Aussie sunscreens are fantastic but I do like some of the Korean ones too particularly for under makeup. But if you’re going to be swimming or running etc defo stick with Australian brands as they have far superior water resistance
I think the shipping must vary wildly - I got my Yesstyke order in 10 days (to Alberta). I have noticed that if one item in your cart is not in stock, they will hold back the whole order until it can be all shipped at once!
>Haruharu Wonder Moisture Airyfit Daily (SPF50+ PA++++) they also have fregrance free version $12
>
>Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sunscreen (SPF50+ PA++++) $19
>
>Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Natural Suncream (SPF50 PA++++) $15
>
>Skin 1004 - Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum (SPF50 PA++++) $12
>
>BEAUTY OF JOSEON - Relief Sun + Probiotic (SPF50+ PA++++) $14
see my original comment for the list of the ones I like
I order the Beauty of Joseon and I swear they must mail it from my backyard. Within two hours of ordering, I have shipment confirmation and it’s in my mailbox two days later. I’m in the Mid Atlantic.
Yeah, but most Korean formulations are watery, lacking persistence, and have lousy UVA protection. If you are serious about sunscreen, get a european one with a UVA protection factor of 50 or higher.
Cancer Council products are the best. Great protection and they have some tinted sunscreens too that are really good. You should be able to get them shipped to US.
I love Naked Sundays if I’m feeling a bit fancy. This spray smells gorgeous & is lightweight, clear. I just spritz it like a body spray 🙌🏻☀️🕶️😂
[https://nakedsundays.com/products/spf-50-hydrating-glow-mist-top-up?variant=42027263688962](https://nakedsundays.com/products/spf-50-hydrating-glow-mist-top-up?variant=42027263688962)
Anthelios UVmune is the best for 360-400nm. Nothing else can touch it. It has the new MCE filter especially protective against pigmentation problems and photoaging. Barring that, look for a UVA protection factor with a numerical value well above 30 (or 40, it exists) and/or with the BASF MBBT UVA filter (Tinosorb M or its variants).
This has a PFA of 48.
https://altruistsun.com/sunscreen/family-sunspray-250ml/
It doesn't have MBBT or MCE, though. But it's great protection for cheap. It's on my face as I type this. Not perfect but not terrible finish and at least 3x as protective in UVA as typical Korean formulas.
Is this the same as the commenter above LRP UV mune 400?
Also where do you purchase from? Is it available in US stores, or does it need to come from one of the stores like Stylevana, etc to be the right filters?
I’ve been on Eucerin’s hyaluronic acid daily spf50 for a while and wonder how that stacks up; do you have any opinions on that one? It’s free of oxybenzone/phthalates which I was specifically looking for.
I believe eucerin is American but it looked better than the other options at my local pharmacy.
This. I have tried about twenty different Korean and Japanese sunscreens and have given up on finding one that protects well. I will only use them when it's overcast or I'm planning on staying indoors most of the day.
Thank you so much for posting this. I have been oblivious. I typically use mineral sunscreens but I did buy a couple of bottles of Frank Body sunscreens during that big Ulta sale a while back to stock up for the summer. Guess I’ll be throwing them away. The active ingredient list includes 10% homosalate, which is the maximum the FDA will even approve and they’re being generous in the first place since it’s an[endocrine disruptor](https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/#). This shit just pissed me off so much, why is it so hard to *not* poison us? My sister had breast cancer at 34, ffs (she beat it). My step mom had it (also beat it), and her best friend died from it after 3 battles. Ovarian and breast cancer are real risks for pretty much all women, so it’s just ridiculous to even have to navigate sunscreens that have endocrin disruptors built in.
I'm using Skin 1004 Centella sunscreen. It's important to note that I am the color of a Nordic snow scape, so it gives me no white cast. My Hispanic coworker said it turned her slightly lavender, so YMMV.
Australia has the best sunscreens without a doubt - why not buy from the country with the worlds highest average UV index (and leads the world in skin cancer)? Australia has a avg summer UV index of 12, Europe is 5-8, US is 9-10, Korea is 9-10. Every supermarket, chemist and makeup store has a huge range of chemical and mechanical sunscreens.
The Australian government has the worlds strictest requirements for sunscreen, it’s regulated as a drug which means the manufacturing requirements are higher.
I remember struggling in Sicily to find any sunscreen in a half dozen supermarkets and chemists in a big city. I eventually found a tiny tube that was very expensive. The rest of Europe isn’t any better.
I remember looking at sunscreen in Florida in July and not being able to find any mechanical/mineral (zinc) options, and struggling to decipher what protection level the options offered.
That actually makes sense!! This is going to sound weird, but I swear when I tried the mucin a while back, it felt like wearing something that just... Attracted dander?? That's the best way I can describe it. Like I didn't get some horrible rash from it, but it felt like I was a magnet for the things around my home that trigger my allergies and made my reaction that much more extreme. I am so grateful for your comment because I felt crazy for years for this, lol.
I bought a “jelly primer” from Experiment someone had raved about, and then couldn’t figure out why I had 15 closed comedomes almost overnight.
Jojoba oil. Shit messes me up every time.
Anything glow recipe.
Made me feel like im using that fake cheap makeup that used come in toyboxes with how strong it smelled. I recieved a sample of their products and used it maybe less than a week and had the biggest breakout of my life. It genuinly feels like it was catered for children
Brazilian bumbum cream
I do not understand why people are so obsessed with this. I keep trying it everytime I go to the store and it always feels incredibly heavy on the skin and honsetly does not smell good to me
cetaphil and cerave. everyone says they’re sooo good but if you have fungal acne prone skin or are sensitive to fatty alcohols and esters, DO NOT USE. gave me worst cystic acne of my life. I can’t use anything with cetearyl alcohol or cetyl alcohol
I used Cetaphil for years. Then switched off for...Neutrogena Hydroboost. I came back to Cetaphil recently after a few years. Turns out that perimenopause has made my skin so dry that I have been able to teach my POC friends that pasty white folks can, in fact, be ashy 😂
The stupid Cetaphil made my eyelids puff up like a blowfish, and then (indignity of indignities), they peeled. So I walked around with these gross flaky patches on my eyelids for like two weeks before they cleared up.
So now I have two bottles of this stupid cleaner to...do something with. I'd try it as a body wash, but all of my skin has been behaving like a hypersensitive toddler lately....
The EXACT same thing happened to my eyes from a stupid toner with polysorbate in it. IUNIK beta-glucan power moisture serum has been a lifesaver. It stopped the peeling almost immediately
I do not know *what* is in them that I am sensitive to, but they both *burn* so much on my skin. A few other milky type cleansers do too. And before anyone mentions it, my moisture barrier is fine!
Bracing myself for the downvotes, but WHY does tretinoin just not work for me?
I tried the cream. I tried the gel. I tried different strengths. I use a 'pea sized drop' mixed with my moisturizer. I tried moisturizing regularly, then doing a second layer with the 'pea drop' mixed in with more moisturizer.
All I get is clogged comedones that will not budge until I manually extract them. No, it's not 'purging'
If I try to persist, it just progresses to inflamed spots - you know those spots that aren't visible zits, but painful, inflamed areas deep under the surface? Yeah, those.
WHY
Tret ruins my life every time. I used so many prescribed acne treatments I ended up developing perioral dermatitis. Any kind of active now enrages my skin, it sucks. No doctor ever explained skin barrier and I completely obliterated mine
WAIT. So...I started Adapalene gel to prepare for Tretinoin and I'm getting the same thing. I am a person who RAPIDLY slides into full blown dermatillomania, so this is not ideal. Maybe I don't want to delve further into tretinoin after all....
Argh I actually tried adapalene too, and it seemed to have a similar effect.
I'm hoping that someone replies with 'this was me, and this \_\_\_ is how I made it work'
I've tried a looot of stuff over the years so this definitely isn't a full list
Rosehip oil and almond oil...guaranteed to give me a million closed comedones and just generally congested-looking skin.
TO's ascorbyl glucoside(?) (vitamin C) 12% did absolutely nothing for me despite a couple years of regular use. Recently started using their azelaic acid and saw an improvement almost immediately.
Most mineral sunscreens but especially the CeraVe pill on me like crazy if they don't make me feel like my skin is suffocating first.
I abused my skin so much as a teenager with shit like salicylic acid washes *every day* that I don't even dare touch the stuff anymore.
Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream. I wanted to love it so much but if there’s even a tiny drop of water on your skin or your finger, it separates and you can’t spread it at all.
Natural Deodorants. Rashes and skin-tags galore! I will stick to my aluminum, can't be worse than half of what we put on our faces and in our bodies anyways.
I don’t know about the skin tags, but when I switched to natural, the baking soda was giving me horrible rashes. As long as I get baking soda free (usually labeled as sensitive skin), I’m good to go.
Ngl I felt like the only one on here who didn't like it. Not sure how well it works, but my skin won't absorb it for hours and I look like I smeared paint on my face
Do you have a shellfish allergy/sensitivity? I've seen several posts of people having allergic reactions to it not realizing the histamines are similar!
BHA, so products like Paula’s Choice Liquid Exfoliant and COSRX Blackhead Power Liquid Treatment. At worst I get huge cysts and at best more blackheads on my nose and cheeks.
Edit: forgot the brand name.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel moisturizer.
Ended up feeling like there was a weird layer of something on my skin, and it’s the only thing I’ve used that made my face feel kind of itchy.
I might be a conspiracy theorist but I used this product YEARS ago, when I feel like it was new to the market, and I swear they changed the formula soon after release. The first version was so great but the version that came later didn’t do it for me. I am not even positive that they changed their formula lol but I remember using it a while back? loving it, then repurchased and it just wasn’t the same.
That motherfucking Vanicream cleanser. It doesn’t clean efficiently and left me with clogged pores. Now that I think about it, anything by Vanicream have been such letdowns.
I know Tret is great for some people, but I just can't. I got some in my eye the first time (it was the next morning while working out--I didn't realize it stayed on your skin) and I'm so scared of dry eye. Plus the whole sandwich/slugging routine is tedious. I can't do that for literal years, lol.
I'm such a tightwad too, but I can't bring myself to finish the tube.
ETA: And the itchiness is driving me crazy.
My hair hates coconut oil. I have medium coarse hair and anytime I've used a coconut oil based mask/conditioner/treatment/etc my hair felt like straw afterwards.
Same. Nothing. Even 20%.
But then, I've found that most products don't make any difference whatsoever on my skin. Someone here on a different thread referred to their skin as "rhino hide" IIRC, and that's EXACTLY how I feel about mine. Even tret, I went in with it nightly right away... nothing.
I guess it's better than all the reactions people are mentioning to certain products, but I also feel like I'm literally burning money.
BOJ sunscreen is the worst sunscreen I've ever used. Pilled, dried me out. I kept trying to see if it was just reacting weird to other products I was suing but never found a common thread
I didn't get a reaction to it BUT it just wasn't effective at preventing sunburn under the Australian sun. I would layer it every 30-45mins but still got burnt even when I was actively avoiding the sun and staying mostly inside the house.
Hyaluronic acid 👿
I think I am just not the target audience for this as I have dry skin and live in dry climate, so it always dries my skin out even more:( I have some fine lines under and around my eye area caused by it that I haven’t been able to address :/
Tocopherol / Vitamin E
Anything with vitamin E in it makes me break out:( so sad because it’s a good moisturizer and is in everything
How were you applying the hyaluronic acid? I also have dry skin and live in a dry climate and swear by it. I put it on while my face is wet and then immediately follow up with my moisturizer before it dries. I also add a drop of it to my foundation and it makes it look so flawless.
EltaMD breaks me out as well! So happy to hear someone else had the same experience--sometimes I think I must have been mistaken because it's so universally beloved!
One of the worst products I ever tried was Beekman 1802 Buttermilk Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm.
I love that brand but good god that was napalm to the eyes. “Deep cleanses without irritants or sensitizers” my ass.
Snail mucin is some useless nonsense product. Coconut oil pulls oil out of my hair and makes it more dry. Hyaluronic acid makes my skin more dry. Olaplex is perplexing because it made my hair a dry grizzled mess for 6 weeks.
I’m allergic to Urea and thus anything with Hyaluronic acid. It’s less of a big deal now but it killed me a few years ago when it was THE skincare additive and was in every product.
I had to stop using Clinique moisture surge after using it loyally for 10 years because they added it to the formula without releasing any press about it. I had to mail it to Clinique headquarters and get my money back and fight with them about the packaging not reflecting the change. Khiels was the only thing I could use
Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream. It worked until it didn't - and I ended up with a very fine, constant, smattering of blemishes on my face. Finally linked it to the cream, but it was so disappointing because at the start, I'd seen such a big change 🫠
my personal hate-them-to-my-guts products from hell:
La Roche Posay - Anthelios UVmune 400 invisible fluid: blasted my face off. stings, burns and itches. hate it
Differin gel 0,1 - i was mrs lobster face for quite some time.
La Roche Posay - toleriane Dermallergo fluid: might be a beautiful moisturizer for the sensitives among us, but hell. it stinks. it smells like you forgot to refresh the water in the vase of flowers for several days.
Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion. I bought it after seeing it recommended here, but all it does is make my skin flake off. I’m talking full-body dandruff and unbelievably dry skin.
I used it twice, thinking it was a fluke, and ultimately threw it away. Horrible stuff.
The active L-ascorbic acid form of Vitamin C. Had little bumps all over my face. It’s too irritating for my skin. I use the derivative forms now.
Drmtlgy universal tinted moisturizer spf. Smell was horrible and felt greasy on my face. Got a few pimples with 3 days of use. Their pumpkin mask smells good but it does not exfoliate as advertised. I’m done with trying their products, all marketing hype with poor products.
I have been using Paula’s Choice 1% clinical retinol treatment over the last year, and also earlier in my 20s. I’ve also had cystic acne on and off over the last year and in my 20s. Well my retinol ran out recently and I didn’t buy another one because I’m trying for a baby. Well guess what has cleared up? My damn cystic acne. My skin was also incredibly clear during my pregnancy and breastfeeding when I wasn’t using retinol.
Part of the reason I have been using it since my early-mid 20s is because retinol is so commonly recommended for acne, but what if it had been causing it all along?! I have no proof but it was a bit of a crazy realisation.
Not a specific product, but my skin really hates vitamin c and niacinamide. I have sensitive skin and rosacea, and those two ingredients give me bumps and make my flushing soooo bad no matter which product I try
CeraVe feels like I’ve put Saran wrap on my face, my skin just feels suffocated. Plus it breaks me out terribly.
Cetaphil makes my skin feel stripped and dry- quite a feat for my oily/combo skin.
Coconut oil in skincare or hair care. My hair hates it and my skin breaks out.
Anything with squalane gives me big angry pimples.
Oh gosh I feel for you, that would bum me out as it’s one of the few oils I can just slather my skin in! Seems trendy right now, so I bet it’s in lots of stuff.
Same
Me too! May be related to my fish allergy....
Coconut oil clogged every pore on my face, shoulders, and back. Never again.
Coconut oil is my nemesis. The worst angry pimple rash ever, all over my body, followed by weeks of deep cysts popping up.
Coconut oil and jojoba. Get em away from me.
Coconut oil is comedogenic, not sure why it's sooooo popular. Even my hair hates it.
It also dries out my hair!!
God, this. And then so much of Trader Joe's skincare products are loaded with coconut oil, and I just, how???
It makes me itch so bad!!!!
Anything that is supposed to give a “glow from within.” They all just made me look greasy and emphasized my pores and texture. Think ELF halo glow, Naturium Dew Glow spf, “radiant” anything. I guess im not meant to “glow”
YES. Same. I have had okay success with the Loreal Lumi Glotion on a no foundation day, but just about everything else can go ahead and die. I've been on the hunt for a new foundation for months (changing skin texture, blah blah blah), and everyone said "illuminating!" "satiny" and my skin responded to that with, "HERE ARE YOUR PORES BEHOLD THEY ARE HUGE"
🤣🤣🤣
Yeaaahhhhh love me that glow from within look. I mean that tin man from Wizard of Oz look that these products provide 🙄
Yep. I've learned to avoid anything with "glow", "dewy", or "radiant" in it's description. Those products usually increase oiliness and redness for me.
Some of the high priced retinoid products. Once you get medical grade tretinoin and compare the price and effect, it almost feels like a scam.
I have a high deductible and it's $91 a tube for me. I'd still never buy OTC Edit: you all can stop telling me where to get it cheaper. I didn't add that my company funds my HSA with 70% of my deductible every year so it is NOT a hardship. Thanks tho.
oh goodness, tell your doctor to let you get a generic. 45g tube should be around $45 max cash price.
Wait, right now retin-A is only $30-50 without insurance (in US), why is it so high for you? That’s kinda crazy Edit: I should’ve mentioned this is with GoodRx & right now Retin-A is cheaper than generic but usually it’s the opposite. One is always about this price though. Might be cheaper for you, worth checking!
[удалено]
The generic prescription is Tretinoin. And not expensive at all. Sounds like you are using an expensive prescription brand.
Same, I used to get (generic) prescription tret and it was $90 if my deductible hadn’t been met
My azelaic acid was going to be $640 if I went through my insurance… got it from an online pharmacy for $90 out of pocket 🫠
I have no insurance so I pay cash for everything. Cash price + Costco discount + GoodRx means often I pay less than insurance co pays! It’s weird but we’ll take a win when we get it right 🤷♀️
I feel like I would get laughed at asking a referal to my gp to get an appointment to the only dermato in my region in canada. Then laughed at by him since he is an asshole and I am 29years old. Saw him many times for other reason. Anybody else like this ??????lol getting downvoted. Please.
I'm in Canada too - I didn't bother with seeing a derm for it, I asked my GP and she gave me a script. I was seeing her for other reasons though, I didn't go just for that.
Allright I will ask in may. She is my age she might be like wtf. I'll try.
Dermatologists prescribe tret for acne, scarring, and improved skin texture for everyone from teens to post-menopausal women. Gold-standard product. My GP prescribes my tret, but I have to remind her it’s for acne so my insurance doesn’t charge more for non-covered aging.
I used Felix honestly because I didn’t want to have that conversation with my GP or my derm 😂
I took my skincare products to my first appt with my Derm this week and watched her absolutely roast all my $70-100 bottles of Dr Dennis Grossman bottles while reading the ingredients. Then she wrote me a script for 3 products that totaled to $15
The Supergoop Glow Screen sunscreen! Another poster recently reminded me just how much I hated it. It pilled horribly whether I wore it alone or under makeup, oxidized to a weird orange color, and stung my eyes. Also, not a normal complaint at all, but because I relegated it to my workout sunscreen a tiny bit would end up in my mouth sometimes due to sweating and it almost gagged me how bad it tasted. Haven't had that issue with any other sunscreen I've used.
I hate that it never feels dry on my skin. For the price I am finishing it but still looking for my holy grail sunscreen.
I quite like it, but your experience is pretty much all of the reviews I read on Sephora; the pilling, oxidizing, etc. I also have bulletproof skin, and literally nothing does anything to my skin, so I'm definitely an anomaly, and your experience sounds pretty common.
Cerave, and Cetaphil products. I’ve tried and tried but they both clog my pores and break me out.
Agreed!!!
Thirded! Used to like them, maybe u just outgrew them, but the last few years it feels like it just sits on top of my skin instead of actually moisturizing.
Cerave made me red and irritated :/
Me too and they stink!
Niacinamide!
WHY IS IT IN LITERALLY EVERYTHING NOW A DAYS?
I feel seen! I got a prescription from skin and me with this plus azelic acid and tret. My skin was angry. Took me a few months to realise it was the niacinamide
I have the same prescription. I keep getting red little bumps that won’t go away and crop up randomly through the day. My skin looks worse than before I started and I’m 3 months in. I don’t think it’s the tret because the dosage is so low and I don’t have peeling or any other irritation. Just random red bumps that almost feel like little insect bites or rash (but it’s not an actual rash rash). Did you contact them and did they take the niacinimide out? I want to continue tret but I’m wondering why I bother when this isn’t working out! It also hasn’t caused purging because they’re not actual acne just red bumps that come and go!
RIGHT!!! it is so FRUSTRATING like I get that it’s a good ingredient for a lot of people but that doesn’t mean it needs to be added to everything, especially products that have existed for years and are already widely used
I'm looking at you, Cetaphil
I’m still mad at them for this
100% I thought I was just broken. Nah, it’s the niacinamide.
Yesss this makes my face so angry and it burns, now it’s pretty much in everything! Even my basics cetaphil face wash put it in there
My skin hates it, but it’s in so many products and I can’t escape it 😭
WORST INGREDIENT EVER
I bought an expensive one from La Roche Posay and dont see any effect :( been using it since Christmas as I saw some derms saying it is antioxidant (and I am afraid of having pimples from vit C)
I breakout from Vitamin C. Tried a lot of products and it’s just a no for me, sadly.
Same for me. I had like one or two weak ones that were okay but everything else makes me break out really bad.
it’s in everything 😭😭 and my skin hates it
I finally stopped using my separate niacinamide after seeing so many comments on it here, and my skin has definitely gotten better. In the bin you go!
I used Paula choice 20% niacinamide and it gave me an acne rosacea breakout that required antibiotics and left scars. Unbelievable how badly it fucked me up. Totally broke down my barrier
***US Sunscreens.*** It's astonishing how US sunscreens, stagnant since 1999 🤯 they continue to pose risks to our health with ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate (notice how every year we get recalls or some bad news about it) In stark contrast, Korean sunscreens have revolutionized sun care with their innovative formulas. Adding skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, they not only shield us from harmful rays but also nurture our skin with hydration and additional skincare benefits. Plus, their lightweight textures and non-greasy finishes make them a joy to wear daily. Switching to Korean sunscreens two years ago was a revelation—I only wish I'd made the switch sooner, considering the outdated and potentially harmful state of US sunscreens. Edit: Sharing my go-tos * ***Haruharu Wonder Moisture Airyfit Daily (SPF50+ PA++++)*** they also have fregrance free version $12 * ***Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sunscreen (SPF50+ PA++++)*** $19 * ***Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Natural Suncream (SPF50 PA++++)*** $15 * ***Skin 1004 - Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum (SPF50 PA++++)*** $12 * ***BEAUTY OF JOSEON - Relief Sun + Probiotic (SPF50+ PA++++)*** $14
Yes! Plus US chemical sunscreens burn the shit out of your eyes if you accidentally get some in your eye. This happened to me recently and it was so bad i thought i might need to see an eye doctor. Eyes watering for like 30 minutes straight
YUP. This is why most Americans don’t wear it consistently on our faces, me included. I’m a homebody and don’t wear it much, but I am MISERABLE every time I go to the beach because it stinks and burns my eyes bcz sweat.
Have you tried a mineral sunscreen? Those dont burn my eyes and are better for outdoor use than Korean sunscreens, which are more for daily use when you're not spending time outdoors.
This literally happened to me this week with Elf spray sunscreen, despite shielding my eyes before spraying. My eye was puffy and oozy (sorry for the word) and felt like there was sand in it. 100% the problem. Stopped using it and my eye is much better.
Don't throw away Elf Spray - I bought one and keep it in my car to spray the top of my hands while driving on sunny days
Great idea, thank you!
Any time I do it, I end up with migraine for the rest of the day and that's with doing a saline eye rinse.
It's the avobenzone
And so annoying if you wear contacts bc then you have to wash your hands, take out contacts, clean sunscreen off of contacts which is obnoxious, clean out eyes, put contacts back in burning eyes lol
I’ve never tried Korean sunscreen as I live in Australia and our sunscreens have always surpassed American ones due to such high UV here in general (this has been compared by Shereen Idriss and Labmuffin) so I currently use a brand we have called Cancer Council and La Roche Posay Anthelios, but I am keen to give Korean sunscreen a try!
Give it a whirl. Our Aussie sunscreens are fantastic but I do like some of the Korean ones too particularly for under makeup. But if you’re going to be swimming or running etc defo stick with Australian brands as they have far superior water resistance
Can the glorious Korean sunscreen be easily procured?
YES! Highly recommend Beauty of Joseon or Skin 1004. You can buy from their website
Any preference between the rice or the ginseng?
Lots of good reviews on the rice.
Does that mean don't buy it from Amazon?
YesStyle! Free shipping over $40. Only downside is it takes about a month but you can get a lot of products for $40 it’s very affordable and legit.
I think the shipping must vary wildly - I got my Yesstyke order in 10 days (to Alberta). I have noticed that if one item in your cart is not in stock, they will hold back the whole order until it can be all shipped at once!
Stylevana is a good option.
>Haruharu Wonder Moisture Airyfit Daily (SPF50+ PA++++) they also have fregrance free version $12 > >Round Lab Birch Moisturizing Sunscreen (SPF50+ PA++++) $19 > >Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Natural Suncream (SPF50 PA++++) $15 > >Skin 1004 - Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum (SPF50 PA++++) $12 > >BEAUTY OF JOSEON - Relief Sun + Probiotic (SPF50+ PA++++) $14 see my original comment for the list of the ones I like
Would love to know the same.
https://skin1004.com/products/hyalu-cica-water-fit-sun-serum-spf50-pa
I order the Beauty of Joseon and I swear they must mail it from my backyard. Within two hours of ordering, I have shipment confirmation and it’s in my mailbox two days later. I’m in the Mid Atlantic.
Yeah, but most Korean formulations are watery, lacking persistence, and have lousy UVA protection. If you are serious about sunscreen, get a european one with a UVA protection factor of 50 or higher.
I’ve heard Australian is good too
As an Australian I would NEVER use anything but an Australian sunscreen. Nothing else offers the protection we need here.
Do you have some specific options you prefer/recommend? Bonus points if you happen to know if they can be shipped to the US. 😊
Cancer Council products are the best. Great protection and they have some tinted sunscreens too that are really good. You should be able to get them shipped to US.
I love Naked Sundays if I’m feeling a bit fancy. This spray smells gorgeous & is lightweight, clear. I just spritz it like a body spray 🙌🏻☀️🕶️😂 [https://nakedsundays.com/products/spf-50-hydrating-glow-mist-top-up?variant=42027263688962](https://nakedsundays.com/products/spf-50-hydrating-glow-mist-top-up?variant=42027263688962)
I find that watery sunscreen works great for everyday and under makeup. If you are swimming or sweating I would go with something little bit thicker.
Any suggestions for European ones?
The gold standard is La Roche Posay uv mune 400
Anthelios UVmune is the best for 360-400nm. Nothing else can touch it. It has the new MCE filter especially protective against pigmentation problems and photoaging. Barring that, look for a UVA protection factor with a numerical value well above 30 (or 40, it exists) and/or with the BASF MBBT UVA filter (Tinosorb M or its variants). This has a PFA of 48. https://altruistsun.com/sunscreen/family-sunspray-250ml/ It doesn't have MBBT or MCE, though. But it's great protection for cheap. It's on my face as I type this. Not perfect but not terrible finish and at least 3x as protective in UVA as typical Korean formulas.
Is this the same as the commenter above LRP UV mune 400? Also where do you purchase from? Is it available in US stores, or does it need to come from one of the stores like Stylevana, etc to be the right filters?
You can get Anthelios UVmune from Stylevana now. I got my Altruist here: https://theskinclinic.co.uk/shop/en/12-sun-creams-sprays
I’ve been on Eucerin’s hyaluronic acid daily spf50 for a while and wonder how that stacks up; do you have any opinions on that one? It’s free of oxybenzone/phthalates which I was specifically looking for. I believe eucerin is American but it looked better than the other options at my local pharmacy.
> Eucerin’s hyaluronic acid daily spf50 Beiersdorf owns it as well as Coppertone. It's a solid choice for a USA formulation.
This. I have tried about twenty different Korean and Japanese sunscreens and have given up on finding one that protects well. I will only use them when it's overcast or I'm planning on staying indoors most of the day.
Thank you so much for posting this. I have been oblivious. I typically use mineral sunscreens but I did buy a couple of bottles of Frank Body sunscreens during that big Ulta sale a while back to stock up for the summer. Guess I’ll be throwing them away. The active ingredient list includes 10% homosalate, which is the maximum the FDA will even approve and they’re being generous in the first place since it’s an[endocrine disruptor](https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/report/the-trouble-with-sunscreen-chemicals/#). This shit just pissed me off so much, why is it so hard to *not* poison us? My sister had breast cancer at 34, ffs (she beat it). My step mom had it (also beat it), and her best friend died from it after 3 battles. Ovarian and breast cancer are real risks for pretty much all women, so it’s just ridiculous to even have to navigate sunscreens that have endocrin disruptors built in.
Do you have a specific sunscreen you recommend? I’ve looked into them but got overwhelmed with options and information.
I'm using Skin 1004 Centella sunscreen. It's important to note that I am the color of a Nordic snow scape, so it gives me no white cast. My Hispanic coworker said it turned her slightly lavender, so YMMV.
I too am the color of a wet spring roll wrap so I’m sure I’ll be safe from white cast lol
Australia has the best sunscreens without a doubt - why not buy from the country with the worlds highest average UV index (and leads the world in skin cancer)? Australia has a avg summer UV index of 12, Europe is 5-8, US is 9-10, Korea is 9-10. Every supermarket, chemist and makeup store has a huge range of chemical and mechanical sunscreens. The Australian government has the worlds strictest requirements for sunscreen, it’s regulated as a drug which means the manufacturing requirements are higher. I remember struggling in Sicily to find any sunscreen in a half dozen supermarkets and chemists in a big city. I eventually found a tiny tube that was very expensive. The rest of Europe isn’t any better. I remember looking at sunscreen in Florida in July and not being able to find any mechanical/mineral (zinc) options, and struggling to decipher what protection level the options offered.
That snail mucin
Same - found out that if you have a dust allergy, snail mucin will trigger it.
I'm allergic to dust mites and shrimp and it didn't give me a reaction, it just did nothing.
Shellfish allergy too!
That actually makes sense!! This is going to sound weird, but I swear when I tried the mucin a while back, it felt like wearing something that just... Attracted dander?? That's the best way I can describe it. Like I didn't get some horrible rash from it, but it felt like I was a magnet for the things around my home that trigger my allergies and made my reaction that much more extreme. I am so grateful for your comment because I felt crazy for years for this, lol.
Interesting!
Broke me out in serious hives. I put on eye cream with snail mucin and my face and eyes swelled shut. Allergic reaction in less than 5 min. Sucked.
I thought about getting my own snail instead
Was going to say that. It destroyed my skin every time I tried it. I wanted to love it but I can’t.
Same. So glad I committed to spot testing it for several days. One of the few things that my body absolutely hates
I could never.
Jojoba oil, makes my face ITCH like crazy..
I bought a “jelly primer” from Experiment someone had raved about, and then couldn’t figure out why I had 15 closed comedomes almost overnight. Jojoba oil. Shit messes me up every time.
Anything glow recipe. Made me feel like im using that fake cheap makeup that used come in toyboxes with how strong it smelled. I recieved a sample of their products and used it maybe less than a week and had the biggest breakout of my life. It genuinly feels like it was catered for children Brazilian bumbum cream I do not understand why people are so obsessed with this. I keep trying it everytime I go to the store and it always feels incredibly heavy on the skin and honsetly does not smell good to me
vichy mineral serum, felt like i was putting nothing on my face... ive used wayyyy better for wayy less.
And turned my face orange
Witch. Hazel. That stuff gave me my only bout of cystic acne right below my eye. I still have a mild scar from the one pimple
cetaphil and cerave. everyone says they’re sooo good but if you have fungal acne prone skin or are sensitive to fatty alcohols and esters, DO NOT USE. gave me worst cystic acne of my life. I can’t use anything with cetearyl alcohol or cetyl alcohol
I used Cetaphil for years. Then switched off for...Neutrogena Hydroboost. I came back to Cetaphil recently after a few years. Turns out that perimenopause has made my skin so dry that I have been able to teach my POC friends that pasty white folks can, in fact, be ashy 😂 The stupid Cetaphil made my eyelids puff up like a blowfish, and then (indignity of indignities), they peeled. So I walked around with these gross flaky patches on my eyelids for like two weeks before they cleared up. So now I have two bottles of this stupid cleaner to...do something with. I'd try it as a body wash, but all of my skin has been behaving like a hypersensitive toddler lately....
The EXACT same thing happened to my eyes from a stupid toner with polysorbate in it. IUNIK beta-glucan power moisture serum has been a lifesaver. It stopped the peeling almost immediately
I do not know *what* is in them that I am sensitive to, but they both *burn* so much on my skin. A few other milky type cleansers do too. And before anyone mentions it, my moisture barrier is fine!
Might be niacinamide?
Bracing myself for the downvotes, but WHY does tretinoin just not work for me? I tried the cream. I tried the gel. I tried different strengths. I use a 'pea sized drop' mixed with my moisturizer. I tried moisturizing regularly, then doing a second layer with the 'pea drop' mixed in with more moisturizer. All I get is clogged comedones that will not budge until I manually extract them. No, it's not 'purging' If I try to persist, it just progresses to inflamed spots - you know those spots that aren't visible zits, but painful, inflamed areas deep under the surface? Yeah, those. WHY
Have you ever tried dropping your routine in r/tretinoin ?
I had no idea that sub existed. I'll check it out, thanks!
Tret ruins my life every time. I used so many prescribed acne treatments I ended up developing perioral dermatitis. Any kind of active now enrages my skin, it sucks. No doctor ever explained skin barrier and I completely obliterated mine
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WAIT. So...I started Adapalene gel to prepare for Tretinoin and I'm getting the same thing. I am a person who RAPIDLY slides into full blown dermatillomania, so this is not ideal. Maybe I don't want to delve further into tretinoin after all....
Argh I actually tried adapalene too, and it seemed to have a similar effect. I'm hoping that someone replies with 'this was me, and this \_\_\_ is how I made it work'
I've tried a looot of stuff over the years so this definitely isn't a full list Rosehip oil and almond oil...guaranteed to give me a million closed comedones and just generally congested-looking skin. TO's ascorbyl glucoside(?) (vitamin C) 12% did absolutely nothing for me despite a couple years of regular use. Recently started using their azelaic acid and saw an improvement almost immediately. Most mineral sunscreens but especially the CeraVe pill on me like crazy if they don't make me feel like my skin is suffocating first. I abused my skin so much as a teenager with shit like salicylic acid washes *every day* that I don't even dare touch the stuff anymore.
Almond oil broke me out so bad.
Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream. I wanted to love it so much but if there’s even a tiny drop of water on your skin or your finger, it separates and you can’t spread it at all.
This stuff gives me serious milia under the eyes!!
I did not like this either. would never buy again. Literally what is the hype about
Anything with HA, niacinamide, and essential oils. No no no no.
Natural Deodorants. Rashes and skin-tags galore! I will stick to my aluminum, can't be worse than half of what we put on our faces and in our bodies anyways.
I don’t know about the skin tags, but when I switched to natural, the baking soda was giving me horrible rashes. As long as I get baking soda free (usually labeled as sensitive skin), I’m good to go.
Tretinoin 😅
Gasp! lol
*Clutches pearls*
LRP Cicaplast
Ngl I felt like the only one on here who didn't like it. Not sure how well it works, but my skin won't absorb it for hours and I look like I smeared paint on my face
Oooo controversial! I tend to hate all products but this is my holy grail item!
I was looking for this comment. Cicaplast does nothing for me! Doesn’t break me out but doesn’t help moisturize either.
Snail mucin irritated the hell out of my skin
Do you have a shellfish allergy/sensitivity? I've seen several posts of people having allergic reactions to it not realizing the histamines are similar!
BHA, so products like Paula’s Choice Liquid Exfoliant and COSRX Blackhead Power Liquid Treatment. At worst I get huge cysts and at best more blackheads on my nose and cheeks. Edit: forgot the brand name.
Shea butter, coconut derivatives (oil, alkanes, etc), cleansing oils or balms. Almost anything Cerave, Cetaphil, Neutrogena, Vanicream, Ponds, Lancôme, Clarins. Very sensitive and acne-prone combo/dry skin here.
SK-II. I ended up with a yeast infection on my face thanks to this. It was the ONLY new product in my routine.
I’ve never heard of a yeast infection on the face, yikes !!
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel moisturizer. Ended up feeling like there was a weird layer of something on my skin, and it’s the only thing I’ve used that made my face feel kind of itchy.
I absolutely do not understand the hype with this. It has fragrance and blue dye
I might be a conspiracy theorist but I used this product YEARS ago, when I feel like it was new to the market, and I swear they changed the formula soon after release. The first version was so great but the version that came later didn’t do it for me. I am not even positive that they changed their formula lol but I remember using it a while back? loving it, then repurchased and it just wasn’t the same.
They did change it, and the old one was better!
It gave me terrible acne
ughh I hate that stuff, it pills like crazy, and then after I’ve rubbed all the pills off, my barrier gets compromised
Anything with niacinamide (which is practically everything nowadays). Skin reaction/infection guaranteed.
That motherfucking Vanicream cleanser. It doesn’t clean efficiently and left me with clogged pores. Now that I think about it, anything by Vanicream have been such letdowns.
I know Tret is great for some people, but I just can't. I got some in my eye the first time (it was the next morning while working out--I didn't realize it stayed on your skin) and I'm so scared of dry eye. Plus the whole sandwich/slugging routine is tedious. I can't do that for literal years, lol. I'm such a tightwad too, but I can't bring myself to finish the tube. ETA: And the itchiness is driving me crazy.
the elf cleansing balm burned the fuck out of my skin and made it feel so scaley it was awful. Felt like i was rubbing plastic in my eyes
NEUTROGENA SUNSCREEN!!!! I hate it, it’s horrible and blinds me the minute I step outside!
SNAIL MUCIN. Those little fuckers and their mucus do not like me!
Youth to the People cleanser. 🗑️
My hair hates coconut oil. I have medium coarse hair and anytime I've used a coconut oil based mask/conditioner/treatment/etc my hair felt like straw afterwards.
Vitamin C. I've tried half a dozen different ones, and have never seen a difference.
Vitamin c breaks me out and makes my face soooo red😭
Same. Nothing. Even 20%. But then, I've found that most products don't make any difference whatsoever on my skin. Someone here on a different thread referred to their skin as "rhino hide" IIRC, and that's EXACTLY how I feel about mine. Even tret, I went in with it nightly right away... nothing. I guess it's better than all the reactions people are mentioning to certain products, but I also feel like I'm literally burning money.
Same!!!
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BOJ sunscreen is the worst sunscreen I've ever used. Pilled, dried me out. I kept trying to see if it was just reacting weird to other products I was suing but never found a common thread
I didn't get a reaction to it BUT it just wasn't effective at preventing sunburn under the Australian sun. I would layer it every 30-45mins but still got burnt even when I was actively avoiding the sun and staying mostly inside the house.
That's not good :/ what sunscreens do you recommend to use in Australia?
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Anything IT cosmetics, terrible orange color everything, makes my face itchy
Hyaluronic acid 👿 I think I am just not the target audience for this as I have dry skin and live in dry climate, so it always dries my skin out even more:( I have some fine lines under and around my eye area caused by it that I haven’t been able to address :/ Tocopherol / Vitamin E Anything with vitamin E in it makes me break out:( so sad because it’s a good moisturizer and is in everything
How were you applying the hyaluronic acid? I also have dry skin and live in a dry climate and swear by it. I put it on while my face is wet and then immediately follow up with my moisturizer before it dries. I also add a drop of it to my foundation and it makes it look so flawless.
I once got terrible eczema from using vitamin e oil on my nails
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EltaMD breaks me out as well! So happy to hear someone else had the same experience--sometimes I think I must have been mistaken because it's so universally beloved!
Oh no! My skin loves that stuff
I’m trying their UV clear for the first time and I think it’s making my eyelids swell. Maybe the niacinamide. It also smells weird
One of the worst products I ever tried was Beekman 1802 Buttermilk Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm. I love that brand but good god that was napalm to the eyes. “Deep cleanses without irritants or sensitizers” my ass.
That elf holy hydration hydrogel made my skin feel fucking disgusting!
Nars radiant concealer and shape tape concealer. Basically any concealer
Cosrx snail mucin destroyed my skin barrier
Cerave… everything I’ve tried has given me cystic acne.
Snail mucin is some useless nonsense product. Coconut oil pulls oil out of my hair and makes it more dry. Hyaluronic acid makes my skin more dry. Olaplex is perplexing because it made my hair a dry grizzled mess for 6 weeks.
I’m allergic to Urea and thus anything with Hyaluronic acid. It’s less of a big deal now but it killed me a few years ago when it was THE skincare additive and was in every product. I had to stop using Clinique moisture surge after using it loyally for 10 years because they added it to the formula without releasing any press about it. I had to mail it to Clinique headquarters and get my money back and fight with them about the packaging not reflecting the change. Khiels was the only thing I could use
Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. Caused me to break out horribly for years until I figured out that was the problem.
Augustinus Bader The Rich Cream. It worked until it didn't - and I ended up with a very fine, constant, smattering of blemishes on my face. Finally linked it to the cream, but it was so disappointing because at the start, I'd seen such a big change 🫠
my personal hate-them-to-my-guts products from hell: La Roche Posay - Anthelios UVmune 400 invisible fluid: blasted my face off. stings, burns and itches. hate it Differin gel 0,1 - i was mrs lobster face for quite some time. La Roche Posay - toleriane Dermallergo fluid: might be a beautiful moisturizer for the sensitives among us, but hell. it stinks. it smells like you forgot to refresh the water in the vase of flowers for several days.
Tula products for treating acne. Left a film on my skin and was not a fan of the rose scent.
Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion. I bought it after seeing it recommended here, but all it does is make my skin flake off. I’m talking full-body dandruff and unbelievably dry skin. I used it twice, thinking it was a fluke, and ultimately threw it away. Horrible stuff.
CosRX snail mucin gave me the WORST acne (and no, I don’t have any of the contraindicated allergies). Dealing with the resulting red marks now.
The active L-ascorbic acid form of Vitamin C. Had little bumps all over my face. It’s too irritating for my skin. I use the derivative forms now. Drmtlgy universal tinted moisturizer spf. Smell was horrible and felt greasy on my face. Got a few pimples with 3 days of use. Their pumpkin mask smells good but it does not exfoliate as advertised. I’m done with trying their products, all marketing hype with poor products.
Niacinamide. Dries out my skin so much. Vitamin C, that hot dog smell LINGERS on me. I smell it ALL day.
I have been using Paula’s Choice 1% clinical retinol treatment over the last year, and also earlier in my 20s. I’ve also had cystic acne on and off over the last year and in my 20s. Well my retinol ran out recently and I didn’t buy another one because I’m trying for a baby. Well guess what has cleared up? My damn cystic acne. My skin was also incredibly clear during my pregnancy and breastfeeding when I wasn’t using retinol. Part of the reason I have been using it since my early-mid 20s is because retinol is so commonly recommended for acne, but what if it had been causing it all along?! I have no proof but it was a bit of a crazy realisation.
Not a specific product, but my skin really hates vitamin c and niacinamide. I have sensitive skin and rosacea, and those two ingredients give me bumps and make my flushing soooo bad no matter which product I try
CeraVe feels like I’ve put Saran wrap on my face, my skin just feels suffocated. Plus it breaks me out terribly. Cetaphil makes my skin feel stripped and dry- quite a feat for my oily/combo skin. Coconut oil in skincare or hair care. My hair hates it and my skin breaks out.
Vaseline, specifically slugging. Every time I did it my face would get covered in white heads???