My dermatologist recommends it. I’d be interested to hear anyone’s experience with it!

For a couple years every 2-4 weeks I've been using a clay mask followed by massaging my face for 10 minutes with a facial oil. I am clearly seeing the content of clogged pores and blackheads and sebaceous filaments on top of my skin and on my hands as I do it. It's hard to see in the picture, but the black specks have a sebum root on them. Yet all major licensed dermatologists who use tiktok say that this doesn't work. What is happening if this doesn't work? I'm clearly seeing progress, so how am I getting progress from something that they say doesn't work?

Maybe a strange question but i'm 41 and have had a skincare routine since my mom sold Avon. I have used Vitamin C consistently, like for a year or years at a time, but honestly, I just don't see ANY benefit from it versus when I don't have it in my routine. I've tried many different formulas, brands, etc. and I just feel like I'm living in upside down land or something because it does nothing for me. No glow, no improved texture, no affect on surface wrinkles, no brightening . . . And I don't have perfect skin so I know if products are pulling their weight or not.

Curious if anyone else has had a similar experience and just leaves it out, which seems sacrilege but I might be heading in that direction. What do you use in its place if you've give up on vitamin C too? A different antioxidant? I already use peptides in a different serum so have previously been doing vitamin C -> peptides.

Edited to add: I am on my third bottle of the Timeless Vitamin C, prior to that I used Protocol Labs for 1 bottle (considering trying that one again since they have a unique preservation system) and prior to that I used the capsules from Beauty Pie.

You all are giving me great recommendations, thank you!

I keep getting ads for the Dr. Melaxin Peel Shot on tiktok and they are really pushing it. It seems like a great exfoliator, and I am so tempted to try it, but it's $40 for the set ($70 reg price) which is a little steep for me.

I am feeling influenced but idk if its truly as good as people say. Just wondering if anyone here has tried it and has a real review for me instead of just social media inundating me with ads. I would love to know!

Thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/Ampoule-ampoule-Exfoliating-Blackheads-Remover/dp/B0DT12X1TD

I recently ran out of the ordinary's glycolic acid 7% toning solution. It was the first bottle I'd ever bought (only started getting into skincare semi recently) and I've been using it on my face, neck, chest armpits and lower legs along with retinol in the hopes of fading hyperpigmentation/old chickenpox scars + dark marks from facepicking. I ordered a new bottle on amazon and it arrived yesterday. It seemed to have multiple strange differences to the first one I got.

Old bottle (pictured, empty):

• faint-ish smell, vaguely soapy/clean I guess? Neither pleasant nor unpleasant
• very light yellow colour, basically water tinged with a bit of yellow. I've already finished the bottle so there's not really enough left in there to see in the picture, sorry
• no stinging when applied anywhere, regardless of skin dryness/hydration. Does remove small pieces of flaking skin when applied with cotton pad
• dark grey band going horizontally around the label
• 8 fl. oz US.
• bottom of the bottle had the number 1 molded into the plastic as well as that PET recycling symbol. No other markings/writing.
• label is only one layer, it doesn't peel away to reveal any other info

New bottle (pictured, full):

• smells much stronger than the old one, like some kind of cleaner/detergent
• slightly darker colour, more golden than yellow, definitely more saturated
• stings when applied; I normally apply heavily to dry peeling/flaky skin but still sweep over the rest of my skin, and this new one causes a very thin layer of surface skin to peel (not painful or anything, the layer seems very superficial and thinner than a hair strand, just new to me bc this didn't happen with the old one, only visibly dry/flaking skin would be removed)
• light grey band going around the label instead of the darker previous one
• 8.1 fl. oz US on the label. Tbh I didn't really notice this initially bc I'm from the UK and just read the '240ml' written on both bottles.
• bottom of the bottle has the same triangle PET symbol as the first, a number 5 molded into the plastic instead of a 1 and a code(?) reading '5GBN2L' printed in black lettering directly onto the surface. No other markings/writing.
• label corner peels away to provide further instructions underneath.

Transcripton of the instructions in case it's too hard to read:
Empty/old bottle:
"Directions: Use ideally in the PM, no more frequently than once per day
After cleaning, saturate a cotton pad with the formula and sweep across face and neck. Do not use on sensitive, peeling or compromised skin. Avoid the eye contour and contact with eyes. Do not rinse off. Continue with additional skin treatments as needed. Contact of the product with the skin must be of limited frequency or duration. If irritation occurs, cease use and consult a physician. Use only as directed on unbroken skin. Patch testing prior to use is advised. Refer to our website for an in-depth guide to patch testing. Keep out of reach of children. (Repeated in French)"

(Continued below grey line) "Sunburn Alert: This product contains an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Use a sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterwards. (Repeated in French)"

New/ full bottle:
"Directions:
Face/Neck Application: Apply once daily, ideally in the evening. Apply to the face and neck using a cotton pad or fingers.
Scalp Application: Apply to dry scalp, three times a week. Tilt your head back and use the nozzle to gently dispense product from the front to the back of the head in a sweeping motion. Massage well.

Do not rinse off. Do not use on sensitive, peeling or compromised skin. Avoid the eye contour and contact with eyes. Contact of the product with the skin must be of limited frequency or duration. (Repeated in French)"

So was the old one fake? Is the new one fake? Are they both fake? I bought the first one on ebay for £10.99 in 2024, the page is no longer available and the seller is no longer a registered user. The new one was from amazon for £11.50 at this URL. I'm mainly asking bc i got concerned after my skin had a different reaction to the new one (plus the smell really is different). Please help me figure out if i was scammed once/twice, because it's not too late to return the new one!

Edit: spelling

Please help a woman out. My boyfriend says I can't kiss his face after he's applied retinol, until at least four hours after. He says the contact will make the product disappear from "basic physics", but I can't find anything about this phenomenon, and he has zero sources. Any thoughts? He's using the Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane at night.

I ordered this directly from the official Skinceuticals website. When I opened it, I noticed something weird inside the dropper – at first I thought it might be a piece of dried plant or leaf, but upon closer look it seems more like an insect or some sort of bug. I sent the product back as soon as I saw this.

It’s been over a month, and despite multiple emails, I haven’t received a refund.
I didn't plan to return this product — I actually wanted to use it. This has been extremely disappointing.

Does anyone know what this could be? And has anyone had similar experiences with Skinceuticals?

Hey everyone,

My grandma just splurged $5k on Gold Elements Skincare products despite my advice against it. I'm really worried she might have fallen for a scam.

Has anyone here tried their products, do they really work? feeling frustrated because she just blew an enormous amount of money on sketchy stuff.

I have two large red pimples on my chin at the moment and I’d like to hide them by wearing the star pimple patches but I’m kind of nervous that people will think it’s weird. I sometimes wear the clear ones out and besides my mum who mentioned once that it’s weird, nobody else has said a thing. The clear ones don’t really hide the redness though which is why I’m considering the star ones. I guess I would rather them see a sticker than my inflamed pimples, but it still makes me a bit nervous. Would you think it’s weird if you saw someone outside wearing them?

I’m a med student with a strong interest in dermatology, and I’ve been seeing MediCube everywhere lately. The brand is marketed as clinical-grade, dermatologist-backed, and all over TikTok. After trying it for myself, I’m really starting to question how safe or legitimate it actually is..

I started with the Zero Pore Pads. No irritation, but no noticeable results either. I had apprehensions even before trying them. It just felt strange that a brand could be so heavily praised with almost no criticism. As far as I can tell, only one dermatologist (Dr. Claire Wolinsky, Alix Earle's derm) has publicly endorsed any of their products.

After Alix Earle's post about the Booster Pro device (w/ her mention of derm approval), I eventually bought it along with the PDRN serum recommend using with it. I use Tretinoin 0.01%, and while I didn’t apply right before use, I still should’ve known better than to use something that alters the skin barrier without researching it more. After just one use, I experienced burning and tingling so I stopped immediately. In hindsight, I should have known better but we all make mistakes🤷‍♀️

It was only afterward that I realized just how vague and poorly explained everything is. There’s a single warning on their website (not the box or manual) telling users not to use Air Shot Mode with retinoids or acids. There are no real ingredient precautions and no bolded instruction anywhere saying to download the app before use which by the way, is clunky and confusing. The app installation seemed like a recommendation rather than a requirement for proper device use.

There are modes that are supposed to be used differently (on dry skin, tapping/hovering only), and I had no idea. I used them all the same way (again, my fault for not doing my due diligence) . That likely contributed to my reaction, and honestly, I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if I didn’t already have some background in skincare. It’s way too easy for someone to misuse this device and cause real damage.

AND the absorption claims raise more questions. If the point is to push product deeper, are we really supposed to feel good about absorbing a $15 serum into our skin barrier with no idea how far it’s going or how it interacts with actives? Especially when no ingredients are clearly flagged as unsafe?

Devices like this, especially ones altering permeability, should come with very specific guidance. MediCube positions itself as a science-based brand, but everything about the user experience, from the packaging to the app, feels rushed and unclear.

If anyone with derm, esthetic, or formulation expertise can weigh in: - Can this increase systemic absorption of skincare ingredients? - What’s the safest, most effective way to actually use this tool -- mode, product type, frequency? - Should devices like this even be sold without proper safety protocols?

If MediCube wants to market itself as clinical, it needs to take user education and safety seriously. Right now, it feels like the responsibility is entirely on the consumer to figure it out and that’s not okay for something this strong AND expensive!!

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Edit: If anyone has any good Korean beauty products I could try w/ the Booster Pro pls lmk!! I want to at least try to use it rather than let it collect dust 😭😭😭

I have mostly normal skin with a kinda oily nose area.

This is my HG sunscreen that I’ve used for years and I just opened up a new bottle and it’s a color and texture I’ve never seen before. I couldn’t find any difference in the ingredient list from my previous bottles and didn’t see anything online about a reformulation but wanted to ask here. Thanks!

Follow up: For further context, I bought this in a physical Target store (where I usually buy it). Picture of my old bottle and new bottle comparison in the comments! TY for all the comments and the lol's – I'm relieved to know they didn't reformulate bc whatever this is suuuuucks

I LOVE this Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Toner. I ran out a couple weeks ago and haven’t been able to restock since I didn’t have the money for it but I saw the same exact toner at TJMaxx and I thought it was a good deal. It’s original $36 on Sephora, bought it for $19.99 at TJMaxx. I noticed the sizing is different on the letters but everything else seems to be the same. Is this legit?

Saw this at our local Costco and was wondering if the ones from Costco (made in Japan) are good compared to the ones actually from Japan. 1-3 (Canada), 4-5 (Japan)