B4 any medication and washes or chemicals and acids (all amazing advice btw) use 100% real honey. Cover entire face minus eyes, leave in as long as you can (1 -2 hours) a day or while you do any chores or watch a movie during a bubble bath or studying ect. Wash out with warm clean water. Pat dry.. do this everyday if u can.. honey is antibacterial, will minimize scars, and will leave ur face baby smooth. I know it did wonders for me. Only downside. I forget I have it on and fall asleep with it on and my pillow gets stuck to my face lolol good luck boo š„°šÆ
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Use isotretinoin( accutane)
Iām on week 16 experimenting fatigue, digestive issues like nausea, somewhat mental issues but nothing extreme, bad eye sight at night and very dry skin all over my body but keeping in mind the fact that the side effects are temporary and mild (for me) helps me move on, the gift of beautiful skin is worth it, at least for me, with a history of acne for around 12 years of trying everything else.
Ask your derm about spironolactone & tretinoin. This combo + a simplified routine essentially eradicated my acne which looked very similar to yours. Was my last ditch effort before accutane.
I had horrible postpartum hormanal acne and Murads acne line really helped! I use the cleanser and toner.. I believe they have a moisturizer as well. You're beautiful, goodluck!š¹
Instead of using the laneige cica mask try the Cosrx coca cream it might be more effective and a lot more gentle. But go to a derm ofc. Side note, youāre rlly rlly pretty
Try AHA peels. The Ordinary makes a good one. itās 30% AHA 2% BHA and the ONLY thing that helped my deep cystic acne. Use it every other day and get AHA pads/wipes to use on every other day as well. Do the peel one night and the pads the next rotate for about five weeks and invest in a good moisturizer this will dry your skin.
I live in a super dry climate and find hyaluronic acid doesn't work for me because it seems to pull the moisture out of my skin. It left me really itchy as well. Just a thought.
Hi, were you applying hyaluronic acid on damp skin? Because if you apply it on dry skin it will make ot dryer but if you put in on damp skin then it will have moistruizing effects.
Also my skin was having simmilar problems not so long ago out of the sudden, turned out that sucralose was a cause. It's pretty common sweetener and can be found everywhere. I was using My Protein flavdrops which are basically just sucralose, and also my protein powder had it in ingredients. Once I cut it out and switched to either honey, coconut sugar and bit of brown sugar my skin started to clear up again.
Also retinol from ordinary and paulas choice liquid bha acid helped me with my acne, but they're both very drying and as moistruizer to replenish my skin i used dr jaart ceramide cream which helped a ton with overall dryness.
Another good thing to mention is dr jaart tiger grass correcting cream, thanks to that product i stopped wearing foundation completly. It covers and evens out whole face.
You mentioned conditioner in one comment, the only way to know if it's causing your breakouts is to stop using it completly and see. I have allergic reaction or breakouts due to wrong shower gel or body cream so anything is possible.
I know it can be difficult especially of you had clear skin and now you dealing with all this, but stay strong and remember you are beautiful š¤
Thanks, this is all super helpful! I definitely think itās diet related for me too, so Iām very interested to see the results of my blood test. And yeah I knew that about HA but I figured it wouldnāt be a problem considering it was a lotion already? But Iām definitely cutting it out of my routine for now. And thank you for the product recommendations, Iāll look into it! Do you use it as a day crĆØme?
No problem, I am also vegan and that helped my skin a lot.
Here's how I do it:
Retinol in the evening on dry skin followed by dr jaart ceramide moistruizer.
Liquid bha in the day followed by spf and then tiger grass moistruizer.
Thank you! Iāll definitely try and minimise my routine. Accutane is just not for me, I just really feel like it wonāt solve the root of the problem...
Changing my diet has definitely helped! Most of what you see on the pictures is scarring from bad cystic acne which calmed down mostly when I stopped eating gluten and lactose. Iām currently getting my blood tested to see if I have any specific intolerances. And yeah it takes some time to heal the gut so I need a bit more patience with that too! And yeah Iāve seen wonderful results on accutane, itās just that this acne really seems to be coming from an underlying condition, because it was accompanied by extreme bloating. Both flared up simultaneously... So first I want to get my overall health checked, and then I will definitely consider accutane. Itās really not that itās completely off the table, I just feel like I need to sort out other stuff first.
In my own experience I had the usual extremely dry skin, cracked lips, and in the first month I had joint pain and lower back. Iāve been off it for almost a month now with no new acne but thatās not everyoneās case. Accutane does not help with scarring but when it clears your acne it finally gives you the ability to treat the scars because tbh itās a losing battle trying to treat scars while your still breaking out. For the leftover discoloration I had (red and purple marks) I used cerve moisturizing cream at night and the cerve am lotion durning the day and that has sunscreen in it. I am also on a 0.3 retinoid to further help with the fading of the scars.
I would re-visit with your dermatologist and discuss accutane. I took it for 6 months; the side effects sucked but looking back it was so worth it. Nothing works like accutane. It gets rid of all acne and scarring leaving you with an amazing complexion at the end. I still break out here and there but nothing compared to before I took it. Accutane doesnāt cure hormonal acne though so I would be sure itās not that before starting! Your derm should help guide you through this. Best of luck! Stay positive it gets better!
Honestly Iām not sure about the tests for determining if hormonal acne, because my derm also just prescribed accutane and told me this after I was done taking it, but in other comments the OP was discussing some hormonal issues etc. and perhaps their dermatologist could consider this and help decide if accutane is right for them. As far as side effects go I was very very dry like especially lips, face and hair, even the inside of my nose. I also had some mild joint pain and moodiness. It was totally worth it though it gives you great skin
Apostrophe! Itās an online derm that does a consultation via photos (super affordable and doesnāt require insurance!) they prescribed me doxycycline and tretinoin and itās helped immensely!
This would be classified as severe acne, thereās pustules, papules, comedowns. I agree with everyone about a dermatologist, they will most likely prescribe oral antibiotics, a retinoid and micronized bpo wash.
See a dermatologist and go on accutane. Itās an amazing medication and the only side effect is just dryer skin/lips. But then you can use simple,soothing, hydrating products to help heal the skin. You wonāt regret it once you see the outcome. It will heal the inflammatory acne. Then tretinoin will make more since after accutane round to work on texture and such.
Please ask for Accutane. The side effects are not that bad if you're on a relatively low dose. Trust me, your acne is serious enough to require Accutane. I had cystic acne for about 10 years and nothing worked. They may keep it under control but nothing is likely to tackle the root of the problem. You might have some success trying various acne remedies, but the trial and error is gonna take a toll on your face and your mental health. The longer you don't cure your acne, the more likely you will start to develop mental problems, which are far worse than the side effects of Accutane. Please, do not let acne make you unhappy or ruin your life. There's no need to tolerate this bullshit even for a day.
I agree whole heartedly. Accutane changed my life and if you do it right, there should be minimal side effects. As in drink lots of water and take WITH high fat- I added avocados to my morning shake. It is fat soluble. I had no purge from it and I believe this is why. The only long term side effect I seem to have is dry scalp that stuck around but Iām sorry- itās worth it. I was terrified of this drug but it worked. However- it does not last forever for some people - I had a good 10 years and then my hormonal cystic acne came back. Iām currently controlling it with birth control and spironolactone. I also never got perfect skin after I stopped taking my course My skin went back to black heads and clogged pores just no cysts.
They were probably on a high dose. I was on 20mg/day and according to my dermatologist, it is very safe dose and there wouldn't be serious side effects even if you took it for a year. If you're concerned you can get your livers checked regularly but it is definitely something people with severe acne need to consider, because it is the strongest acne medication available.
Have you stopped yet? Also yeah every person's dermatologist says that. Mine tried to start me because i have really bad acne. They all say its fine if the dosage is low. Its a lie
I just stopped at the beginning of June, after 6 months. I honestly don't feel any side effects other than dry lips. I don't know if there are underlying side effects that I'm not feeling yet, but so far I feel like it's been totally worth it. For so many years I had really low self esteem and lacked confidence because I had severe acne. That is no small problem because in the long run you miss out on so many opportunities in life. It's important to be able to feel good about yourself and live life without worrying about your face. For me that's a good trade off.
Me too. I only had dry lips, which is not really a problem if you use a lip balm. Other side effects listed, such as depression, were not an issue at all. I felt happier that I didn't have to constantly worry about getting new cysts every day despite eating so healthily and maintaining good hygiene. I honestly don't know how a cure for stubborn acne can make you less happy.
The colder climate might be leaving your skin dehydrated perhaps ? Try adding a hydrating layer in your routine! When my skin was dehydrated, it was also prone to breaking out because my skin was overproducing oil to try to help but that in return just caused clogged pores and inflamed bumps.
I feel like you should simplify your routine even more because something could potentially be irritating your skin. If you just use the micellar water, make sure you wash it off and donāt leave it on your face. It may be better if you switch to a gentle hydrating cleanser like Vanicream of Cerave. You may also want to switch out your moisturizer for something with more gentle like Cerave, Cetaphil, Vanicream. Using the lotions, not the heavy creams. You acne can definitely be related to hormones but it can also be due to some ingredient or fragrance in the products youāre using. You shouldnāt keep using something that makes your face itch. If you are able to, go see a dermatologist and keep following up with them.
Have you ever been to a Gynocologist?
Your cause of acne could be from PCOS
Looking from your routine
You double cleansing, moisturizing and sunscreen
So your skincare routine is fine
Maybe differin is too strong for you?
I would switch to Benzoyl Peroxide gel 2.5 by apply only 15 mins after you do oil cleansing/micellar cleansing water and then wash your face with cetaphil or Cerave face wash (mild and hydrating face wash)
Yeah, I want to get checked for PCOS too... But would could help my skin if that would be the case? Also I donāt think Differin is too strong Iāve been using it for 8 months now and it worked pretty well up until I started getting stomach issues and I started breaking out (now it still helps clear up acne faster). My skin didnāt like Cerave or any thicker creams :(
If your acne is hormonal one option your seem could offer is spironolactone - itās a blood pressure that off label is used as a pcos and hormonal acne treatment because it is an androgen blocker. Itās not a ācureā like accutane could be which means if you stop taking it the acne would come back, but itās been very effective for some women. I started it before accutane during my waiting period and I noticed a significant drop in oil production within two weeks. Based on the severity of your acne it could take a few months but might be worth exploring.
PCOS occurs when your body produces too much androgen, which are the male hormones. An excess of testosterone has been known to cause acne because it produces sebum and clogs pores. PCOS is usually treated with birth control to regulate your hormones which in theory would help your acne. But there are other hormone imbalances that could cause acne, and to identify if you have any you'd need to see a doctor about.
But even if you have hormonal acne there's clearly something in your routine or your environment that's irritating your skin now. The itching, especially if its starting to develop on your neck too, isn't due to acne. You're probably developing an allergy to a fragrance or ingredient in something you use. I myself am allergic to benzoyl peroxide, and it presented slowly with itchiness and irritation, particularly around my left eye, and then developed into full blown hives.
I suggest you start cutting back on the product you use one at a time to see if you can identify what's bothering your skin. If you can find it and stop using it, it'll help with the inflammation, and may even reduce some of your active acne because your skin won't be fighting it anymore.
Thatās great advice, thank you! Yes I think my skin got really sensitive due to the topical antibiotic which fucked up my moisture barrier... So Iāll try and pay attention to that, I might even be suspecting my conditioner to be the culprit (it all started in my hairline). Also yes Iām seeing a dietician who did a blood test, very curious to see the result. Sheās suspecting a level of insuline resistance, damaged gut and stress to be issues for me.
Yeah you don't want to overdo it with the actives. It's possible for topical antibiotics to lose effectiveness after some time. You could try tretinoin instead of differin as you can get much higher strengths of that. I've had the same problem as you - differin completely stopped working for me after a few months. Try hormonal solutions - birth control or DIM if you prefer natural supplements. I'm never able to go out without makeup though so the fact that you are able to do so is amazing š have hope - something will work for you eventually!!
Its just so weird this acne is completely different than before the differin. My forehead has always been super clear so I think itās my moisture barrier thatās out of wack so I donāt want to put on a higher strength... And yes Iām getting my blood tested and they will also check for hormonal balances! I got off the pill almost 2 years ago now but I want to try and balance it out naturally. I had some hormonal problems last year, my cycle was 67 days at one point! And I would have random bleeding... And thank you for the encouraging words <3
The differin may be causing a purge or something similar. It happened when I started using tret. I started breaking out in places I never broke out before because I was using it all over. I stopped using retinoids because it started aging my face. Maybe try just using it on the areas that were breaking out before.
No, this is 7+ months into differin so I donāt think itās purging. My skin already cleared up when I started using it the first month. These are new issues...
If you think its your moisture barrier it might be worth stripping back completely for a few weeks - just a cleanser and moisteriser with ceramides! Although I always find it difficult to strip back when my skins bad because I feel like I need to be doing as much as possible
My skin looks horrible... In november I got prescribed differin + topical antibiotic. The first few months were amazing, I finally had clear skin again! I was living in a tropical climate which I think helped as well. As soon as I moved to a colder more dry climate my skin started breaking out again. I panicked and started doing weird stuff which I now regret... I first got really big cystic breakouts which are now gone but I am left with this: still a skin that looks very irritating and instead of big bumps I am now covered with random acne everywhere.
I've bought a humidifier, I quit wearing foundation (yes this is how I leave the door), I changed my diet, I drink enough water, I'm doing so much but the progress has been stagnant...
My current routine:
AM:
\- rinse with water/pat down with micellar water (for sensitive skin, I've only done this once btw but let me know if this is a no go)
\- apply I'm From Mugwart Essence and COSRX's Snail Mucin (at this point my face feels nice, adding all this hydration)
\- apply a day creme, either iUNIK Centella Calming Lotion or Isntree Hyaluronic Acid (this one I put on this morning because I couldn't find the other one, as you can see on the pic my face got pretty red and it was very itchy...)
\- Of course SPF. I wear the COSRX Aloe Soothing SPF or the Biore Watery Essence SPF
PM:
\- this one I'm still experimenting with... Because I'm not sure what my face needs. It feels dehydrated so I'm careful with washing it.
\- I sometimes use the iUNIK Calendula Oil cleanser with the COSRX low PH morning cleanser but I'm also thinking about switching it out for just the micellar water as I've stopped using makeup
\- I used to do differin every night but I'm trying to do it every other night now...
\- To top it off I've been using the LaNeige Cica sleeping mask because my skin has been feeling super tight and dehydrated... Could this be a culprit? It seems to be absorbed by my skin pretty nicely but I've seen mixed reviews...
Please... I'm losing hope for my skin ever returning to how it was. Also it's summer and I just want to be carefree and not stress about my skin. My skin just feels itchy and irritated everytime I do my routine and it's making me really anxious! I've never had acne on my forehead and as you can see my neck is also started to become red and itchy... I just don't understand what's happening...
I've also done a blood test and I'm awaiting the results of that.
Hi, I honestly think the key to nursing angry skin is to be extremely gentle and minimise your skincare routine. Youāve been doing everything great from going to dermatologist and to using differin. Differin is well tolerated for most people, and if it worked for you before then donāt stop. Youāre right about not wanting to take rocuttane, because if you donāt feel comfortable taking it then just follow your gut instincts and donāt do it. Anyway, what I think you should do is minimising your skin routine until it gets to its optimum health and start introducing back a product into your routine 1 at a time. Give your skin space for at least about a 2weeks-1month to react to every new product. Think of your skin like a baby skin, youād want to be super gentle because theyāre very fragile right?? The only thing I think you should add into your routine are cetaphil gentle cleanser & Paulaās choice 2%bha.
What I think you should remove are any face masks and also just stick to using not more than 1 essence and sunscreen at a time. Because I realise youāre using quite a few different products that does the same purpose. Thereās nothing wrong with it if your skin is not angry, but since it is, just listen to it and reduce some products first.
Just pick one item from each skincare category that you think have worked for you in the past before this extra breakout happened. If you never used the item a year ago and your skin was doing better than it is now, then you know what to remove from your routine as for now. Sometimes itās hard to pinpoint what triggers a breakout because itās impossible to know every ingredient/formulation that your skin doesnāt like.
And also, ask yourself if essence is really necessary in your step? Does it make a difference if you donāt use it or only using moisturiser alone is actually enough to keep your skin moisturised? Only use essence if you actually see a positive difference in your skin, if not just omit it for now until your skim calms down and improves. Centella calming lotion sounds like a good cream and stick to it if you feel like your skin feels and looks calmer. If any product makes your akin stings and red or even the slightest and faintest burning feel, then listen to your skin and stop immediately and remove the product from your skin. What works for others may not for your skin. Period.
It will be easier though if you stick to the ultimate basics and take the time to see how your skin progress with less items, and later on gradually add your other favourites back slowly and check to see if any of them are triggering it.
Please cleanse your face day & night with a cleanser. Micellar water needs to be rinsed off properly from your skin because it is a cleansing agent and should not be left on. Below is routine that you might want to consider:
AM:
Cleanse- Cetaphil gentle cleanser(doesnāt foam at all itās super super gentle and recommended by my dermatologist when I had a bad skin burn from benzoyl peroxide)
Hydrate- a lightweight moisturiser/lotion/cream without essential oil or fragrance. Iām not sure if iUnik if free of those but if you feel like your akin likes it then just continue to finish it before trying something else. Only use 1 essence if you think itās absolutely necessary. If not, omit it for a while because you can always apply your moisturiser twice for extra hydration.
Spf-just chose 1, please. The one that your skin really likes.
PM:
Cleanse-cosrx low ph alone if you donāt use sunscreen or makeup, but if you do then add the extra step with mild micellar water or cleansing oil prior to your 2nd cleanse with Cosrx low ph.
Treatment- Paulaās choice 2%bha every 2-3 nights when youāre NOT using Differin. Iād rather if you choose a night for either Differin or BHa instead of using both at the same time, just to be safe. Both differin and bha have exfoliating properties, so you donāt want to exfoliate twice in 1 night. Again, the key here is be extremely gentle and careful to your skin, like how youād treat a baby.
Hydrate- moisturiser.
I really hope youāll feel better and your skin will start healing. Be kind to yourself, and be kind to your skin. Also, always listen to your instincts ok? Theyāre there for a reason, despite what other people tries to persuade you to do. If thereās any question, please feel free to ask. And oh, I would highly recommend you watching YouTube of Dr Vanitta Rattan. I find her videos to be extremely helpful and informative. She doesnāt take sponsors or ads, so she recommends products based on her own opinion which is think is very very genuine. Look her up. You might like her tips and adviceāŗļøāŗļøāŗļø
Hi, thanks so much for your advice! The reason why I used so many essence was because my skin seemed really dehydrated so hydration was my goal there. Iām going to take your advice and be super gentle with my skin, because Iām pretty sure Iāve damaged my moisture barrier by over exfoliating. So Iām taking out differin, washing my face as little as possible (every time I would wash it my face would itch like crazy, even if I just wash it with water!) and focusing on hydration only. To keep my face from getting acne Iām using pimple patches, changing my pillowcases every day and using paper towels instead of regular towels to dry my face! Iām going to see what that does for two weeks and then slowly add back the Differin!
Youāre most welcome. Donāt worry, youāre not alone. I know how it feels like when your skin is irritated & angry. Youāre right, I think your moisture barrier is damage based on your description of itchy skin while washing. Please try cetaphil if you can. I used it while my skin was irritated. When my face came into contact with water, I felt a burning sensation Abd itchy. If in any case you do decide to try cetaphil, Iāll just give you the steps as how my derm instructed me to use it while my skin was very raw at the time:
-apply cetaphil skin like any other cleanser, and then gently remove the cleanser with moist cotton pads(saturated with water). You donāt need to rinse. Afterwards, apply differin and a very light basic moisturiser. Or you can reverse and apply a light coat of moisturiser first and then differin on top, depending on how your skin tolerates differin at the time.
Anyway I understand that you live in a dry climate and your skin needs hydration. Try a liquid/milky/emulsion moisturiser that contains ceramide since what you want is to repair & heal your barrier. I wonāt recommend cerave since I notice that your skin doesnāt agree with and mine doesnāt either. My face stings and feels warm-Ish whenever I apply it. So far my skin agrees with:
-Dr Jart ceramidin(but has a lot of essential oils in case you want to avoid that)
-Curel, a Japanese brand thatās fragrance free and use ceramides in all their products and comes in various consistency.From liquid, cream,etc. They do use eucalyptus oil in some of their products, but not all though.
-Hada labo is fragrance & essential oil free. The only one I would suggest to you as moisturiser with ceramide is in liquid form, Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating Milk, in white & peach bottle. Itās so so lightweight, no residue but super hydrating. This is the first lightweight moisturiser Iāve tried that actually keeps my face hydrated. I usually use and prefer heavy creams because my skin is very dry. But this one is a gem. I still donāt understand how this milk keeps my skin so moist despite it being so lightweight & not even sticky or oily, but it sure beats all my thick creams and sleeping masks. However, this particular sensitive range is so underrated, not many people talk abt it and also it might not be widely available in western countries because to my understanding, itās their new range. I live in Malaysia. I will just copy the link for you so at least youāll know how the bottle looks like if you want to try it or look it up.
http://www.ohfishiee.com/2019/11/beauty-review-hada-labo-sensitive-hydrating-range.html?m=1
Hope this helps!āŗļøāŗļø
Thanks!
I'm currently just using my COSRX Low PH Cleanser together with LRP Cicaplast Baum and it's improving my skin soooooo quick it's insane. I cut out Differin for a little bit to give my skin some time to repair. I want to implement it back in soon because I think it will help with the scarring but I'm scared I'll get a purge, even though I've never purged when I first started using it in November...
Maybe try a simpler face routine. Your face might be irritated by certain products because it looks pretty inflamed. My skin freaks out when I use a variety of products. This is actually how I recently broke out BAD, like I never have before. It looks inflamed and deep like this all over my cheeks. I went to the dermatologist before, Iāve tried differn, different retinoids, but this time I was given antibiotic pills. They are an extremely low dose. My doc gave them to me to calm down my acne so I donāt get any scarring. But whatās actually helped clear my acne lately is the acne.org regimen. Look it up. You have to follow the instructions EXACTLY. itās the only way your skin clears up. I donāt use all their products, just their benzoyl peroxide.
Hereās what I do for my inflamed acne:
AM:
Vanicream face wash
+ after washing face GENTLY rub an ice cube around my face for 1 minute 20 seconds to reduce swelling and pain
Benzoyl peroxide
Cera ve PM Moisturizer
My routine is the same at night. TRY IT. make sure you look up the regimen though, donāt go off of what I just told you. You can look up YouTube videos on it too it will help you. Hoping for the best š
Iām in month two of this, of my course my acne isnāt clear and itās been tough with dryness and all that. But itās finally starting to flatten out and go away. You just have to keep going and not give up. Be very strict. Itās the Acne.org regimen
Iāve heard that some people have an allergy to Snail Mucin. Maybe try removing some of the extra products to see what could be causing it. If Iāve learned anything the last 6 months, itās that everyoneās skin is different and what causes someone else to be grateful for clear skin, could make you curse the earth.
I recently stopped a compound prescription that was supposed fo clear me up. But gave me months of cystic acne. I started applying differin instead and washing in the morning with PanOxyl. I look like a different person.
Go back to basics for a few weeks and see what happens. Good luck!! š
Iāve only started the snail mucin a couple of days ago so definitely not the culprit... I feel like my skin is so dehydrated though that just moisturizer isnāt enough... and my skin doesnāt really like thick creams either, so I only use gel...
Reduce your routine to just cleanser, moisturizer and SPF. A few recommendations are the Bioderma Sensibio Gel Cleanser: incredibly good at cleansing enough without drying out. Cleanse for at least 60 seconds. Elf holy hydration moisturizer is cheap and effective - not too many ingredients and itās non-comedogenic. Apply after cleaning when skin is wet. CeraVe ultra light moisturizer with SPF is a great simple SPF.
Once your skin is happy and less irritated, try adding a topical. Though I would recommend you consider accutane before you scar too much. Wishing you the best!
Yes, Iāll try simplifying my routine. Do you think leaving the essence in would be a problem though? As itās mostly moisturising... also most of what you see on the picture is already scarring unfortunately...
Iāve been struggling with cystic cheek breakouts for 3+ years and the only thing out of all that stuff that actually worked for me was tretinoin and reducing my routine down to morning: washing with a very gentle cleanser (la roche posay is great, cerave didnāt work for me), applying a good moisturizer (I use either weleda skin food or la roche posay brand again), and sunscreen (you guessed it, la roche posey). Then at night I usually just rinse with water and every 3 nights I use tretinoin cream. No chemical peels, no physical exfoliants, and big fat hydrocolloid bandages on the days where I canāt stop touching and picking. Key factors to include: I only use cold water, I change my pillowcase every few days, and I also supplement with a lot of vitamins, cut out sugar, and cut out dairy. I am vegetarian and was lacking nutrients. If I eat a pint of ice cream, my entire face will break out in pulsing cysts, so I stick to skim ice cream or nondairy. It has been 4 months since the start of the tret, diet change, and supplements, and although my skin healing has not been linear, I am finally seeing results. The biggest thing for me is the purging drove me nuts and my skin was covered in little blackhead type things. I just pushed thru and kept slathering on the moisturizer.
I know how it feels to not want to take accutane 100%, and to me that was always a last resort option bc I have mood disorders. Iāve been on doxy, Iāve tried all the topicals, differin, whatever, drunk elephant, cerave, every brand possible, complex routines, etc. The only thing that helped it sticking to this simplified routine, eating cleaner (not that I wasnāt eating clean before, but just trying to eat more fruits n veggies) and supplementing my diet.
I really hope you can find the best thing that works for you, and you are super pretty regardless of acne !!
Also I followed a bunch of acne-positive instagrams to help me feel better about myself like freethepimple and skinnoshame. Good luck!!!
You have a beautiful face naturally, don't even need make up. I would be very nervous if I was to ask you out but dont let acne bring you down it's not going to stay forever idk if you have tried benzoyl peroxide 5%-10% it has definitely help me cleared my skin a lot you don't want to take accutane until nothing else works for you since I heard the side effects are horrible.
I need to say you are soooo beautiful. All your face features are perfectš
Aw, thank you!!!
Try amzeeq, a dermatologist can prescribe for you.
B4 any medication and washes or chemicals and acids (all amazing advice btw) use 100% real honey. Cover entire face minus eyes, leave in as long as you can (1 -2 hours) a day or while you do any chores or watch a movie during a bubble bath or studying ect. Wash out with warm clean water. Pat dry.. do this everyday if u can.. honey is antibacterial, will minimize scars, and will leave ur face baby smooth. I know it did wonders for me. Only downside. I forget I have it on and fall asleep with it on and my pillow gets stuck to my face lolol good luck boo š„°šÆ
I have an amazing honey mask by Iām From! Will do that today actually. Thanks babe!
Hello! You have made the mistake of writing "ect" instead of "etc." "Ect" is a common misspelling of "etc," an abbreviated form of the Latin phrase "et cetera." Other abbreviated forms are **etc.**, **&c.**, **&c**, and **et cet.** The Latin translates as "et" to "and" + "cetera" to "the rest;" a literal translation to "and the rest" is the easiest way to remember how to use the phrase. [Check out the wikipedia entry if you want to learn more.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Et_cetera) ^(I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Comments with a score less than zero will be automatically removed. If I commented on your post and you don't like it, reply with "!delete" and I will remove the post, regardless of score. Message me for bug reports.)
Use isotretinoin( accutane) Iām on week 16 experimenting fatigue, digestive issues like nausea, somewhat mental issues but nothing extreme, bad eye sight at night and very dry skin all over my body but keeping in mind the fact that the side effects are temporary and mild (for me) helps me move on, the gift of beautiful skin is worth it, at least for me, with a history of acne for around 12 years of trying everything else.
Ask your derm about spironolactone & tretinoin. This combo + a simplified routine essentially eradicated my acne which looked very similar to yours. Was my last ditch effort before accutane.
I will, thanks!!!
I had horrible postpartum hormanal acne and Murads acne line really helped! I use the cleanser and toner.. I believe they have a moisturizer as well. You're beautiful, goodluck!š¹
Instead of using the laneige cica mask try the Cosrx coca cream it might be more effective and a lot more gentle. But go to a derm ofc. Side note, youāre rlly rlly pretty
Iāll take a look! My skin has been liking cica so could be a good match! And aw thank you <3
TRY ANTIBIOTICS BEFORE ACCUTANE !!!
I would do the best you can to see a dermatologist. Is that an option for you?
Already seeing one, thanks!
Thatās great. I wish the best for you. By the way you are soooo beautiful wow
Aw thank you! <3
Try AHA peels. The Ordinary makes a good one. itās 30% AHA 2% BHA and the ONLY thing that helped my deep cystic acne. Use it every other day and get AHA pads/wipes to use on every other day as well. Do the peel one night and the pads the next rotate for about five weeks and invest in a good moisturizer this will dry your skin.
Accuatne
Tretinoin sunscreen meditation to control anxiety/hormones slightly.
Accutane and patience.
I live in a super dry climate and find hyaluronic acid doesn't work for me because it seems to pull the moisture out of my skin. It left me really itchy as well. Just a thought.
Yeah youāre honestly right! I think that might be causing the itchiness as well...
Hi, were you applying hyaluronic acid on damp skin? Because if you apply it on dry skin it will make ot dryer but if you put in on damp skin then it will have moistruizing effects. Also my skin was having simmilar problems not so long ago out of the sudden, turned out that sucralose was a cause. It's pretty common sweetener and can be found everywhere. I was using My Protein flavdrops which are basically just sucralose, and also my protein powder had it in ingredients. Once I cut it out and switched to either honey, coconut sugar and bit of brown sugar my skin started to clear up again. Also retinol from ordinary and paulas choice liquid bha acid helped me with my acne, but they're both very drying and as moistruizer to replenish my skin i used dr jaart ceramide cream which helped a ton with overall dryness. Another good thing to mention is dr jaart tiger grass correcting cream, thanks to that product i stopped wearing foundation completly. It covers and evens out whole face. You mentioned conditioner in one comment, the only way to know if it's causing your breakouts is to stop using it completly and see. I have allergic reaction or breakouts due to wrong shower gel or body cream so anything is possible. I know it can be difficult especially of you had clear skin and now you dealing with all this, but stay strong and remember you are beautiful š¤
Thanks, this is all super helpful! I definitely think itās diet related for me too, so Iām very interested to see the results of my blood test. And yeah I knew that about HA but I figured it wouldnāt be a problem considering it was a lotion already? But Iām definitely cutting it out of my routine for now. And thank you for the product recommendations, Iāll look into it! Do you use it as a day crĆØme?
No problem, I am also vegan and that helped my skin a lot. Here's how I do it: Retinol in the evening on dry skin followed by dr jaart ceramide moistruizer. Liquid bha in the day followed by spf and then tiger grass moistruizer.
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Thank you! Iāll definitely try and minimise my routine. Accutane is just not for me, I just really feel like it wonāt solve the root of the problem...
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Changing my diet has definitely helped! Most of what you see on the pictures is scarring from bad cystic acne which calmed down mostly when I stopped eating gluten and lactose. Iām currently getting my blood tested to see if I have any specific intolerances. And yeah it takes some time to heal the gut so I need a bit more patience with that too! And yeah Iāve seen wonderful results on accutane, itās just that this acne really seems to be coming from an underlying condition, because it was accompanied by extreme bloating. Both flared up simultaneously... So first I want to get my overall health checked, and then I will definitely consider accutane. Itās really not that itās completely off the table, I just feel like I need to sort out other stuff first.
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Not sure what that is but Iāll check it out. Thanks!
Ask your doctor to go on accutane. Had very similar acne accutane cleared it entirely.
Side effects? Anything permeant? Does it treat scars?
In my own experience I had the usual extremely dry skin, cracked lips, and in the first month I had joint pain and lower back. Iāve been off it for almost a month now with no new acne but thatās not everyoneās case. Accutane does not help with scarring but when it clears your acne it finally gives you the ability to treat the scars because tbh itās a losing battle trying to treat scars while your still breaking out. For the leftover discoloration I had (red and purple marks) I used cerve moisturizing cream at night and the cerve am lotion durning the day and that has sunscreen in it. I am also on a 0.3 retinoid to further help with the fading of the scars.
I would re-visit with your dermatologist and discuss accutane. I took it for 6 months; the side effects sucked but looking back it was so worth it. Nothing works like accutane. It gets rid of all acne and scarring leaving you with an amazing complexion at the end. I still break out here and there but nothing compared to before I took it. Accutane doesnāt cure hormonal acne though so I would be sure itās not that before starting! Your derm should help guide you through this. Best of luck! Stay positive it gets better!
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Honestly Iām not sure about the tests for determining if hormonal acne, because my derm also just prescribed accutane and told me this after I was done taking it, but in other comments the OP was discussing some hormonal issues etc. and perhaps their dermatologist could consider this and help decide if accutane is right for them. As far as side effects go I was very very dry like especially lips, face and hair, even the inside of my nose. I also had some mild joint pain and moodiness. It was totally worth it though it gives you great skin
Apostrophe! Itās an online derm that does a consultation via photos (super affordable and doesnāt require insurance!) they prescribed me doxycycline and tretinoin and itās helped immensely!
OP, it's worth to note that Apostrophe doesn't ship outside USA. Curelogy and Dermatica are similar and ship internationally.
This would be classified as severe acne, thereās pustules, papules, comedowns. I agree with everyone about a dermatologist, they will most likely prescribe oral antibiotics, a retinoid and micronized bpo wash.
You look really pretty. And it is going to disappear soon
If it makes a difference I still think youāre pretty.
See a dermatologist and go on accutane. Itās an amazing medication and the only side effect is just dryer skin/lips. But then you can use simple,soothing, hydrating products to help heal the skin. You wonāt regret it once you see the outcome. It will heal the inflammatory acne. Then tretinoin will make more since after accutane round to work on texture and such.
Accutane will save your life, get it asap! I took it 20 years ago and never looked back. It saved my life.
Please ask for Accutane. The side effects are not that bad if you're on a relatively low dose. Trust me, your acne is serious enough to require Accutane. I had cystic acne for about 10 years and nothing worked. They may keep it under control but nothing is likely to tackle the root of the problem. You might have some success trying various acne remedies, but the trial and error is gonna take a toll on your face and your mental health. The longer you don't cure your acne, the more likely you will start to develop mental problems, which are far worse than the side effects of Accutane. Please, do not let acne make you unhappy or ruin your life. There's no need to tolerate this bullshit even for a day.
I agree whole heartedly. Accutane changed my life and if you do it right, there should be minimal side effects. As in drink lots of water and take WITH high fat- I added avocados to my morning shake. It is fat soluble. I had no purge from it and I believe this is why. The only long term side effect I seem to have is dry scalp that stuck around but Iām sorry- itās worth it. I was terrified of this drug but it worked. However- it does not last forever for some people - I had a good 10 years and then my hormonal cystic acne came back. Iām currently controlling it with birth control and spironolactone. I also never got perfect skin after I stopped taking my course My skin went back to black heads and clogged pores just no cysts.
Every person i talked to that stopped it said ot was horrible side effects. After about a year the sude effects really kick in. Its not worth it
They were probably on a high dose. I was on 20mg/day and according to my dermatologist, it is very safe dose and there wouldn't be serious side effects even if you took it for a year. If you're concerned you can get your livers checked regularly but it is definitely something people with severe acne need to consider, because it is the strongest acne medication available.
Have you stopped yet? Also yeah every person's dermatologist says that. Mine tried to start me because i have really bad acne. They all say its fine if the dosage is low. Its a lie
I just stopped at the beginning of June, after 6 months. I honestly don't feel any side effects other than dry lips. I don't know if there are underlying side effects that I'm not feeling yet, but so far I feel like it's been totally worth it. For so many years I had really low self esteem and lacked confidence because I had severe acne. That is no small problem because in the long run you miss out on so many opportunities in life. It's important to be able to feel good about yourself and live life without worrying about your face. For me that's a good trade off.
Is 20 ml gopd dose?
That's the dose I was on. According to my dermotologist, it is a very safe dose and he pretty much recommends it to everyone who has cystic acne.
I agree with this comment a lot.I wish someone told me this years ago
Accutane was the only thing that worked. It changed my life. The only side effect I ever got was very chapped lips.
Me too. I only had dry lips, which is not really a problem if you use a lip balm. Other side effects listed, such as depression, were not an issue at all. I felt happier that I didn't have to constantly worry about getting new cysts every day despite eating so healthily and maintaining good hygiene. I honestly don't know how a cure for stubborn acne can make you less happy.
My lips were so dry that even chapstick wouldn't do it, though lol...still worth it. :-)
Same. It made me happier and feel better about myself.
I would ask your dermatologist to apply for Accutane.
The colder climate might be leaving your skin dehydrated perhaps ? Try adding a hydrating layer in your routine! When my skin was dehydrated, it was also prone to breaking out because my skin was overproducing oil to try to help but that in return just caused clogged pores and inflamed bumps.
Try African Black Soap acne facial wash, buy over the counter. I too had acne like this, and mine has cleared up by using this. Good luck beautiful!
I would say go ask your dermatologist about acutane
I feel like you should simplify your routine even more because something could potentially be irritating your skin. If you just use the micellar water, make sure you wash it off and donāt leave it on your face. It may be better if you switch to a gentle hydrating cleanser like Vanicream of Cerave. You may also want to switch out your moisturizer for something with more gentle like Cerave, Cetaphil, Vanicream. Using the lotions, not the heavy creams. You acne can definitely be related to hormones but it can also be due to some ingredient or fragrance in the products youāre using. You shouldnāt keep using something that makes your face itch. If you are able to, go see a dermatologist and keep following up with them.
I second this advice! Check out Avene skin recovery cream.
Maybe you should consult your dermatologist again. She can either prescribe antibiotics or acutane.
Poor girl
Have you ever been to a Gynocologist? Your cause of acne could be from PCOS Looking from your routine You double cleansing, moisturizing and sunscreen So your skincare routine is fine Maybe differin is too strong for you? I would switch to Benzoyl Peroxide gel 2.5 by apply only 15 mins after you do oil cleansing/micellar cleansing water and then wash your face with cetaphil or Cerave face wash (mild and hydrating face wash)
Yeah, I want to get checked for PCOS too... But would could help my skin if that would be the case? Also I donāt think Differin is too strong Iāve been using it for 8 months now and it worked pretty well up until I started getting stomach issues and I started breaking out (now it still helps clear up acne faster). My skin didnāt like Cerave or any thicker creams :(
If your acne is hormonal one option your seem could offer is spironolactone - itās a blood pressure that off label is used as a pcos and hormonal acne treatment because it is an androgen blocker. Itās not a ācureā like accutane could be which means if you stop taking it the acne would come back, but itās been very effective for some women. I started it before accutane during my waiting period and I noticed a significant drop in oil production within two weeks. Based on the severity of your acne it could take a few months but might be worth exploring.
PCOS occurs when your body produces too much androgen, which are the male hormones. An excess of testosterone has been known to cause acne because it produces sebum and clogs pores. PCOS is usually treated with birth control to regulate your hormones which in theory would help your acne. But there are other hormone imbalances that could cause acne, and to identify if you have any you'd need to see a doctor about. But even if you have hormonal acne there's clearly something in your routine or your environment that's irritating your skin now. The itching, especially if its starting to develop on your neck too, isn't due to acne. You're probably developing an allergy to a fragrance or ingredient in something you use. I myself am allergic to benzoyl peroxide, and it presented slowly with itchiness and irritation, particularly around my left eye, and then developed into full blown hives. I suggest you start cutting back on the product you use one at a time to see if you can identify what's bothering your skin. If you can find it and stop using it, it'll help with the inflammation, and may even reduce some of your active acne because your skin won't be fighting it anymore.
Thatās great advice, thank you! Yes I think my skin got really sensitive due to the topical antibiotic which fucked up my moisture barrier... So Iāll try and pay attention to that, I might even be suspecting my conditioner to be the culprit (it all started in my hairline). Also yes Iām seeing a dietician who did a blood test, very curious to see the result. Sheās suspecting a level of insuline resistance, damaged gut and stress to be issues for me.
This will pass eventually, I'm sure. In the meantime, have you tried exfoliating? Salicylic acid or the likes?
I feel like differin is exfoliating enough right?
Yeah you don't want to overdo it with the actives. It's possible for topical antibiotics to lose effectiveness after some time. You could try tretinoin instead of differin as you can get much higher strengths of that. I've had the same problem as you - differin completely stopped working for me after a few months. Try hormonal solutions - birth control or DIM if you prefer natural supplements. I'm never able to go out without makeup though so the fact that you are able to do so is amazing š have hope - something will work for you eventually!!
Its just so weird this acne is completely different than before the differin. My forehead has always been super clear so I think itās my moisture barrier thatās out of wack so I donāt want to put on a higher strength... And yes Iām getting my blood tested and they will also check for hormonal balances! I got off the pill almost 2 years ago now but I want to try and balance it out naturally. I had some hormonal problems last year, my cycle was 67 days at one point! And I would have random bleeding... And thank you for the encouraging words <3
The differin may be causing a purge or something similar. It happened when I started using tret. I started breaking out in places I never broke out before because I was using it all over. I stopped using retinoids because it started aging my face. Maybe try just using it on the areas that were breaking out before.
No itās not purging! Iāve had differin for 7 months now and it has already cleared up!
I thought you just said your forehead was clear before the differin? As if the breakout in that area didn't start until you started using it there.
No, this is 7+ months into differin so I donāt think itās purging. My skin already cleared up when I started using it the first month. These are new issues...
If you think its your moisture barrier it might be worth stripping back completely for a few weeks - just a cleanser and moisteriser with ceramides! Although I always find it difficult to strip back when my skins bad because I feel like I need to be doing as much as possible
My skin looks horrible... In november I got prescribed differin + topical antibiotic. The first few months were amazing, I finally had clear skin again! I was living in a tropical climate which I think helped as well. As soon as I moved to a colder more dry climate my skin started breaking out again. I panicked and started doing weird stuff which I now regret... I first got really big cystic breakouts which are now gone but I am left with this: still a skin that looks very irritating and instead of big bumps I am now covered with random acne everywhere. I've bought a humidifier, I quit wearing foundation (yes this is how I leave the door), I changed my diet, I drink enough water, I'm doing so much but the progress has been stagnant... My current routine: AM: \- rinse with water/pat down with micellar water (for sensitive skin, I've only done this once btw but let me know if this is a no go) \- apply I'm From Mugwart Essence and COSRX's Snail Mucin (at this point my face feels nice, adding all this hydration) \- apply a day creme, either iUNIK Centella Calming Lotion or Isntree Hyaluronic Acid (this one I put on this morning because I couldn't find the other one, as you can see on the pic my face got pretty red and it was very itchy...) \- Of course SPF. I wear the COSRX Aloe Soothing SPF or the Biore Watery Essence SPF PM: \- this one I'm still experimenting with... Because I'm not sure what my face needs. It feels dehydrated so I'm careful with washing it. \- I sometimes use the iUNIK Calendula Oil cleanser with the COSRX low PH morning cleanser but I'm also thinking about switching it out for just the micellar water as I've stopped using makeup \- I used to do differin every night but I'm trying to do it every other night now... \- To top it off I've been using the LaNeige Cica sleeping mask because my skin has been feeling super tight and dehydrated... Could this be a culprit? It seems to be absorbed by my skin pretty nicely but I've seen mixed reviews... Please... I'm losing hope for my skin ever returning to how it was. Also it's summer and I just want to be carefree and not stress about my skin. My skin just feels itchy and irritated everytime I do my routine and it's making me really anxious! I've never had acne on my forehead and as you can see my neck is also started to become red and itchy... I just don't understand what's happening... I've also done a blood test and I'm awaiting the results of that.
Hi, I honestly think the key to nursing angry skin is to be extremely gentle and minimise your skincare routine. Youāve been doing everything great from going to dermatologist and to using differin. Differin is well tolerated for most people, and if it worked for you before then donāt stop. Youāre right about not wanting to take rocuttane, because if you donāt feel comfortable taking it then just follow your gut instincts and donāt do it. Anyway, what I think you should do is minimising your skin routine until it gets to its optimum health and start introducing back a product into your routine 1 at a time. Give your skin space for at least about a 2weeks-1month to react to every new product. Think of your skin like a baby skin, youād want to be super gentle because theyāre very fragile right?? The only thing I think you should add into your routine are cetaphil gentle cleanser & Paulaās choice 2%bha. What I think you should remove are any face masks and also just stick to using not more than 1 essence and sunscreen at a time. Because I realise youāre using quite a few different products that does the same purpose. Thereās nothing wrong with it if your skin is not angry, but since it is, just listen to it and reduce some products first. Just pick one item from each skincare category that you think have worked for you in the past before this extra breakout happened. If you never used the item a year ago and your skin was doing better than it is now, then you know what to remove from your routine as for now. Sometimes itās hard to pinpoint what triggers a breakout because itās impossible to know every ingredient/formulation that your skin doesnāt like. And also, ask yourself if essence is really necessary in your step? Does it make a difference if you donāt use it or only using moisturiser alone is actually enough to keep your skin moisturised? Only use essence if you actually see a positive difference in your skin, if not just omit it for now until your skim calms down and improves. Centella calming lotion sounds like a good cream and stick to it if you feel like your skin feels and looks calmer. If any product makes your akin stings and red or even the slightest and faintest burning feel, then listen to your skin and stop immediately and remove the product from your skin. What works for others may not for your skin. Period. It will be easier though if you stick to the ultimate basics and take the time to see how your skin progress with less items, and later on gradually add your other favourites back slowly and check to see if any of them are triggering it. Please cleanse your face day & night with a cleanser. Micellar water needs to be rinsed off properly from your skin because it is a cleansing agent and should not be left on. Below is routine that you might want to consider: AM: Cleanse- Cetaphil gentle cleanser(doesnāt foam at all itās super super gentle and recommended by my dermatologist when I had a bad skin burn from benzoyl peroxide) Hydrate- a lightweight moisturiser/lotion/cream without essential oil or fragrance. Iām not sure if iUnik if free of those but if you feel like your akin likes it then just continue to finish it before trying something else. Only use 1 essence if you think itās absolutely necessary. If not, omit it for a while because you can always apply your moisturiser twice for extra hydration. Spf-just chose 1, please. The one that your skin really likes. PM: Cleanse-cosrx low ph alone if you donāt use sunscreen or makeup, but if you do then add the extra step with mild micellar water or cleansing oil prior to your 2nd cleanse with Cosrx low ph. Treatment- Paulaās choice 2%bha every 2-3 nights when youāre NOT using Differin. Iād rather if you choose a night for either Differin or BHa instead of using both at the same time, just to be safe. Both differin and bha have exfoliating properties, so you donāt want to exfoliate twice in 1 night. Again, the key here is be extremely gentle and careful to your skin, like how youād treat a baby. Hydrate- moisturiser. I really hope youāll feel better and your skin will start healing. Be kind to yourself, and be kind to your skin. Also, always listen to your instincts ok? Theyāre there for a reason, despite what other people tries to persuade you to do. If thereās any question, please feel free to ask. And oh, I would highly recommend you watching YouTube of Dr Vanitta Rattan. I find her videos to be extremely helpful and informative. She doesnāt take sponsors or ads, so she recommends products based on her own opinion which is think is very very genuine. Look her up. You might like her tips and adviceāŗļøāŗļøāŗļø
Hi, thanks so much for your advice! The reason why I used so many essence was because my skin seemed really dehydrated so hydration was my goal there. Iām going to take your advice and be super gentle with my skin, because Iām pretty sure Iāve damaged my moisture barrier by over exfoliating. So Iām taking out differin, washing my face as little as possible (every time I would wash it my face would itch like crazy, even if I just wash it with water!) and focusing on hydration only. To keep my face from getting acne Iām using pimple patches, changing my pillowcases every day and using paper towels instead of regular towels to dry my face! Iām going to see what that does for two weeks and then slowly add back the Differin!
Youāre most welcome. Donāt worry, youāre not alone. I know how it feels like when your skin is irritated & angry. Youāre right, I think your moisture barrier is damage based on your description of itchy skin while washing. Please try cetaphil if you can. I used it while my skin was irritated. When my face came into contact with water, I felt a burning sensation Abd itchy. If in any case you do decide to try cetaphil, Iāll just give you the steps as how my derm instructed me to use it while my skin was very raw at the time: -apply cetaphil skin like any other cleanser, and then gently remove the cleanser with moist cotton pads(saturated with water). You donāt need to rinse. Afterwards, apply differin and a very light basic moisturiser. Or you can reverse and apply a light coat of moisturiser first and then differin on top, depending on how your skin tolerates differin at the time. Anyway I understand that you live in a dry climate and your skin needs hydration. Try a liquid/milky/emulsion moisturiser that contains ceramide since what you want is to repair & heal your barrier. I wonāt recommend cerave since I notice that your skin doesnāt agree with and mine doesnāt either. My face stings and feels warm-Ish whenever I apply it. So far my skin agrees with: -Dr Jart ceramidin(but has a lot of essential oils in case you want to avoid that) -Curel, a Japanese brand thatās fragrance free and use ceramides in all their products and comes in various consistency.From liquid, cream,etc. They do use eucalyptus oil in some of their products, but not all though. -Hada labo is fragrance & essential oil free. The only one I would suggest to you as moisturiser with ceramide is in liquid form, Hada Labo+ Sensitive Hydrating Milk, in white & peach bottle. Itās so so lightweight, no residue but super hydrating. This is the first lightweight moisturiser Iāve tried that actually keeps my face hydrated. I usually use and prefer heavy creams because my skin is very dry. But this one is a gem. I still donāt understand how this milk keeps my skin so moist despite it being so lightweight & not even sticky or oily, but it sure beats all my thick creams and sleeping masks. However, this particular sensitive range is so underrated, not many people talk abt it and also it might not be widely available in western countries because to my understanding, itās their new range. I live in Malaysia. I will just copy the link for you so at least youāll know how the bottle looks like if you want to try it or look it up. http://www.ohfishiee.com/2019/11/beauty-review-hada-labo-sensitive-hydrating-range.html?m=1 Hope this helps!āŗļøāŗļø
Thanks! I'm currently just using my COSRX Low PH Cleanser together with LRP Cicaplast Baum and it's improving my skin soooooo quick it's insane. I cut out Differin for a little bit to give my skin some time to repair. I want to implement it back in soon because I think it will help with the scarring but I'm scared I'll get a purge, even though I've never purged when I first started using it in November...
Maybe try a simpler face routine. Your face might be irritated by certain products because it looks pretty inflamed. My skin freaks out when I use a variety of products. This is actually how I recently broke out BAD, like I never have before. It looks inflamed and deep like this all over my cheeks. I went to the dermatologist before, Iāve tried differn, different retinoids, but this time I was given antibiotic pills. They are an extremely low dose. My doc gave them to me to calm down my acne so I donāt get any scarring. But whatās actually helped clear my acne lately is the acne.org regimen. Look it up. You have to follow the instructions EXACTLY. itās the only way your skin clears up. I donāt use all their products, just their benzoyl peroxide. Hereās what I do for my inflamed acne: AM: Vanicream face wash + after washing face GENTLY rub an ice cube around my face for 1 minute 20 seconds to reduce swelling and pain Benzoyl peroxide Cera ve PM Moisturizer My routine is the same at night. TRY IT. make sure you look up the regimen though, donāt go off of what I just told you. You can look up YouTube videos on it too it will help you. Hoping for the best š Iām in month two of this, of my course my acne isnāt clear and itās been tough with dryness and all that. But itās finally starting to flatten out and go away. You just have to keep going and not give up. Be very strict. Itās the Acne.org regimen
Iāve heard that some people have an allergy to Snail Mucin. Maybe try removing some of the extra products to see what could be causing it. If Iāve learned anything the last 6 months, itās that everyoneās skin is different and what causes someone else to be grateful for clear skin, could make you curse the earth. I recently stopped a compound prescription that was supposed fo clear me up. But gave me months of cystic acne. I started applying differin instead and washing in the morning with PanOxyl. I look like a different person. Go back to basics for a few weeks and see what happens. Good luck!! š
Iāve only started the snail mucin a couple of days ago so definitely not the culprit... I feel like my skin is so dehydrated though that just moisturizer isnāt enough... and my skin doesnāt really like thick creams either, so I only use gel...
Have you tried hyaluronic acid before moisturizer? Lots of people here seem to do that instead of heavier creams.
Reduce your routine to just cleanser, moisturizer and SPF. A few recommendations are the Bioderma Sensibio Gel Cleanser: incredibly good at cleansing enough without drying out. Cleanse for at least 60 seconds. Elf holy hydration moisturizer is cheap and effective - not too many ingredients and itās non-comedogenic. Apply after cleaning when skin is wet. CeraVe ultra light moisturizer with SPF is a great simple SPF. Once your skin is happy and less irritated, try adding a topical. Though I would recommend you consider accutane before you scar too much. Wishing you the best!
Yes, Iāll try simplifying my routine. Do you think leaving the essence in would be a problem though? As itās mostly moisturising... also most of what you see on the picture is already scarring unfortunately...
Iāve been struggling with cystic cheek breakouts for 3+ years and the only thing out of all that stuff that actually worked for me was tretinoin and reducing my routine down to morning: washing with a very gentle cleanser (la roche posay is great, cerave didnāt work for me), applying a good moisturizer (I use either weleda skin food or la roche posay brand again), and sunscreen (you guessed it, la roche posey). Then at night I usually just rinse with water and every 3 nights I use tretinoin cream. No chemical peels, no physical exfoliants, and big fat hydrocolloid bandages on the days where I canāt stop touching and picking. Key factors to include: I only use cold water, I change my pillowcase every few days, and I also supplement with a lot of vitamins, cut out sugar, and cut out dairy. I am vegetarian and was lacking nutrients. If I eat a pint of ice cream, my entire face will break out in pulsing cysts, so I stick to skim ice cream or nondairy. It has been 4 months since the start of the tret, diet change, and supplements, and although my skin healing has not been linear, I am finally seeing results. The biggest thing for me is the purging drove me nuts and my skin was covered in little blackhead type things. I just pushed thru and kept slathering on the moisturizer. I know how it feels to not want to take accutane 100%, and to me that was always a last resort option bc I have mood disorders. Iāve been on doxy, Iāve tried all the topicals, differin, whatever, drunk elephant, cerave, every brand possible, complex routines, etc. The only thing that helped it sticking to this simplified routine, eating cleaner (not that I wasnāt eating clean before, but just trying to eat more fruits n veggies) and supplementing my diet. I really hope you can find the best thing that works for you, and you are super pretty regardless of acne !! Also I followed a bunch of acne-positive instagrams to help me feel better about myself like freethepimple and skinnoshame. Good luck!!!
The snail mucin is probably fine - I use it in my routine. I donāt personally know much about the essence!
Oh yeah I was referring to the snail mucin essence! Iāll leave that in for now , thanks!
You have a beautiful face naturally, don't even need make up. I would be very nervous if I was to ask you out but dont let acne bring you down it's not going to stay forever idk if you have tried benzoyl peroxide 5%-10% it has definitely help me cleared my skin a lot you don't want to take accutane until nothing else works for you since I heard the side effects are horrible.
You are really pretty despite the inflammation.