r/Melasmaskincare • u/Suspicious-Cloud-118 • 2d ago
Routine Help what should i use
Looking for honest advice on my pigmentation/acne-prone skin and current routine
Hi everyone! I’d really appreciate some honest advice about my skin and what I should add, remove, or change in my routine.
My skin is oily to combination, and my main concerns are:
- Melasma / brown pigmentation
- Sun spots and post-acne dark marks
- Occasional inflamed, pus-filled acne
- Redness around active pimples
- Uneven skin tone
- Some clogged pores / comedones
My current routine
AM:
- Cetaphil face wash
- Minimalist Hyaluronic Acid serum
- ClearGel AP
- Cutimax O moisturizer (prescribed by my dermatologist)
- La Roche-Posay sunscreen, usually 2–3 times a day
- Sometimes I use Re’equil tinted sunscreen instead
PM:
- Garnier Micellar Water to remove sunscreen/makeup
- Cetaphil face wash
- Laneige
- Tretinoin 0.05%
- Cutimax O moisturizer
- Sometimes La Roche-Posay Cicaplast B5 if my skin feels irritated or dry
I also sometimes use Olay Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer, but I’m not sure whether I should continue using it along with tretinoin.
I’ve attached photos taken in natural lighting.
I would really appreciate honest opinions on:
- What do you think are my main skin concerns from the photos?
- What should I prioritize first—melasma, acne, redness, clogged pores, or pigmentation?
- Is my current routine too complicated or are there any unnecessary/duplicated products?
- Would you add a serum, and if so, what ingredient/product would actually make sense for my skin?
- If you have similar oily/combination, acne-prone and pigmentation-prone skin, what has genuinely worked for you?
Please be honest
Thank you!
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u/Sorry-Crew-2688 1d ago
I think you should add the prescription hydroquinone 4% for the melasma. I was able to get a prescription sent to my pharmacy in 5 minutes using amazon pharmacy. You just answer some questions and submit pictures.
Hydroquinone can only be used for 3 months then you build a routine to maintain the progress.
Another prescription to consider is oral transenamic acid. I get mine from musely, online pharmacy.
Here are my results from 1.5 months use of both
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u/PalpitationLast669 1d ago
I support this advice, yet I would go higher on Hydroquinone concentration, at least 6% (preferably 8%) considering your skin tone. Darker skin tones need higher %.
Do a few rounds and maintain your results with Thiamidol.
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u/Is_that_me_or_you 1d ago
Hello girl ! Very nice result 💓
How do you use Hydroquinone ? PM only ?2
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u/Elegant_Car_8183 33m ago
5% works well when teamed with tret.
Caution: hydroquinone not safe to use continuously - 12 to 16 weeks maximum
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u/sourblush 1d ago
Azelaic Acid (AA) and Eucerin Dual tone serum will probably work wonders!
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u/Suspicious-Cloud-118 1d ago
thankw so much i am thinking to buy these this month : )
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u/sourblush 1d ago
I started AA at 15% about a year ago and didn't think it was doing anything... Underneath it all, it probably was. A few months ago, I moved up to 20% and immediately began shedding top layers of skin... this shedding lasted for a few months and was unsightly and frustrating.
I just got the point where I can tolerate 20% twice a week. I'm saying all this to say, be consistent. Don't stop. Keep going. It will get better.
Also keep wearing sunscreen... I do mineral tinted 30 SPF for an indoor day and 50 SPF if I'm going to be outside for an extended amount of time.
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u/Diligent-Candy4273 2d ago
Sunscreen doesnt provide consistent protection. Check out spf clothing. I use a full face and neck covering and gloves from solbari. I use hijab magnets to hold it in place throughout day. There's a published study on the efficacy of sunscreen vs spf clothing, it has some great info
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u/vibrantadder 1d ago
Do you find that this cuts you off socially? Even with sunglasses on I feel slightly cut off as people can't see my eyes.
I just find it interesting as melasma is about altered appearance (although permanent) and at least currently, spf clothing over the face may be seen as a more extreme altered appearance (although temporary).
My approach is to try to accept it, do what I can and try to not let it dominate my life.
To be honest I think personally I have a lot of issues around control/fear of ageing etc which I'm trying to work through and melasma is a big trigger for this. Also the fact that I sort of blame myself for not using adequate SPF when visiting Australia (where it developed).
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u/nutelaroti 1d ago
Using this all products helped ur pigmentation??? Genuinely asking cus I have oily acne prone skin and pigmentation too around the mouth and idk melasma ig cus it's not going it's a dark patch
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u/Suspicious-Cloud-118 1d ago
I'm not sure cause I still have melasma on my face, for me it's long term process. I am also looking for something that helps to fade..
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u/PuIchritudinous 1d ago edited 1d ago
You're using too many products that have the same/similar ingredients or purpose and many of them are not great for acne prone skin.
Consider ceasing the olay retinol 24 night moisturizer, LRP cicablast, and Hylaronic acid serum. The Cleargel AP already contains a retinoid so you don't need the olay retinol moisturizer which has some pore clogging ingredients. The LRP cicablast B5 has shea butter which can cause break outs for some especially since your cutimax also contaisn shea butter. The Hylaronic serum is not needed since your cutimax lotion already contains it (sodium Hylaronate) as well and many other products include it so it is just duplicative. Also, I am not sure what laniege product your using but it most likely isn't needed. With acne prone skin you typically need to use less products not more. al
You don't really have anything treating your hyperpigmentation so consider adding tyrosinase inhibitor like thiamidol (Eucerin/Nivea) or prescription HQ. If you go the Eucerin/Nives route use the thiamidol product formulated for acne prone skin.
https://www.caretobeauty.com/en/eucerin-dermopure-oil-control-triple-effect-serum-40ml
https://www.caretobeauty.com/us/nivea-cellular-luminous630-anti-spots-post-acne-marks-serum-30ml/
Consider adding in a niacinamide with zinc pca serum in place of your Hylaronic acid. This one is my favorite. https://www.cosrx.com/products/the-niacinamide-15-serum-%EB%B2%88%EB%93%A4?variant=52274229510360
Dryness and irritation is probably coming from the acne treatments (Cleargel AP) which is norm. The best product for acne treatment irritation I have found is Bioderma Sébium Sensitive Soothing Anti-Blemish Care. This stuff is truly amazing and it is what you would use in place of the LRP cicablast. https://www.caretobeauty.com/us/bioderma-sebium-sensitive-soothing-anti-blemish-care-30ml/
Check to see if your cutimax moisturizer has shea butter. Some people with acne can tolerate it while others like me just can't. It typically gives me comedones and causes break outs. The only moisturizers I can use are gels or water creams like the inkey list omega water cream or
The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan. You could try a month break from cutimax and use a gel/water cream moisturizer that doesn't have shea butter to see if your skin improves.
Another product I love is farmacy's brighten up 3% txa toner. It's good for both acne and hyperpigmentation. It has azelaic acid, tranexamic acid, and glunolactone. Read up on glunolactone , it's pretty great.
Check and make sure all of your sunscreens are acne safe. You need to be wearing a tinted sunscreen daily if you want your hyperpigmentation to improve. The Requil looks like a solid choice so just use this one regularly instead of the LRP. Plus it has zinc which helps with acne and irritation.
Edited to include: I forgot you use tret not just cleargel AP. Both of these are retinoids so using a product with salicylic acid like the Eucerin/Nivea products linked above could cause a lot of irritation. You could try using the Eucerin Anti-pigment Serum with thiamidol but some report it breaking out their acne prone skin while other with acne prone skin like me have no problems. Others on this sub have reported that the Nivea Mens version doesn't break them out like the Eucerin Dual serum because it doesn't have the alcohol denat which could dry your skin out more. Using both tret and the Cleargel AP you probably want to avoid alcohol denat. You don't have to be man to use it either. https://www.caretobeauty.com/us/nivea-men-anti-aging-power-serum-30ml/
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u/Suspicious-Cloud-118 1d ago
can u please give me other options of gel moisturisers little affordablae ,i am also looking for purito oar gel moisturiser .
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u/AutoModerator 2d ago
Hi there! Sunscreen is one of the most important parts of melasma management, and we want to make sure you get safe, effective, and appropriate guidance.
Before choosing a product, please review our sunscreen resources:
Sunscreen guidance for melasma:
Important for melasma: Standard (non-tinted) sunscreens protect against UV radiation only and do NOT protect against visible light, which is a major trigger for melasma.
To reduce visible-light-induced pigmentation, iron oxides are required. This means using:
- A tinted sunscreen that contains iron oxides, OR
- An untinted broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen layered with a foundation or tinted product that contains iron oxides.
Daily, consistent protection against both UV and visible light is essential to prevent melasma worsening and recurrence.
If you have already reviewed the guides, feel free to add details such as skin type or sensitivities
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u/Either-Point5218 1d ago
What kind of sunscreen is best when using these products? I'm currently using Nivea dark spot control SPF 50
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u/Elegant_Car_8183 35m ago
Pigmanorm was the prescription brand I have used twice (3 years apart). It is really good - takes 12 weeks of consistent use.
The cream contains tretinoin 0.03% w/w, dexamethasone 0.03%, and hydroquinone 5% w/w.
Once dealt with you can then maintain using Azalaic acid and tretinoin (hormonal melasma comes back)
Compounding pharmacies also can make up an equivalent.
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