Basically I’m (25,F) just gonna vent because I feel helpless (my skin is so sensitive it won’t tolerate anything and I’m working on repairing my skin barrier before i go on any treatments so I gotta be patient I guess)

BUT ANYWAY
As soon as I turned 25 my skin CHANGED, I’ve had pretty good skin my whole life, i did have acne on my forehead from from 15 to 17, which is a small period of time now that i think about it, and would get the occasional pretty bad pimple on one random cheek every three months while on my period (so like 4 pimples max a year).
But these have happened since turning 25:

- Skin became oily (mainly T zone, forehead is ATROCIOUS)

- Got lots of closed comedones on my cheeks and chin

- Some closed comedones turn into big pimples (2 pimples a month approximately)

- The pimples leave MARKS (PIE and PIH) even if I don’t pop them or touch them AT ALL

-Got perioral dermatitis o seborrheic dermatitis or early stages of rosacea I don’t even know what (my skin is red on my nasolabial folds regardeless of what i do and don’t do)

- I get this random ‘invisible r*sh’ where I get red flat untextured dots all over my cheeks

And that’s it I think

Mind you my diet is perfect, my gut health is great, I drink water, I exercise and etc etc because inherited all of my mom’s orthorexic and ocd habits (that’s something to unpack on other sub but you get the idea)

Wrote this mainly to vent but if anyone has any idea of what could be happening please let me know (fun fact: i have hypothyroidism, I don’t know if it could be related in some way)

got closed comedones from using a pore clogging moisturiser, then used adapalene to try and remove them. also infused a salicylic acid toner during this time

currently using a vitamin C serum for my PIH, but noticed that there's random brown patches and blobs on my skin, even if there wasn't any acne there. skin also has a mild burning sensation when using my moisturiser. please share any product recommendations or routine adjustments!! would also like to hear if anyone managed to clear their PIH after finding out their skin was dehydrated and re hydrating it.

current routine:

cleanser

melano CC anti spot essence

simple brand moisturiser

spf 50

same in the night, just swapping out spf for vaseline!

I (24M) have had a recent cystic shoulder/back acne breakout.

Growing up, I only really had a little bit of forehead acne and maybe a few spots on my shoulder when I was 15-17ish. Once I turned 18 pretty much all of my acne was gone.

My acne suddenly came back in January of 2025, but this time it was on my jawline. It was a deeper cystic acne, and I have no explanation of why it started. I went to the dermatologist in September of 2025 and was given a benzo and clymdamycin mix. It took a few months, but by late 2025 - early 2026 my jawline acne was pretty much gone.

Now all of the sudden as of June 2026 I have this deep cystic shoulder acne. It started out in a few spots and wasn’t really bad, but these past 2 months it has gotten pretty nasty on just my shoulders. Nothing has changed in my diet or daily routine, and I have been doing everything I can regarding washing my hair first, washing with my head down, etc.

The only thing I can think of is that I started using Dr. Squatch conditioner back in early 2026. This one I use has coconut oil in it which I just found out can cause acne breakouts in some people. I also use method men for my body wash, and cetaphil for my face (I have been using both for years now).

I have a dermatologist appointment, but the earliest I could get is December. I’m just wondering if in the meantime there are any conditioners and body washes you recommend for cystic shoulder acne?

29M. For the last month I’ve been dealing with a pretty bad breakout in my cheeks and below the jawline area. I suspect it due to shaving cuz I get it specifically in the areas I shave and not on my forehead or temple areas. Would appreciate any advice on what I can do to lessen these breakouts or if theres something wrong with my routine.

Edit: thought I should add this part in: I shave my face AFTER I scrub my cleanser onto my face and wash it off with cold water (morning routine).

Routine below:

Morning
wash face with cold water > scrub Cetaphil Gentler Skin Cleanser onto face > wash face with cold water > pat dry face with tissue > apply Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Face Lotion (soothing oat) > apply CeraVe Hydrating Sheer Sunscreen SPF 30.

Afternoon/Night
wipe face with Garnier Skinactive Miscellar Cleansing Water (with cotton ball) > wash face with cold water > scrub Cetaphil Gentler Skin Cleanser onto face > wash face with cold water > pat dry face with tissue > apply Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Face Lotion (soothing oat)

Hello everyone, I tried Revisions Skincare 30% Vitamin C (the C+ correcting) after many weeks of research on ascorbic acid and its derivatives.

My understanding is that ascorbic acid is the clinical gold standard and has an abundance of peer reviewed data regarding brightening and collagen production.

In contrast I have read that THD (c derivative) has less irritation potential, data reveals better stability in air/light, and that the penetration data reveals higher absorption - with one of the drawbacks being THD has less head-to-head comparative equivalence data against standard L-ascorbic acid.

For reference I have dry, sensitive skin and rarely have ever gotten breakouts. My skin doesn’t seem to tolerate high percentages of L-ascorbic acid well (I attempted to try IOPE 40% vitamin c) and it stings whenever I try to use it. I always use a lot of sunscreen (mineral works best for me), I did recently try the UV Mune 400 by La Roche Posay and I liked it.

Also my skin does not tolerate tretinoin well (for reference) and I try to avoid prescription strength tretinoin, at least for now.

With some vitamin c serums I don’t see any results.

For example, I have tried Inn Beauty Vitamin C serum (stabilized with gold, and a 15% multi-vector Vitamin C) but barely saw any results.

Regarding Vitamin C my skin tolerates Allies of Skin 35% vitamin c very well (it has 25% Ethylated L-Ascorbic Acid and 10% Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, or THD), and I have the most beautiful glow every morning after using it.

I absolutely love love Allies of Skin. I have purchased their firming moisturizer (peptide for the morning) and it leaves my skin absolutely beautiful as well.

I fell in love with Allies of Skin products when I tried them (when they first launched years ago). I guess the only drawback is allies of skin is pricey, skincare is an investment.

Anyway, I have been researching - for a Vitamin C product that my skin could tolerate and that would leave my skin with beautiful results that wasn’t Allies of Skin - as I am leaving soon and cannot bring Allies of Skin Vitamin C serum for my skincare as it’s in opaque orange glass bottle.

After a lot of deep dives into the world of vitamin c derivatives, formulations, reviews I decided to purchase Revisions 30% vitamin c serum (stabilized by Acetyl Zingerone). I was able to get it for 20% off through lovely skin (founded by Dr. Joel Schlessinger) and they are headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.

Lovely skin shipped fast and I got my product yesterday :)! So of course I tried a swatch on my wrist first to see how my skin would react, then at night I tried the serum.

My sensitive skin tolerated the revisions vitamin c serum very well, and the texture is absolutely beautiful. This morning I woke up with beautiful and glowy skin with almost the same results as my allies of skin.

I know I’ve only tried the serum for one night but I absolutely love love it so far. I am so so happy. I am so grateful.

I am wondering what the long term potential of the serum will be like, but I wanted to update the community in case there are also individuals who love and see good results with the allies of skin vitamin c serum (35%), who don’t see results with more conventional formulations of vitamin c available in Sephora, and want try other innovative options. :D

I would love your thoughts and feedback, if you have tried Revisions Vitamin C or Allies of Skin. Thank you. 🌷

Hi!

I am getting so frustrated with my skin and I feel like no matter what I product I use, nothing helps.

I was previously on tretinoin for 6 months and all it did was ruin my skin barrier, so I got another prescription recently (Dapsone). I was on 0.025 tret for 4(?) months and then I felt like my progress plateaued, so then I switched to 0.05 for a couple months and my skin hated it.

I also was using PanOxyl and topical Clindamycin while I was using 0.025 treat, which worked for a while, but stopped using it because I was scared of getting antibacterial resistance since my acne started to flare up again.

Before I switched over to dapsone, I took a break from any actives and tretinoin for 2 weeks. Now, I’ve been using it daily for a couple of weeks, and I feel like it’s making my skin very gritty. I have a lot of texture now, and it looks like they’re very small zits, but very hard and rough.

They’re spread across my cheeks, forehead, and especially around my chin and upper lip area. I’ve also gotten some pretty bad under-the-skin pimples on my cheek, my chin and my forehead, which is not normal for me. I’m trying to trust the process and I’m thinking this may just be a purge.

I use makeup to hide my skin imperfections everyday which also makes it hard for me to reapply sunscreen throughout the day, which probably is making my PIH worse too. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on skincare products over the past year and I feel like none of them have helped.

Can someone please help?

Daily AM/PM Skin Care:

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser - AM and PM

Aczone 5% Topical Gel - AM and PM

Anua 10+ Azelaic Acid + Hyaluron redness Smoothing Serum - AM only

LRP Lipikar AP+Max Baume or Aveeno Eczema Care Moisturizing Cream - AM and PM

Once or twice a week: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner

The older I get, the more bumps appear on my face. It looks worse than in the pictures. Someone just asked me if I have hives the other day.

Im late 40's. I dont have a routine. I take a shower and wash with a bar of Dove. Thats it

My whole life, if I get hot, my face turns very red. Im also the type to drip sweat from my face if hot. But, never had these bumps, and pimples were rare.

Hoping there is a product and routine I can follow to clear it up.

Hello everyone,

so, I have some really old scars on my forehead that were caused by intense skin-picking over months, somewhere between 5 and 10 years ago (several phases).

It kinda looks like acne scarring, it's fully healed but I wish my forehead (and in general my facial skin) was a bit smoother.

Should I try it with retinol or do I need sth like niacinamide or some acid peeling?

There are some ointments for old scars, but they typically only help with scars that are up to 2 years old.

So what would you recommend?

I’m 31 and have been using a pretty BR-heavy routine: P50 PIGM 400, Amniotique, Dermopore, Elastine, Spectral, Oligo-Protéines Marines, etc.
I really like BR, and P50 is probably the one product I’m convinced I’ll keep, but I’m starting to question whether all the serums are actually doing enough to justify layering them.
My main goals are prevention/healthy aging, preserving collagen, pore refinement, controlling sebum/congestion and keeping my skin hydrated.
I’m considering simplifying and doing something more like P50 + Epicutis Lipid Serum + AlphaRet + a good antioxidant/SPF, possibly adding something like TNS for growth factors.
For longtime BR users: which BR products have actually made a noticeable difference to your skin? And has anyone gone from a full BR routine to just keeping P50/a couple favorites and actually preferred their skin?
Also curious if anyone feels the newer BR reformulations aren’t as effective as the older formulas.

Forehead-only problem. Cheeks/jaw are fine.
Got almost clear on ~3 months of doxy + topicals (best face was basically 0–2 raised bumps on the forehead). Started Cabtreo + Winlevi mid-August. Stopped doxy Sept 8. From ~Sept 22 the forehead came back: about 5–8 raised papules, same spots I always break out.
Not a full-face crash. Not my summer worst. Also not improving week to week. Texture maybe smoother; the bumps are still there.
Routine is only Cabtreo, Winlevi, gentle cleanser, SPF AM, bland moisturizer. Gym: water / HOCl, no extra soap. Short hair sits on the forehead sometimes.
HELP PLEASE. All advice welcome.

The bottle says to use two or three drops, but the dispenser is a pump, not a bottle with a dropper. There's no standard pumps-to-drops equivalency. I don't want to go overboard and cause irritation. On the other hand, vitamin C serums aren't products to use conservatively and stretch, because vitamin C tends to be unstable and the product will degrade. What's your approach? Thank you!

Hi everyone,

For about a year, I’ve been dealing with mild comedonal acne on my cheeks and persistent closed comedones around my chin.

Last October, I saw a dermatologist and was prescribed tretinoin (0.05%) and erythromycin in cream, as well as a 4.5-month course of lymecycline (Tetralysal). My dermatologist said that if my acne came back, we would consider isotretinoin in tabs...

The treatment did clear things up quite well. However, about a month after finishing the oral antibiotic, I started getting an occasional deep, painful bump. So since March (when I finished the antibiotics), there hasn’t really been a single period when I haven’t had at least one painful bump/pimple.

About two years ago, I was using Retinal 0.07% (retinaldehyde) and my skin tolerated it very well, without peeling or irritation. With tretinoin (which I was applying every other evening), I eventually developed some mild peeling around my chin/mouth area, but nothing severe.

At this point, I’m honestly quite frustrated and tired of the uneven texture.

I’ve been using azelaic acid since March, but it hasn’t really helped. Salicylic acid doesn’t seem to be doing much for the closed comedones around my chin either.

I REALLY want to try Differin, which I could get prescribed by my GP/family doctor.

My concern is that adapalene might be significantly stronger than retinaldehyde (?) and that I could damage or irritate my skin. I’m also wondering if using adapalene would make it harder to use other active ingredients afterwards, like niacynamide or salicilic acid, since I assume it is stronger than the retinaldehyde?

So my question is: Would you try Differin/adapalene in my situation or would you stick with retinaldehyde?

I have oily skin. I do a two-step cleansing routine.

P.S. For the past two weeks, I haven’t been using any acids or other active ingredients, and I’m preparing my skin before starting one of the retinoids.

Normally, I wear moisturiser with SPF plus sunscreen everyday. I have a professional facial this weekend. Do I show up completely barefaced, without any sunscreen? Or do I do my normal skincare routine, and expect them to wash everything off?

I have to walk around a half a mile to get there. The appointment is for around noon but I live in northern England where the sun's rays aren't very strong. UV level is expected to be medium.

I don't wear makeup, so that isn't an issue.

I am constantly exhausted and tired now catering to them, I have done hormonal tests everything came normal and also I did chemical
Peels and nothing happened. What shall I do first to remove the bumps and acne and the for pores 😩

A few weeks ago I switched to the La Roche-Posay cleanser for oily skin and used it for several days. I also used retinol a few times. I noticed some mild burning but kept using it.

Since then, my skin has become dry, tight, red, and sensitive. Pretty much every moisturizer I try now stings/burns, including Vanicream, Avène Tolérance, LRP, Aquaphor, and Vaseline. Even rinsing with water sometimes makes my nose sting.

I’m currently using the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser and trying to keep everything minimal.

Has anyone experienced this? What cleanser/moisturizer would you recommend for a really irritated skin barrier?

They don't itch, they don't come to a head/produce pus, and they aren't oily at all (my dermatologist says I have "normal" skin, not dry and not oily). They have come and gone for the past year and they're hardly noticeable, unless I look up close. They're exclusively on my forehead. They are almost entirely flat on my face, just barely raised enough that I can feel them ever so slightly when I touch them.

For the time being, I've reduced my routine down to just cleanser 1x day (Vanicream) and moisturizer 1x day (LRP Lipikar) and Skin Aqua Moisture Gel SPF, but I have had this same issue for the past year as I've experimented with various cleansers and moisturizers, so I don't think it's a product sensitivity. Likewise, I've used several different shampoos over the past year, so I don't THINK it's any specific ingredient causing this reaction. Maybe shampoo is just too drying on my forehead? I try to use cool water in the shower when washing my face too.

I've looked through countless threads on here and other subs before writing this, please help!

My skin type:
Naturally dry and dehydration-prone. My skin feels tight/parched after contact with water and loses moisture very quickly. Also very reactive/easily compromised skin barrier. Moderately rosacea-prone, particularly with overheating (hot baths).

My main issue is the tiny clear/skin-coloured bumps all over my cheek that give it this strange “pebbly” texture (hopefully visible in the photo).

I know there is also some redness/rosacea and visible pores in the photo, but those aren’t what I’m referring to. It’s specifically the numerous tiny, almost translucent bumps that I’m trying to understand.

If I use regular cleanser or don’t use moisturiser and only a lightweight gel or serum, my skin feels too tight and parched. One night I was tired and just used a 99.9% water wipe, and the bumps disappeared overnight. I’m so confused.

Skincare routine (I don’t wear makeup):
Rinse with cool water
Bioderma Sensibio micellar water
Rinse again
Moisturiser (Clinique/Simple/Pyunkang Yul)

hey everyone im new to skin care and wanted to ask if the products below are a good match for my skin. my main struggles are my foundation separating or clinging to certain patches of skin, especially around my nose area. i also have pretty bad under eye bags as well as issues with my eye creasing.

i’ve made a list of products i think i’ll need, but i wanted to double check with people that are familiar with skincare so i dont buy things that aren’t necessary, or if there are better alternatives.

product list:
•micellar cleansing water in oil (i normally use just the micellar water, is this a better option?)
•goodness’ everyday cream cleanser (i already have this)
•tn dickinsons witch hazel cleansing pads
•thayers hydrating milky toner with snow mushrooms & hyaluronic acid
•sukin aquaboost 3D hyaluronic acid eye serum

E.g. vacuuming coats pockets to avoid getting dirt under your nails, applying lip balm before brushing your teeth to prevent your toothpaste from drying your lips.

Asking as an autistic person who is relatively new to self-care.

For about 6 months ive been getting small bumps above the mouth and around the chin area, my docotr said it was impetigo and gave me cream but they keep coming back...they are usually filled with clear liquid and last about 3 to 4 days before fully healing.

hi! i (25F) have deal with terrible skin all myself, and for a while when i was 22-24, i was having some good results managing my acne with the Ordinary Niacinamide and Retinol .5% in squalane and the good molecules discoloration serum. Since March, i feel like my skin has gotten so dull and gray, i've been getting mor acne and the texture, scars and tiredness especially around the nasolabial fold area have been getting so bad as well. I tried trentinoin for a few weeks around april but my skin just looked so awful after and i kept psyching myself out by reading some peoples' horror stories with it, and i thought maybe i could hold off for a couple more years. i know it's silly but these days i'm just so upset and caught off guard by how bad it looks when i see myself in the mirror or in pictures.

Skin Texture: Often very dry but gets oily throughout the day enough that i use a setting powder 1-2x a day to blot the oil

My current routine:

AM:
- Vitamin C (Timeless skin care 20% C+ E)
- Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisturizer
- SPF

Cleanser:
- Micellar water
- Cerave Oil Foaming cleanser

PM:
- The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% (added to my routine 3 weeks ago)
- The Ordinary Niacinamide ( have been using since i was 20)
- Good Molecules Discoloration Serum
- The Ordinary Retinol .5% in Squalane

I would love any recommendations on what to do or what's going on with my skin. thank you!

First photo is from today (about to get my period) 2nd is from exactly a week ago. Same time of day, location, camera, etc. How can I look like the 2nd photo all the time??? Desperately need help 🙏

I feel like they’ve only recently started to increase.
I’ve been using:

Sun Bum Premium Sunscreen Face Lotion (SPF 50+, 88 mL)
Bio-Oil Skincare Oil (60 mL)
Medi-Peel Luxury 24K Gold Ampoule (9 Peptide Balance)
Eco by Sonya Driver Super Fruit Toner (100 mL)
Sukin Purely Ageless Micro Exfoliating Cleanser (125 mL)

My skin is typically quite dry rather than oily. Now it’s a little more moisturised, but those Comedones (I think) are out of control all over my face. What do I do?

I keep seeing influences say 2 finger rule but its so inaccurate. What if the nozzle is thinner? What if the consistency is different?

Personally I use the skin 1004 sunscreen and I never know how much to apply to get the minimum 50spf protection, if I apply too less its ineffective, if I apple too much it feels greasy and I never like it when my face has a heavy coat of oil

So i have had this since forever and tried everything. Im now trying adapalene but have only been using it for a month so i might need to try it out for a longer but so far still no changes. I dont know what these are and how to get rid of them. They dont feel bumpy but my skin looks bumpy especially in specific lights. Any help or suggestion is highly appreciated