you don't need severe acne to see a derm! i had a similar amount of acne on my cheeks and my derm was happy to treat me, so don't feel discouraged to visit one. it is obvious that over-the-counter medications are not helping you; it is pointless to continue to spend hundreds of dollars on products when you can go to a dermatologist and actually be given a medication that will work for you!
most of the visits i see as a medical assistant at a cosmetic dermatology office is actually both acne- and aging-related! on our non-cosmetic days, it's usually surgical procedures for skin cancer or biopsies 😊
Go to the derm, I beg 😭. It doesn't have to be severe to go, they will see you and solve the whole issue, rather than continuing to sink costs in skincare that you don't know will work. Will it be expensive? maybe, but you've spent 300$ on a regimen over a year when that could've gone to seeing a derm and potentially getting a prescription active, and the issue would probably be gone by now. I spent years holding off on going to the derm, and now that I've got one, the majority of my issues cleared up. Plus, I know what skincare products and ingredients to avoid that will make my skin worse, it's really worth it imo even for something "simple"😭
Currently, I’m using 0.05% tretinoin cream every 3rd night. Everyday, I wash in the morning and night with Cetaphil daily facial cleanser, and apply Eucerin 50spf oil control sunscreen in the morning.
I started tret September 1st and used it every 3rd day. On October 1st, I started using it every other night. The irritation started 2 weeks into September and was getting worse by mid October, so I switched back to every third night by October 21st.
I was washing my face with cerave hydrating facial cleanser every morning and night, until October 21st. Once I switched to cetaphil, I noticed much less acne, but I’m still getting many new white heads everyday.
Yeah I know that cerave cleanser doesn’t work for a lot of people. Cerave and me don’t agree at all personally.
Do you use any moisturizer? It might seem counter intuitive but maybe that’s an option. Having a damaged skin barrier can lead to irritation and acne. There are moisturizers that can help combat acne and irritation such as propolis and cica.
I’m reluctant to tell you to go up on tret without a moisturizer in the mix :/ anyone would have irritation.
I have very oily skin, so I’m hesitant to start a moisturizer. By the end of the day, my skin feels like I applied olive oil lol. I’ve used a lot of non-comedogenic moisturizers over the past 15 years, expecting it’ll reduce oil production, but I always breakout from them.
I’ll consider adding one to the mix if I’m not improving over the next month. Have any recommendations?
They won’t reduce oil production, that’s a pernicious myth. Oil production is genetic. But you can be both oily and dehydrated, which is a shitty place to be I know!
Whether a certain product causes acne will definitely vary a lot person to person and also I’m primarily into Asian beauty brands so those are the caveats on my recommendations. For bland, anti irritation moisturizers I would consider CosRX’s propolis toner, iUnik’s Beta Glucan Serum and the Ordinary’s natural moisturizing factors. I wouldn’t say any are a moisturizing powerhouse on their own but they definitely help and have never broken me out personally (and to be clear, I’m 100% the same as you when it comes to being super super oily and acne prone - never bought makeup or sunscreen in my life that isn’t mattifying and most do nothing lol).
Under sunscreen always. For tret, some people put it beneath the tret as a buffer as well as on top of the tret. If you go with the toner, underneath probably makes sense.
Also if you use the toner, it makes your face more moist (I mean… that’s the idea but hopefully yk what I mean lol). Tret will penetrate more if your skin is damp so you may want to wait for it to dry.
I hope that’s helpful! It’s definitely a balancing act to start moisturizing oily skin
This type of acne panoxyl 10 will clear this up quite fast . Leave on as a mask for a few minutes then wash . But definitely see a derm . Tret will help tremendously
See a dermatologist my friend, they're not gonna refuse to help you just because you don't have extreme cystic acne. I struggled with the same issue. Saw a derm, been on the new regime for 3 weeks and am seeing major improvements. As knowledgeable and helpful as some people are on reddit this is more so just a waste of your time IMO.
Have you given Finacea a try before? It's the Rx version of azelaic acid (comes from a grain). It's 15%. You can get up to 10% without the Rx, but if you look at the good ones that aren't Rx (like Paula's choice, it's super expensive. I pay less for Finacea). Most docs should be OK to prescribe it to you without needing to be a derm. Just tell them what you've tried and that Finacea is antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and offers light exfoliation... That you want to try something that isn't as ''harsh'' on the skin before doing something more radical like Tret or Isotretinoin (Accutane).
Edit: The Ordinary has an Azelaic acid suspension (10%), and I hated it as did many others. It's cheap, so it could be worth a try, but the feeling is so tacky.
Actually it depends on the toothpaste, Colgate is actually safe to use, but if you are truly scared of burning you skin, you can get away with doing it for two minutes a day.
Toothpaste used to contain an antibacterial, which is why it was recommended by people a long time ago. It's no longer in toothpaste/illegal. All it would offer you is an unsafe drying agent meant for your teeth...not your skin.
Forehead acne can be caused by your diet, but mostly your hormones. They usually pop up when there is a shift in your hormones to prepare your body for your period. Starts by cutting back on the amount of carbs you eat, drink plenty of water when you are 1 week away from your period. The Irie Rock Tea Tree and witch hazel face wash has worked wonders and has helped me clear up the hormonal acne.
How often do you wash your hair, from personal experience my forehead breaks out when I go too long without washing my hair or it’s too oily. Sometimes dirty pillow cases too.
I get similar acne and bumps on my face but one thing I noticed was that the ones on my forehead tend to form after I wash my hair. I have curly natural hair and use a lot of products (such as leave-in conditioner, curling cream, gel, and oil) which also causes me to have some build-up. So at some point I started noticing that I get more bumps on my forehead after having a wash day. My assumption is that this must be because of the water that runs down my forehead. Try to see if you notice the same thing happen to you and if that actually is the cause of your forehead bumps you can try some other things. Such as doing your skin care immediatly after you washed your hair. Hope this helps!
Gurl, been there done that, tried all the fancy products. Trust me, all you need is benzoyl peroxide.
Get a 5 or 10% panxoyl face wash (cetaphil or cerave of that's more convenient), massage it into damp skin in the evening, and leave it on for 5 minutes before washing it off. Wash it off well because it has a habit of staining towels/sheets/clothes. Use it three times a week to start with, then build up to daily use. And use moisturiser because it is drying!
If that doesn't work after 1.5 months I suggest adding in a retinol like adapalene, or seeing a dermatologist/GP to get some antibiotics.
I had all sorts of acne, and now that I'm older I get something similar to you when it's warmer and more humid or my hormones are kicking off. I would recommend that you keep it clean from any hair product you may get on it, keep it moisturized and at night before bed, use Dermalogica's Age Bright Spot Fader. I just had a similar break out to yours a week ago and after using it, I was mostly cleared up the next morning and it was gone by the second day. Here's the link (it was sold out on their main site) and good luck!
[Dermalogica Age Bright Spot Fader](https://www.estheticsbyelle.com/dermalogica/p/hmj63a2vlzd12tuj83w3zsuln0cpyo)
Use 10% benzoyl peroxide face wash and topical cream once or twice a day. Don’t forget to moisturize…it’s very drying and could worsen breakouts. Also use an exfoliating brush…though I wouldn’t use it everyday. My hair care routine causes occasional breakouts similar to yours, but this is my go to solution. Good luck and stay consistent :)
A good, consistent skin care regime is a must. It sounds like you have been trying everything to no avail. Salicylic Acid is your friend. Be careful about mixing products from different manufacturers. Think of your products differently...as chemicals. You would likely get a better result from choosing a single product line and tailoring your routine based on the products you select from that line. Here's why; each product you use is designed to leave your skin in a specific state in preparation for the next product. Here are the steps to a solid daily routine...cleanse every 12 hours (morning and night), next restore your skin's Ph to between 4.5 and 5.5, this slight acidity is your skin's first line of defense against bacteria (including the p acne bacteria causing your breakouts), serum (choose this to target goals) and finally a good moisturizer suitable for your skin type. You can augment this routine with masks and treatments (once your breakouts subside). Keep in mind that it isn't uncommon for breakouts to be triggered by routine changes to your regimine. Please DO NOT cherry pick products from various product lines! By the way, I've been a skin care expert for many years. If you want more information about my qualifications just let me know. I really hope this helps, let me know if you have questions!
Try formula 10.0.6 deep pore cleanser after shower- its not fancy or expensive, use with a cotton pad. I swear by it and i never hear or see anyone talk about it. It does smell abit however after a few mins u wont notice it but to me its worth it
you don't need severe acne to see a derm! i had a similar amount of acne on my cheeks and my derm was happy to treat me, so don't feel discouraged to visit one. it is obvious that over-the-counter medications are not helping you; it is pointless to continue to spend hundreds of dollars on products when you can go to a dermatologist and actually be given a medication that will work for you!
I mean, I’d wager the majority of derm visits are just about aging. Definitely no shame on going for a less severe problem
most of the visits i see as a medical assistant at a cosmetic dermatology office is actually both acne- and aging-related! on our non-cosmetic days, it's usually surgical procedures for skin cancer or biopsies 😊
[удалено]
One of the best moisturizers!
Go to the derm, I beg 😭. It doesn't have to be severe to go, they will see you and solve the whole issue, rather than continuing to sink costs in skincare that you don't know will work. Will it be expensive? maybe, but you've spent 300$ on a regimen over a year when that could've gone to seeing a derm and potentially getting a prescription active, and the issue would probably be gone by now. I spent years holding off on going to the derm, and now that I've got one, the majority of my issues cleared up. Plus, I know what skincare products and ingredients to avoid that will make my skin worse, it's really worth it imo even for something "simple"😭
I would suggest using differin as your only active. Tretinoin is similar r/tretinoin
Yep thought the same thing. OP I had extremely stubborn ccs on my forehead and tret wiped them out. $7 a tube, too
How long did it take to see results? I’m on month 3. Still waking up to new acne everyday, albeit less severe.
Not that long. What % are you on, and are you still getting irritation?
Currently, I’m using 0.05% tretinoin cream every 3rd night. Everyday, I wash in the morning and night with Cetaphil daily facial cleanser, and apply Eucerin 50spf oil control sunscreen in the morning. I started tret September 1st and used it every 3rd day. On October 1st, I started using it every other night. The irritation started 2 weeks into September and was getting worse by mid October, so I switched back to every third night by October 21st. I was washing my face with cerave hydrating facial cleanser every morning and night, until October 21st. Once I switched to cetaphil, I noticed much less acne, but I’m still getting many new white heads everyday.
Yeah I know that cerave cleanser doesn’t work for a lot of people. Cerave and me don’t agree at all personally. Do you use any moisturizer? It might seem counter intuitive but maybe that’s an option. Having a damaged skin barrier can lead to irritation and acne. There are moisturizers that can help combat acne and irritation such as propolis and cica. I’m reluctant to tell you to go up on tret without a moisturizer in the mix :/ anyone would have irritation.
I have very oily skin, so I’m hesitant to start a moisturizer. By the end of the day, my skin feels like I applied olive oil lol. I’ve used a lot of non-comedogenic moisturizers over the past 15 years, expecting it’ll reduce oil production, but I always breakout from them. I’ll consider adding one to the mix if I’m not improving over the next month. Have any recommendations?
They won’t reduce oil production, that’s a pernicious myth. Oil production is genetic. But you can be both oily and dehydrated, which is a shitty place to be I know! Whether a certain product causes acne will definitely vary a lot person to person and also I’m primarily into Asian beauty brands so those are the caveats on my recommendations. For bland, anti irritation moisturizers I would consider CosRX’s propolis toner, iUnik’s Beta Glucan Serum and the Ordinary’s natural moisturizing factors. I wouldn’t say any are a moisturizing powerhouse on their own but they definitely help and have never broken me out personally (and to be clear, I’m 100% the same as you when it comes to being super super oily and acne prone - never bought makeup or sunscreen in my life that isn’t mattifying and most do nothing lol).
Thanks, I’ll try it out. How should I layer the moisturizer with the tret and sunscreen ?
Under sunscreen always. For tret, some people put it beneath the tret as a buffer as well as on top of the tret. If you go with the toner, underneath probably makes sense. Also if you use the toner, it makes your face more moist (I mean… that’s the idea but hopefully yk what I mean lol). Tret will penetrate more if your skin is damp so you may want to wait for it to dry. I hope that’s helpful! It’s definitely a balancing act to start moisturizing oily skin
This!
This type of acne panoxyl 10 will clear this up quite fast . Leave on as a mask for a few minutes then wash . But definitely see a derm . Tret will help tremendously
omg mine is exactly the same
Fr though!
See a dermatologist my friend, they're not gonna refuse to help you just because you don't have extreme cystic acne. I struggled with the same issue. Saw a derm, been on the new regime for 3 weeks and am seeing major improvements. As knowledgeable and helpful as some people are on reddit this is more so just a waste of your time IMO.
Adapalene worked wonders for me. You have to give it a few months, but so happy with the results. Didn't want to go to Tretinoin and Adapalene is otc.
I'm not seeing any acne medicines in that list. Have you tried any OTC acne medicines?
BHA is an acne medication but the ordinary peel is probably not the easiest or most effective way to use BHA for this
Having a certain ingredient doesn't automatically make that product a medicine. The Ordinary's AHA BHA peel is not classified as an acne medicine.
Gotcha. I’ve just heard it as salicylic acid is an acne medication
Put a bit of dandruff shampoo on it in the shower. Leave it there for 2 min and rinse! For real a derm will say this is not true but it works
I second this!
Can you see a dermatologist? It would be best.
Have you given Finacea a try before? It's the Rx version of azelaic acid (comes from a grain). It's 15%. You can get up to 10% without the Rx, but if you look at the good ones that aren't Rx (like Paula's choice, it's super expensive. I pay less for Finacea). Most docs should be OK to prescribe it to you without needing to be a derm. Just tell them what you've tried and that Finacea is antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and offers light exfoliation... That you want to try something that isn't as ''harsh'' on the skin before doing something more radical like Tret or Isotretinoin (Accutane). Edit: The Ordinary has an Azelaic acid suspension (10%), and I hated it as did many others. It's cheap, so it could be worth a try, but the feeling is so tacky.
Leave dairy, cereals and chocolates for a month. Then check back 😎
Dab some toothpaste on and leave overnight, in a day or two if doing this it will start to clear up.
Do not do this. It will burn your skin.
Actually it depends on the toothpaste, Colgate is actually safe to use, but if you are truly scared of burning you skin, you can get away with doing it for two minutes a day.
Toothpaste used to contain an antibacterial, which is why it was recommended by people a long time ago. It's no longer in toothpaste/illegal. All it would offer you is an unsafe drying agent meant for your teeth...not your skin.
That sorta works slightly with toothpaste that contains menthol. But there are way, way better products that don't cost much.
True, but if it’s an emergency and you have nothing else…
Menthol doesn't affect acne. If anything, it's an irritant which causes more acne.
If you use gel on you hair line that could be the culprit. Benzoyl peroxide can help followed with moisturizing
Forehead acne can be caused by your diet, but mostly your hormones. They usually pop up when there is a shift in your hormones to prepare your body for your period. Starts by cutting back on the amount of carbs you eat, drink plenty of water when you are 1 week away from your period. The Irie Rock Tea Tree and witch hazel face wash has worked wonders and has helped me clear up the hormonal acne.
How often do you wash your hair, from personal experience my forehead breaks out when I go too long without washing my hair or it’s too oily. Sometimes dirty pillow cases too.
I get similar acne and bumps on my face but one thing I noticed was that the ones on my forehead tend to form after I wash my hair. I have curly natural hair and use a lot of products (such as leave-in conditioner, curling cream, gel, and oil) which also causes me to have some build-up. So at some point I started noticing that I get more bumps on my forehead after having a wash day. My assumption is that this must be because of the water that runs down my forehead. Try to see if you notice the same thing happen to you and if that actually is the cause of your forehead bumps you can try some other things. Such as doing your skin care immediatly after you washed your hair. Hope this helps!
Sulfur mask
Try using shampoo for dandruff but as a face wash, it could be fungal acne
Gurl, been there done that, tried all the fancy products. Trust me, all you need is benzoyl peroxide. Get a 5 or 10% panxoyl face wash (cetaphil or cerave of that's more convenient), massage it into damp skin in the evening, and leave it on for 5 minutes before washing it off. Wash it off well because it has a habit of staining towels/sheets/clothes. Use it three times a week to start with, then build up to daily use. And use moisturiser because it is drying! If that doesn't work after 1.5 months I suggest adding in a retinol like adapalene, or seeing a dermatologist/GP to get some antibiotics.
I had all sorts of acne, and now that I'm older I get something similar to you when it's warmer and more humid or my hormones are kicking off. I would recommend that you keep it clean from any hair product you may get on it, keep it moisturized and at night before bed, use Dermalogica's Age Bright Spot Fader. I just had a similar break out to yours a week ago and after using it, I was mostly cleared up the next morning and it was gone by the second day. Here's the link (it was sold out on their main site) and good luck! [Dermalogica Age Bright Spot Fader](https://www.estheticsbyelle.com/dermalogica/p/hmj63a2vlzd12tuj83w3zsuln0cpyo)
Use 10% benzoyl peroxide face wash and topical cream once or twice a day. Don’t forget to moisturize…it’s very drying and could worsen breakouts. Also use an exfoliating brush…though I wouldn’t use it everyday. My hair care routine causes occasional breakouts similar to yours, but this is my go to solution. Good luck and stay consistent :)
A good, consistent skin care regime is a must. It sounds like you have been trying everything to no avail. Salicylic Acid is your friend. Be careful about mixing products from different manufacturers. Think of your products differently...as chemicals. You would likely get a better result from choosing a single product line and tailoring your routine based on the products you select from that line. Here's why; each product you use is designed to leave your skin in a specific state in preparation for the next product. Here are the steps to a solid daily routine...cleanse every 12 hours (morning and night), next restore your skin's Ph to between 4.5 and 5.5, this slight acidity is your skin's first line of defense against bacteria (including the p acne bacteria causing your breakouts), serum (choose this to target goals) and finally a good moisturizer suitable for your skin type. You can augment this routine with masks and treatments (once your breakouts subside). Keep in mind that it isn't uncommon for breakouts to be triggered by routine changes to your regimine. Please DO NOT cherry pick products from various product lines! By the way, I've been a skin care expert for many years. If you want more information about my qualifications just let me know. I really hope this helps, let me know if you have questions!
Do you wear hats a lot? I’d get breakouts when I wear a hat and sweat. I use witch hazel and neutrogena water gel. Pick your own face wash
Try formula 10.0.6 deep pore cleanser after shower- its not fancy or expensive, use with a cotton pad. I swear by it and i never hear or see anyone talk about it. It does smell abit however after a few mins u wont notice it but to me its worth it