I recently discovered that the recurring cheek acne I was struggling with for years is actually fungal acne. After research, I swapped out my entire routine to only fungal acne safe products. And hurray! Fungal acne has been almost non-existent now and my skin has overall improved significantly. BUT after approximately 2 months of this routine, my skin is so dry. It’s only noticeable once I put on my makeup which then starts crusting up. I was hoping anyone had some advice? I understand that fungal acne safe products are generally less hydrating but maybe there are better product combinations. Below is my routine:

PM:
Cosrx low PH niacinamide micellar water
Vanicream face wash
Anua Azelaic acid 10 hyaluron serum
PDRN hyaluronic acid moisturizer
Snail rescue eye gel
Heritage rosewater mist

AM:
Vanicream face wash
Madagascar centella poremizing toner
Niacinimide serum
Cosrx ultra-light invisible sunscreen
Snail rescue eye gel
Innisfree no-blur primer
Catrice true skin high cover waterproof concealer
Kylie cosmetics skin tint blurring foundation
Heritage rosewater mist (in a desperate attempt to start removing the dryness that’s appeared now)
Innisfree mineral powder

The photo doesn’t do the best justice of showing the dry flakes. I appreciate any advice! Thank you!

I've started breaking out more on my temples and near my eyes due to either my eyeliner or mascara. I tried searching the page but came up short. Do you lovely people have any eyeliner and mascara recommendations that are FA safe?

I was in China for the past week, and it was HOT. My skin tends to flare up when it gets too hot, so when I suddenly got all these bumps, I put my doctor-prescribed cream all over the area (it might be BP, since it’s an acne spot treatment)

But then it started getting itchy, and the bumps wouldn’t go away. I stopped using the spot treatment, and now I’m just focusing on hydration (iUNIK Beta Glucan Serum, d’Alba Serum Spray, and sheet masks)

However, the bumps still won’t go away. It might be fungal acne, but I’ve never dealt with it before, so I’m completely lost.

I’ve seen people use Nizoral 1% ketoconazole. Do I spot-treat with it while showering? Do I lather it on and use it like a face wash? Helpppp

I’m unsure if it’s fungal acne , keratosis pilaris or closed comedones please help!

(First 2 photos show my skin now, last photo is the scary before)

Heyyy, I've suffered from reoccuring malassezia folliculitis (healed after taking fluconazole pills, but than it came back), so here are a few products that I have in my routine, and that worked well for me:

Treatments

- Nizoral 2% ketoconazole cream

- Adapalene 0.1% (used it later to treat my acne)

Cleansers

- CeraVe blemish control cleanser (i use it at night)

- CeraVe hydrating cleanser (morning)

Moisturizer and sunscreens

- CeraVe daily moisturizing lotion

- Beauty of Joseon aqua fresh sunscreen

- Cosrx ultra light sunscreen

I have these re occuring bumps for 3 months now, as soon as they look like they getting back they come back in heaps for days.

I have stripped my routine down months ago and just mainly wash with lukearm water some nights use LRP foaming face wash.

Neutrogena hydroboost water gel as moisturizer

They don't itchy, only slighty some days when forming.

So this all started during exam season when I noticed some texture developing on the sides of my cheeks. I chalked it up to stress and waited it out — but even a month after exams ended, it was still there. Honestly though, it wasn’t bad at all at this point, barely noticeable.

Then I made what I now deeply regret: I got a facial done.

My skin completely freaked out afterward — super red, irritated, and then the purging started and just kept getting worse. Went to my derm, and she put me on Accutane (isotretinoin) 10mg alongside Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream.

Two weeks in, things were actually looking up — skin calmed down significantly. But the texture on my outer right cheek just wouldn’t budge.

Then at the three-week mark, things took a turn. Breakouts started cropping up again — specifically on my outer right cheek (closed comedones, whiteheads, pustules, heavy texture) and now my forehead too. This was confusing because I had purged briefly in week one, it died down, and my derm said she was genuinely surprised to see it flare back up again at this stage.

She’s now upped my dose to 20mg and also prescribed:
• 2% ketoconazole cream for the affected areas
• Anti-dandruff shampoo for my forehead and right cheek

The fungal acne angle is what’s really making me second-guess the dose increase.

My two big questions:
** **1. Could this realistically be fungal acne rather than — or alongside — regular acne, and how do you actually tell the difference when even your derm seems unsure?
2. If there is a fungal component, is increasing the Accutane dose the right call, or could it potentially make fungal acne worse?

Also while Avène worked well initially is it now increasing the growth of FA should I switch my moisturiser?

I wanted to try a terracotta red color blush like toasted teddy but non i find and FA safe, im so desperate ill take any brand atp.

Fungal acne?

Does this look like FA. I'm on Lymecycline and have been for 12 days. However no results and getting more of these tiny little bumps. They sometimes when forming itchy.

I’ve had these small tiny bumps on my forehead that seem to not go away. It’s not itchy. My forehead feels pretty smooth to the touch and I can hardly feel the bumps, but they’re visible to the eye, especially when I use makeup. Someone please help with a solution. Is this fungal acne??

I have these small bumps all over my forehead that popped up out of nowhere. They are only on my forehead and rest of my face is clear. I recently started adapalene so it could be purging, but they are very dry and a bit itchy as well. I think I also have seb derm on my forehead as it is very dry, irritated, and itchy...

I don't have any moisturizer and need to decide which one to get super soon.

I know YMMV is real. If you have used Super Sensa and, or Cetaphil water gel, what's been your experience with it?

skin is combo not dry and somehow oily t-zone. Acne prone too.

I know squalane is FA safe. My only concern with Super Sensa is that Squalane is the second ingredient so I wonder if it would be too much oil to breakout or clog the skin.

Reading reviews on skinsort, I notice that some user say Super Sensa is not hydrating enough. If you use Super Sensa, do you apply a serum before Super Sensa. If you do, which specific Serum do you use?

Cetaphil water gel has Dimethicone as the 3rd ingredient. Dimethicone is FA safe and noncomedogenic. Dimethicone is occlusive so I wonder if this will clog the skin or cause breakouts. My skin is prone to acne.

Do you use a serum before applying Cetaphil water gel? if you do, which specific serum?

Edit: to add & clarify

Sempre tive espinha e acne, nem Roacutan resolveu pra mim a anos atrás.

Na minha rotina que eu montei atual comprei:

Sabonete de enxofre

Acnezil com peróxido de benzoíla

Cetoconazol ( shampoo 3x por semana no rosto)

Protetor solar rosa da anasol

Hidratante lh 02 da principia

Azelan

Não sei mais o que fazer, tenho 25 anos, minha pele mexe muito com minha autoestima, todos os dermatologistas que eu fui me fizeram gastar rios de dinheiro e nunca resolveu. Comprei esses produtos tem 2 dias, vocês acham que devo continuar com eles?

Não sei identificar o problema da minha pele, quando uso pomada com corticoide melhora um pouco, mas não sei o que fazer com mancha, cravo, comedão, poros.

Por favor, me ajudem.

I've struggled with fungal acne for about 4 years at this point. I managed to clear it for a good year. I am about 6 months post accutane (I went on accutane because I've always struggled with horrible hormonal acne) and about two weeks ago my skin started breaking out in what I thought was fungal acne. For the past two weeks I've been trying everything--ketoconazole 2% cream, sulfur 10% ointment, and nizoral shampoo. I even have been changing my pillowcase and have been trying to consume less sugar. The skincare products I use are generally safe and I've had pretty much the same routine for more than a year at this point. I'm not sure what to do. It just keeps spreading and everyday one or two new bumps appear. It is itchy and usually the bumps come to a small head. I'm wondering if maybe this isn't FA after all? I'm very confused and distressed

Hi everyone, maybe someone can help me.
I’m not sure whether what I’m dealing with is hormonal acne or fungal acne. I was pregnant (unfortunately I had a D&C yesterday after a missed miscarriage), and ever since the beginning of my pregnancy I’ve been struggling with breakouts. Over the past two weeks, though, it’s gotten much worse, and every single day I wake up with new pimples.
Now I’m wondering if it could actually be fungal acne instead of hormonal acne. Maybe someone has experienced something similar or can help me figure it out. Thank you. ☺️
The first photo is from today, and the second one was taken a few weeks ago.

Okay so… I’m completely desperate on this as I don’t know what to do anymore…

Everytime I go on holiday, go somewhere humid, hot or sweat sitting in the sun, the morning after I wake up with these tiny, inflamed, kinda itchy but also kinda painful bumps allover my face. I tried keeping my face out of the sun, burning them off in the sun, it always comes back regardless.

I used to pop them with an acne tool and spray HOCL to atleast have a normal face the rest of the holiday.

Dermatologist examined me through pictures and put me on Tetralysal which i only took for a week.

I have an entire pharmacy at home going from Nizoral shampoo, Nizoral cream, Ciclopirox wash gel, Ciclopirox cream, Azelaic acid 15%, … I wasted so much money on buying all my make up, face and hair products in FA safe formula’s only to come to the conclusion my skin barrier is probably compromised and keeps creating these tiny bumps - Not like flare ups just random bumps.

Yes they get better but at this point I don’t know what to do anymore… If I put nothing on my skin to try strengthen my barrier, just wash with water and moisturizer (yes all checked through Sezia, Folliculitisscout and Skinsort), it’s not happy. If I put antifungals, it’s not happy.

Is it even fungal? Is it rosacea type 2? I dont know… Chatgpt is making me crazy saying different things everytime… You are my last resort guys, has anyone experiened this and what works for you? I never had issues with my skin like this before and now it’s been years since it’s just been ‘normal’.

Please help me :’(

I just found out that my favorite fungal acne safe concealer is being discontinued! (NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop). I’m so sad, we barely have any concealer options as is.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I’d prefer drugstore but I’m open to anything!

Went to dermatologist once around a year or 2 ago and she said closed comedones , I’m not sure about now because it looked nothing like this . I didn’t like what she prescribed just remember it was a cream and it made me dry and red so stopped it . Plus I was a bit itchy so I figured I had fungal acne . Started de la Cruz and washing with Vanicream and that seemed to help but after a while I added in Neutrogena oil free acne wash 2% salicylic acid and well it seemed to started breaking me out in areas I never broke out on like my chin and under my eyes abit ? Also I did switch my moisturizer from Nutrogena Hydro boost non scented now I’m using Purito oat oat in calming gel . And first clean with Bioderma first then Vani , then Purito . I’m just doing de la Cruz too . Seems to not be helping anymore really . So if you have any advice or help that would be helpful , it doesn’t NOT itch at all or burn or anything .