This summer I developed severe acne (a mix of cystic acne and surface-level whiteheads), which soon developed into very severe PIE due to having practically no knowledge of proper skincare. My skin isn't perfect and I still have a few frustrating active acne spots, but I'm really happy with the progress I've made considering I haven't had access to a dermatologist and have only been able to conduct amateur research and use over-the-counter-products. The whole experience has made me better appreciate what I have and more accepting of my body's human imperfections. Even if my skin remains what media/society considers "flawed," I can still look in the mirror and feel good about myself. My heart goes out to anyone struggling with mental and/or physical discomfort because of their skin.

I've tried a handful of things, but the routine I started in January seems to be giving me the best progress:

AM: Aveeno Calm + Restore Redness Relief Foaming Cleaner, The Ordinary 10% Azelaic Acid cream, a small amount of Naturium Multi-Peptide moisturizer, La Roche-Posay Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV

PM: Aveeno Calm + Restore, Azelaic Acid, medium amount of Naturium moisturizer.

I also use salicylic acid acne patches and/or Differin 10% benzoyl peroxide to spot treat active patches. I only use the BP at most once a day because it dries out my skin, and I'd only softly recommend 10% concentrations. It has reduced active patches, but I'm skeptical about how well the reduction makes up for the dryness at this point in my recovery. It was definitely helpful when I still had active acne all over my face though. Also, I found that lower concentrations dried out my skin less, but caused less acne reduction.

The product I'd recommend the most is the La Roche-Posay sunscreen, as I saw the most dramatic improvements after I started using it. Admittedly I wasn't using any UV for a while because I was undereducated on its importance and I had previous experiences with CeraVe sunscreen worsening breakouts. I'm sure some of my progress simply came from using *some* kind of sunscreen, lol. Still, I feel positively toward this specific product because it hasn't clogged my pores and worsened acne at all. It also contains niacinamide, which is useful for PIE.

Best wishes!! Much thanks to this sub for providing useful info!!

I opened my moisturizer box and found that it contained 11 small samples (?) instead of the whole bottle I was expecting. Is this how the product is supposed to come or did something wrong happen to this one?

So this morning I had a really nasty pus filled pimple on my forehead, so I put on a pimple patch. I waited for 7 hours before taking it off, and when I did, it ripped the pimple off. The pimple patch didn't get rid of any pus, instead it left a hole on my forehead (with a bit of blood) am I doing something wrong here? If so what should I do in the future to get it rid of pimples. I put on another pimple patch for the meantime, hopefully the hole disappears.

I'm used to having black heads on my chest, but now more pimples are coming in. How should I get rid of the blackheads and pimples? Salicylic acid? Should I start moisturizing the area or would that just clog the pores?

So I started using adapalane on January 2025 and stopped using it early March 2025 after it gave me two huge cysts that eventually turned into this dark mass on my cheek (pictured above) that will not go away no matter what. Whenever I touch it, it feels like theres something underneath it, which makes me think it's not a regular acne scar or dark spot cuz those are usually flat on the face. I do have a dermatologist appt. in late may but this has been eating me up inside for months now and I just want to know if theres anything that can help.

Here's my current routine (for reference I have oily, acne prone skin):

AM: - Wash face with water (or when its too oily i use the unscented baptism dieux face wash) - Skin1004 Hyalu-Cica sunscreen (the blue one)

PM: - La Roche Posay Toleriane purifying foaming cleanser for oily skin - La Roche Posay Double repair moisturizer

Any help/advice would be appreciated!

Hello! I am a 36F and I feel like I am a boy going through puberty with all these breakouts! About 2 weeks out of a month I get these red zits and they get very dry around my chin and jaw line. To make matters worse, I started using a CPAP nose pillow and my nose looks horrible! I have semi sensitive and combo skin. Currently using BYOMA milky cleanser (AM & PM), toner (AM & PM), moisturizer (AM & PM, cetaphyl) and sunscreen (PM) all BYOMA except the moisturizer. I also use Tretinoin about 2-3x per week.

Can anyone help me identify what is going on or help me switch up my skin routine so I can actually feel pretty again without loads of makeup?!

I’ve had Fraxel 17 days ago and somehow a thick crust has formed on my forehead. If parts of the crust fall off, the skin starts to bleed. I’ve never seen anyone experience a reaction like this, normally people on pictures are always fine after 4 to 7 days. Will I be left with scarring because of the crust ? My derm ist useless she just says I need to moisturize (which I already do)

I have a lot of dark spots on my face and it's honestly getting irritating. I've tried vitamin c serum and that doesn't do anything. Do I just wait it out? Also, how can I get rid of these small pimples under the skin of my chin? They don't seem to go away no matter what. Right now my routine is 10% benzoyl peroxide 1-2 times a day with some moisturizer.

I just can’t seem to find a mineral SPF I’m happy putting on every day, but I do want to stick with mineral. Most I’ve found at sticky to rub in and don’t dry down completely for hours leaving my skin feeling sticky/slick and heavy.

Any thoughts?

Oily skin type as well

I use tretinoin and have found that although Timeless Vit C 10% obliterates any hyperpigmentation overnight, it's too irritating- I suspect due to the low PH. I've found some alternatives that don't use L-ascorbic acid and thus don't require a low ph, but many of them (Sunday Riley CEO serum, Olay C serum ) contain glycolic, lactic, or salycilic acid which my skin can't tolerate while on tretinoin. Any recommendations for an effective yet non irritating, non L-ascorbic acid C serum?

I don't know if it's normal for this much hair to grow there, but it's killing my self confidence every time I look at the mirror.

Are the yellowish spots beneath the hairs sebaceous glands and if sow how do I deal with them.

Things I have tried: -Some Garnier product for blackheads with Charcoal and Salicylic acid (for about 3 months, saw no results and gave up) -Adaferin 0.1% - used it for about 3 months now with no visible results yet.

Hey so I do have hormonal issues/had no puberty then took E for a bit... which means its possible I'm dealing with something related to that in my 20s, no period even after being on E.

Now I do workout alot but I also usually wear long sleeved shirts that go down to my wrist... I have for most of the past few months and do so even in the warmer months cause I love button up shirts.

Recently I noticed that my arms and body(which never gets any sun) is kinda tan? olive toned? My mom is alot more olive and darker than I am... is it possible that I swithed from freckling to tanning? Should I be concerned about jaundice? My face is full of freckles but those seem to be fading.

My hands look nice lol just i'm confused... and my legs are purple almost. Ik there shouldnt be a correlation but maybe there is one with blood circulation? I rarely ever workout my legs (i need to do it more) however I do workout my upper body alot which does seem to be more olive...(likely BS af but possibly working out increases my T levels(or a hormonal issue increases it) causing my skin to get a bit darker?)

I usually wear jeans and sweatpants which likely blocks out even more sun

Hi, I hate to sound so pessimistic but I’m genuinely so exhausted. Every time I think I figure out where I went wrong or what’s causing breakouts, it just happens again. A brief breakdown of my timeline:

I started with Cerave products. I had tried the foaming face wash, and the hydrating bar. My face always had breakouts. I was on tretinoin, which I feel made it worse. To the point I resorted to this subreddit and read about the fatty alcohols. I decided to switch from Cerave to Cetaphils gentle cleanser. My skin got a lot better, but eventually I was getting a significant amount of closed comedones/texture issues. I switched to vanicream cleanser, thinking maybe it was the niacinamide in the Cetaphil? Idk. I used vanicream for two days. And this morning I woke up with a (slightly painful) blind pimple on my chin and by my nose. So the closed comedones are getting better, but now this. Worth mentioning I’m on birth control and have been for 5 years. Slynd, If that matters. I also use Mario badescu’s glycolic toner twice daily, and my moisturizer is the Ordinary gel one. I’m so frustrated thinking I made headway and I didn’t. My skin never looks perfect, or even close to it. What am I doing wrong?

VT Reedle shot users, how are you applying it?

I have been using tret since years and my skin is pretty adapted to regular chemical exfoliation.
I just bought the VT reedle shot 300, and used it for the first time tonight.

I know there is a lot of speculation about this product, but I just want to hear from those who have been using it regularly. Do you guys take any precautions? I wear contacts so I am kinda concerned about whether the spicules also stay on your fingers inspite of properly washing your hands after? What is your process of application and use?

Been using it for a few months now, it did wonders for my dark spots in the beginning, but I don’t feel any improvement anymore on my skin anymore (I do still have some acne marks and blackheads). Is it worth it to continue using it?

Hi all,

I am a 24y/o male, 2 years ago I was completely acne free but over the years I’ve just been developing more and more acne and I’m not sure why?

I change my pillowcase once a week. Diet is maybe 60% whole foods, fruits etc., definitely not much deep-fried/oily things though. I do eat peanut butter though, could it be that?

Exercise 6 times a week, drink 2-3L of water a day

La Roche sunscreen, neutrogena hydro gel moisturiser in the morning

Use cerave cleanser (not the acne one though) and Benzac at night after gym, and yet my acne just keeps getting worse??

They have mostly been appearing on my forehead (my hair is usually kept out of the way most of the time), though there are occasional single ones on my nose, under my nose, cheek, and chin.

Any tips/advice would be heavily appreciated, thank you so much!!

I’ve recently have been breaking out around my jawline and cheek. I’m not sure what’s causing it. My forehead has been getting oily even though my skin is mostly dry. I suspect the moisturizer I’m using is causing my breakouts. I did book a dermatology appointment but that won’t happen till August :/ My skin is sensitive to niacinamide which is in everything! I have sensitive, dry, acne-prone skin. I’ve listed the products I’m currently using and have used.

AM - Vanicream gentle facial cleanser - Green Envee; PURIFY BOTANIC CLEANSING OIL - Cetaphil Mosturizing Lotion/Cream PM - Vanicream gentle facial cleanser - Green Envee; PURIFY BOTANIC CLEANSING OIL - Cetaphil Mosturizing Lotion/Cream - Peach Slices Pimple Patches Products Previously Used - CeraVe SA Cleanser; clogged pores and left skin bumpy - LRP Hydrating Cleanser; burned my face - LRP Toleriane Dermo Cleanser and Makeup Remover; felt nice on the skin but didn’t clean it. Left a filmy layer which caused clogged pores. - PanOxyl; burning sensation and red bumps - LRP Cicaplast Balm B5 Cream; Hard to spread and just sat on my face - Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance - Face Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid; caused breakouts

combination skin

current routine am: cerave renewing sa cleanser the ordinary 10% niacinamide + 1% zinc good molecules brightening serum cerave daily moisturizer

pm: panoxyl 4% creamy wash the ordinary 10% niacinamide + 1% zinc good molecules brightening serum cerave daily moisturizer

I used to use an Old Spice 3-in-1 body wash. I would always notice red spots on my body after using it but I don't remember when I connected the dots. At some point a problem started up in my armpits that the dermatologist I saw said was likely HS. It seems to resurface every once in a while.

That situation freaked me out and made me pay more attention to what I'm putting on my skin, and I stopped using Old Spice.

Since then I had been using Aveeno daily moisturizing body wash (lightly scented), but the ingredients have changed, and the new one isn't as nice to use. I also noticed the different polymers that were listed in both the old and the new formulas.

So I'm looking for a healthy body wash with few ingredients, that won't hurt sensitive skin, and doesn't contain any cross-polymers or copolymers or polyquaterniums, etc. I'm not completely anti-plastic, this stuff is going to be a plastic bottle after all, but I'd like to avoid washing my body with soap that's made of microplastics.

If that isn't feasible then any good replacement for the old Aveeno formula would be the next best option. Thanks for any help!

Help! So back story, I (F 32)rarely had breakouts growing up. Then I started lifting after two babies and had the worst cystic acne. It got sorted out after adding a salicylic acid after working out and washing my face. Well I had my third baby two years ago and started lifting again consistently about two months ago. My face is awful. I keep breaking out with tiny pimples on my chin and jaw, and had one cystic on my chin and one right between my eyebrows. The salicylic acid isn’t doing anything anymore it seems. I wash right after I workout to make sure it’s not that. I know my DHEA-sulfate is high, but no PCOS since I don’t have any other symptoms. I use cetaphil salicylic acid face wash, followed up by bha by the ordinary now, and then a lightweight cream moisturizer. At night I use a heavier moisturizer.

I loved the Ilia Skin Tint for its dewy everyday coverage, but I had to stop using it when I realized Niacinamide breaks me out. I switched to the Tower 28 Tinted Sunscreen, but it’s less liquidy than the Ilia and accentuates the dry areas on my face. Does anyone know of a product with similar consistency but without the Niacinamide?

My husband really likes it and doesn’t like any of their other variations (sensitive, max hydration etc). He likes the Replenishing Balm in part because it contains alcohol. Not saying this is good for the skin but that’s what he likes.

Anyway, it’s becoming extremely difficult to find (seems like the sensitive version has taken over), so I’m looking for a dupe for him.

I'm male 34. I got this burn scar about three months ago. I was sitting really close to the heater, completely absorbed in my laptop and didn’t even realize I was getting burned. I only shifted when I started feeling some tingling and itching. Later that day, a blister formed, but I didn’t really do much about it. Now it’s turned into what you’re seeing in the photo—and honestly, it looks like it’s here to stay.

This is what my skin currently looks like. I’m looking for products that will help get rid of the little bumps and whiteheads on my face. I’m also looking for something that’s brightening and helps get rid of discoloration. Are there any products I should add or take away from my routine to help with this? My skin is dry and sensitive!

My current routine: Miceller Water to remove makeup La roche posay Toleriane Hydrating Cleaner Cera Ve Moisturizer and Innisfree sunscreen during the day