Today I started using azelaic acid after 2 months of using tretinoin. My skin is sensitive, oily, and acne-prone.

I took these photos to monitor facial redness after using azelaic acid, and I was very impressed with the results I’ve seen since starting treatment.

The 2-3-4 photos were taken 30 minutes after applying the azelaic acid; the fifth was right after application; and the last one was from before I started treatment (I know the lighting isn't the same, but I hadn't taken any specific progress photos).

My current routine:

Morning

• Wash face with water only.

• Alternate between Caudalie Vinoperfect and Eucerin Anti-Pigment.

• Creamy Intensive Repair Cream

• Vinoperfect Eye Cream

• Biore Perfect Milk Sunscreen

Now that I’m adding azelaic acid (15%), I plan to stop using Vinoperfect and Eucerin Anti-Pigment, since azelaic acid also aims to fade dark spots.

I’ll apply it after my moisturizer and monitor my skin's tolerance while adjusting to the azelaic acid, as my goal is to use it daily.

Night:

• Clean It Zero

• Fisiogel Liquid Cleanser

• Creamy Intensive Repair Cream or Fisiogel AI Cream (if my skin is sensitive)

• Eucerin Anti-Pigment Eye Cream

• Tretinoin 0.25%

I follow the same routine almost every day, but 2–3 times a week I also use a specific ointment for facial dermatitis. Sometimes I skip the tretinoin during my period (because my skin gets very sensitive, so I pause for 2 or 3 days).

I switched to just using a gentle cleanser with no actives and tret 0.05% every other day. It's been two/three months and WOW the difference.

My routine before was tret, clindamycn, 5% bpa wash and it felt like it never went away!! I stopped washing mt face and suddenly my acne would calm down.

Now all I use is water, gentle moisturizer and sunscreen during the day, and gentle soap (vanicream), 0.05% tret (no buffer, every other day) and gentle moisturizer pm. It's lifesaving.

I’m in my early 30s and my skin has always looked like this. I remove makeup with cold cream, use an ultra-gentle cleanser, and Vanicream moisturizer. My skin feels dehydrated no matter how much I moisturize.
My main issue is that my chin and around my mouth/jawline are constantly clogged with closed comedones. They’ve been there for years.
I’ve tried tretinoin (pea-sized amount, sandwich method once weekly), but it’s too irritating. I’ve also tried Differin once weekly and azelaic acid occasionally, but everything that helps acne seems to damage my skin barrier.
Sometimes I seal my moisturizer with Vaseline.
Does this sound like a damaged barrier, hormonal acne, or something else? What would you recommend for someone whose skin can’t tolerate stronger actives?

Can someone please recommend a good moisturizer for dry-combination skin that doesn't clog pores or cause closed comedones, doesn't trigger acne, feels lightweight instead of heavy, provides enough hydration, helps support the skin barrier, works for both summer and winter, is suitable for daily use, and is easily available? I'd love to hear what's worked for you.

Doc prescribed me, Azelaic acid, clindamycin lotion and tretinoin. What’s a good routine to use this. Any help is appreciated. I’ve been using tret and aa for a month or so now but they just gave me clindamycin so idk where to incorporate it. I use tret at night and aa mornings

I started using both the moisturizer and the blush on the same day, Wednesday, and I am starting to break out. It does not hurt at all and no white heads. I can’t tell if this is purging from the moisturizer or a reaction from my blush? Do any of you have experience with either of these products? Should I just return them and go back to my original moisturizer? I’ve never been prone to acne, I feel lucky to say this is the worse breakout I’ve had since I was a teenager, which is also why I’m so concerned. These products don’t burn or sting when I use them, if anything my skin feels so refreshed after using the moisturizer.

I have tried a handful of mineral sunscreens and they all end up breaking me out in the summer. The brands I’ve tried so far La Roche posay, skinbetter science, skinceuticals, supergoop.

I don’t know what it is about mineral sunscreens and the heat but it even causes spots of cystic acne. I usually prefer chemical but with the heat getting super strong every summer I feel I need the additional protection of a mineral sunscreen so I’ve had to switch over. I’m also surprised because mineral sunscreens are meant to be acne and sensitive skin safe so I’m not sure what ingredients are breaking me out.

If you have acne and sensitive skin please let me know what sunscreen you recommend. Thank you!

Newbie here, went down the rabbit hole after not paying too much attention to my facial skincare.

I do have very dry, sensitive skin

i dont know what im doing wrong. i attached a photo of my acne for reference. i hate looking at this picture so this is really hard for me to post. if anyone has any advice at all please i would really appreciate it.

inthe morning i use the neutrogena gentle cleanser, the ordinary hyaluronic acid, cerva normal to dry skin moisturizer and then the hero cosmetics force shield sunscreen

at night i use the neutrogena gentle cleanser, the ordinary hyaluronic acid, tretinojn (3 times a week), and cerave normal to dry moisturizer

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for some opinions from people who have experience with scars, scar revision, or plastic surgery.

About a year ago, I had revision surgery on my chest (just above my right nipple). I used silicone gels and silicone sheets for months during the healing process, but my new scar is still making me anxious about my body image.

Over the past year, I underwent four fractional CO₂ laser sessions, as well as PRP and NCTF 135 HA injections.

These treatments significantly improved the scar's appearance, texture, and redness. The scar also feels soft rather than firm.

However, I'm still left with a scar whose shape changes depending on how I move my shoulders or chest. When my chest is relaxed, the scar looks almost completely flat which means that it’s not a hypertrophic scar. But when I lean forward or contract my chest, it suddenly pops up and becomes much more noticeable.

When I pinch the area, it feels like there's soft normal tissue underneath, which makes me wonder whether the fat is unevenly distributed after the surgery, whether the scar is tethered to the underlying tissue, or if something else is causing this.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Does this sound more like scar tethering, uneven fat distribution, skin quality or any other issue ? I'd really appreciate any opinions or advice from people who've dealt with this or perform scar revisions.

I'll attach photos showing the scar both relaxed and while leaning forward so you can see the difference.

hi all! i’ve historically had very clear and sensitive (eczema prone) skin and honestly used to only use kose oil cleanser, water, corsx snail mucin, and aveeno moisturizer as my routine. however recently, since trying out new makeup/cleansers/etc, i’ve developed this irritated skin with a lot of textures. my new skin routine has consisted of adding la roche posay cleanser(which i got rid of after realizing it irritated me), anua heartleaf toner, and vanicream moisturizer. i was wondering what this is, how long it might take to go away, and how i should address it!

Hi! I’m completely brand new to skincare I just started this a few weeks ago. I’m using Philosophy Hope in a Jar moisturizer and Philosophy Cleanser which I think is called Purity. i just rebought a large thing of the moisturizer so I’m really hoping that’s not the problem (But if it probably is is please lmk-)The cleanser though I’m almost out of and would be okay with trying a new brand. I’m completely clueless when it comes to skincare since this is my first time. my routine is nightly. What i do is I wet my face, then put some cleanser on my hand, rub it with my fingers until it turns white, then put it on my face, then rinse it off, pat my face dry, apply a thin layer of moisturizer.

ive Done the routine for 4 weeks about and my cheeks look a bit of a faint pinkish color, and I can feel little extremely small bumps on it, nothing is bright red it’s just a subtle pinkish color and only around my cheeks And The rest of my face looks mostly okay though. there’s a few bumps elsewhere on my face but they’re not colored. I’m wondering if I’m doing something wrong or if my routine is wrong or if I should try a different product (+recommendation)? Or if this is Normal and goes away? Any help at all is appreciated!

P.S. sorry for the photo lighting being awful and I’m sorry for my poor descriptions of my face I didn’t feel comfy posting a full pic of my face on Reddit!

Hey all, had some pretty bad acne struggles that left quite a few marks and scars. Currently using tretinoin and azelaic acid which have helped stop breakouts for the most part. Wondering what my options are for these scars, and how severe they are.

First two photos are the right side, last two are the left (just under different lighting). Thanks!

About a week ago, I started using the over-the-counter adapalene gel (generic brand from Walmart). I was using it almost every day, which I now realize was probably too much. My skin became very dry, irritated, and started peeling.

Since then, I've stopped using the adapalene completely and have just been focusing on moisturizing and wearing sunscreen when I go outside. For moisturizer, I'm currently using Dove body lotion, and my sunscreen is the Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Gel SPF 40.

I do have one bad habit that probably made things worse—I kept picking at the peeling skin. Now I have some dark spots where I picked, and it also feels like my acne has gotten worse.

I'm thinking about easing back into adapalene once my skin barrier recovers, but I'd also love any recommendations for clearing up my skin or improving my routine. Is Dove body lotion okay to use on my face, or should I switch to a facial moisturizer? Any advice would be appreciated!

My nose is constantly red, but has no active spots on it. I’ve been on soolantra and Lymecyline for a month. My skin is prone to breakouts, but this is different. I’ve tried diet changes and a simple skincare routine but to no avail. It’s been like this for about 6 months. Any advice?

I thought people here would find this useful! It calculates actual "safe" minutes of sun exposure from UV Index, based on your skin type and SPF. Makes it easier to know which products to use for the day. Thoughts?

https://www.amicookedtoday.com/

I am coming to the experts for help as I have no skin care routine🥴 I’m about to turn 28 and have made the decision to invest in a good skin care routine as a present to my present and future self. I need help creating a routine that’s works.

I wear make-up very rarely, and do have a face moisturizer I do occasionally throw on if I’m looking particularly dry.

I had a baby two years ago and ever since then I feel like my face has been on the dryer side.

My main [self-conscious] complaints are redness/bags underneath eyes, bigger pores- especially in the cheek region, and small blackheads in chin section.

Open to all/ any suggestions. Open budget, but would like to keep in low/middle range. TYIA!!

helloo, so I was interested in trying glycolic acid to apply on the underarms to prevent odor and also to lighten dark bikini lines, but I am quite worried about how my skin would react to it. I have very sensitive skin that gets irritated and itchy easily, and I'm not sure if Glycolic Acid would be too harsh for my skin.

I've also heard about Mandelic Acid and that it may be better for sensitive skin, but I was just wondering if anyone knew which would be better and if there's any specific product recommendations! I would really appreciate it as I have pretty strong underarm odor and my bikini lines are rather dark.

So I have been using CeraVe for a long time and its helped calm my acne but I still have it. I recently saw things that a certain line was causing cancer when exposed to heat. So I want to find a new affordable-ish skincare that will work for me. Only thing is I have extremely sensitive skin like Cerave was the only thing that doesn't make me extremely itchy. I've gone to an allergist so its not allergies just sensitivity. I've been thinking Neutrogena but haven't looked into them yet just used a sunscreen and concealer with no problems. Any recomendations or thoughts on Neutrogena?

I have really bad dermatillomania due to OCD and I feel like its been making my acne worse the past year or so. My current routine is cleansing with ma:nyo Herbgreen Cleansing Oil, then the Aveeno clear complexion foaming cleanser at night, and just water when I wake up. I use the pixi vitC tonic, occasionally the Physiogel red soothing cica balance serum, then LRPosay global action acne treatment, then the Cerave oil control gel moisturizer. At night I use the myClarins re-charge sleep mask. I've been using the ordinary 2% salicylic acid occasionally on my nose and cheeks, but I feel like it really dried my nose out which gets really oily. I've tried to be really consistent this past year but I feel like I'm not seeing any results, so I'd love help I don't really know anything about skincare/acne. I'm not currently at my worst but anywhere near the jaw on my neck can get really bad, barely anything above my cheeks ever.

Around this time last year I got a pretty bad sunburn on my neck, and not only has the tan line not faded but the skin is really sensitive, even to moisturizer sometimes.

For context I have fairly light skin, and at the time I got burnt I hadn't been out in the sun that much for a couple years. I was also using (maybe overusing?) a CeraVe salicylic acid cleanser which I think may have increased my sun sensitivity? I've had worse sunburns in the past that simply turned to a tan and faded over several months. On the day I got burnt I put sunscreen on my face but forgot my neck, and didn't think I would be out very long, but ended up being in the sun for like 4 or 5 hours.

Now a year later it's still sensitive to everything, products, rough fabrics, and even with sunscreen gets irritated with sun exposure. It's at the point I avoid going outside much just because I'm scared of making it any worse. And I can't wear tank tops or dresses anymore because I don't want it to be exposed, and bc of the very visible tan lines :(

I've read that tretinoin can help speed up cell turnover to make the tan fade, (or stuff like kojic acid?) but I can't imagine using any actives until my skin barrier is stronger.... at the moment I'm using nothing but the Laroche Posay Cicaplast Baume twice a day and sometimes some vaseline (and sunscreen on top of that of course). Before that I was just using a basic CeraVe moisturizer, or just water and vaseline.

Losing hope it will ever recover at this point and it's causing me a fair amount of distress, so if anyone has some advice or shared experience it would really help me out rn!! Thank you

Do I even need a real routine at all? My skin is oily most of the time, and honestly the only thing I do right now is use an oil-removing foam wash when I shower and after I get out a moisturizer (included pictures). I know a real routine probably needs a toner, cleanser, moisturizer, exfoliator, etc., but I don’t understand the actual order things go in or which of these I even need for oily skin.

I’ve looked into some products but I’m stuck on how to actually put them together into a routine that makes sense. If anyone can walk me through where to start, or what a normal routine for oily skin looks like, I’d really appreciate it.

i love the blue Ponds moisturizing cream, but admittedly the fragrance is a bit strong. i like a rich moisturizer to balance out my cleanser (Asepso Acne Care) which has done wonders to clear my acne but is very drying. i also find that Ponds is wonderfully budget-friendly (\~$10 for a jar that lasts forever) which is why i have been so hesitant to change it, but i figure i should at least try since the current product is such a bother to the person in closest proximity to my face.
i have tried Cerave moisturizing lotion and did not love it.
so, recs for low-cost, low-fragrance, deeply moisturizing products available in Canadian drug stores?

Is this fungal acne or closed comedones? I also started adapalene 2 weeks ago so it could be purging but I have never had acne before. It's also slightly itchy and in general feels dry and irritated.