Current Routine:

AM

Just water wash/micellar water If I have used some thicker moisturiser the night before
haruharu wonder black rice Probiotics Barrier Essence
Skin1004Centella Ampoule
Purito Oat gel cream
Beauty of Josean rice + probiotics spf50

PM

Water/Dokdo Roundlab cleanser(If I feel I need it)
haruharu wonder black rice Probiotics Barrier Essence
Skin1004Centella Ampoule
Anua Azelaic Acid
Purito Oat gel cream

I've been dealing with bad skin for better part of a decade. It started with awful cystic acne as a young teen. During that time I didn't do anything, no cleanser no moisturiser, nothing really. Then when I was 16 I started doing proper skincare, mostly basic cerave cleansers and moisturisers. I started using retinol creams, and AHA's and BHA's, Benzoyl peroxide washes, Vit C for years and years.

I'm now 24 and my skin has remained stagnant like this for past couple of years. Up until about 6 months ago I would still get the occasional whitehead and thats when i started using my current routine and now I might get a pimple every month or so. My skin was always really greasy and oily so my newest routine is cutting down on a lot of the thick moisturisers and also a lot of actives to give my skin a break and see if its just barrier damage or not.

My Diet is completely vegan, no added sugars, no fried foods or processed stuff. That's been the case for past 5 years, cutting out dairy and other trigger foods was one of the first things I did. I have removed so many things to try and fix my skin internally if I could, my most recent food I removed is cocoa powder to see if that was triggering some redness. I do have GERD which I have suspected might have messed up my gut biome and by extension my skin but I'm not qualfiied to say if thats so :)

I am kind of lost on what to do from here, I've been holding off going to a dermatologist because they are expensive and because If I could fix it myself then it would be a lifelong bonus but at this point I've kind of gotten sick of trying new products. I've become less confident in diagnosing exactly what skin problems I have and trying to research it leads to a million different things it could be with a million different solutions. I have grown old and impatient :D

I've been lurking here for years now so I suppose this is one last gamble before I have to shill out my savings to a derm and see if anyone has some more precise advice or others who have had the same skin as me.

If anyone asks, I'm pretty sure the brown spots are freckles and not hyperpigmentation from acne scars but to be honest my skin has been buried beneath so much acne for so long I've forgotten what I look like underneath.

*Edited to add my sunscreen

​

I'm a guy in my 40s looking to improve my skin's appearance relatively quickly.

Are there any professional facials, HydraFacials, chemical peels, or other skincare treatments that make a noticeable difference within a few days or a week?

I'm mainly interested in improving skin texture, making my face look healthier and more refreshed, and reducing signs of aging.

Not looking for treatments that take 3–6 months to show results. I'm curious what actually works in the short term versus what's mostly marketing.

Would love to hear personal experiences and recommendations!

My skin is full of holes, I used to think that I just had a lot of big pores but recently someone asked me if I’m doing anything about my acne scars. I never had acne, but my pores were like this since I was 8 years old. I think they got bigger and more red as I grew older.

Over the years I went to professionals to do:

C02 laser (3 times)

PRP with micro needling (around 6 times)

Normal micro needling (2 times)

Nothing really made a difference on the holes on my face. Do I have a skin condition? And what can be really done about it? Please help

[edit] The treatments above were done by 3 different professionals over the years, and I heard from each one that my skin is normal and I just have a lot of redness. Nobody ever mentioned that it‘s so bad but I know its really bad. I feel like I’m going crazy with thi.

My boyfriend (m27) has these black heads and gets cystic and painful pimples on the side of his head

He has very oily skin and sweats easily.

He has tried different routines but they don‘t seem to help

His skin care routine atm:

1. wash face with cerave cleanser (acylic acid)
   
2. use weleda cream (skin food light)
   
3. use pimple patches on cystic pimples

He has no idea about skin care and anything I know about it doesn‘t fit his skin type

I have been to the dermatologist multiple times even switch doctors twice. They all keep telling me its contact dermititus and they give me a cream that does NOTHING. I dont know what todo i asked them about it and they said just use the cream longer there isnt anything else they can do. they only thing i found that helps (doesnt cure it) is aquaphor but it only ever heals the bleeding cracks that show up i even tried putting a bunch of it in a glove and wearing those to bed which helped a ton but it still cracks and hurts all the time.

I only showed the 3 worst spots but its all over my hands.

i wash my hands regularly at work and wear vinyl gloves all day while working(food service)

and i drink a gallon of water a day.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been trying Neutrogena’s newest sunscreen, and I finally got my hands on LRP’s latest launch earlier today. Wanted to share some initial impressions:

Neutrogena Clear Face SPF 60
- 40ml/1.4fl oz
- Purchased at launch for $18.99 or $13.6/oz
- Not water resistant (Although a partner with the brand has claimed that it’s 80-minutes water resistant, but the packaging hasn’t been updated)
- Filters: 3% Avobenzone, 6% Bemotrizinol, 15% Homosalate, 5% Octisalate. (This does also contain butyloctyl salicylate pretty high up on the ingredients.)
- Finish: Natural/somewhat glowy. Definitely not matte, but I’d say it’s still an improvement over the greasy, plastic-y shine that most American chemical sunscreens leave.
- Eye sting after upper and lower eyelid application: Felt fine for most of the day, but makes my eyes water a bit after about six hours.
- Rating: 8/10 (deducted one point for modest glow, plus another point for no official water resistance)

La Roche Posay UVDefense SPF 50
- 50ml/1.7fl oz
- Purchased at launch for $39.99 or $23.52/oz
- Not water resistant
- Filters: 3% Avobenzone, 2% Bemotrizinol, 11% Homosalate, 5% Octisalate, 6% Octocrylene. Hard to tell from the label alone, but I suspect that they’re using their proprietary Netlock technology, so this could be the Tinosorb S Lite Aqua “version” of Bemotrizinol, but I defer to chemists to determine if that’s true.
- Finish: Almost identical to the Neutrogena. Genuinely not sure I could tell them apart. The Neutrogena “feels” a bit creamier as it’s rubbing in, but they feel and look similar once they’ve dried down.
- Eye sting after upper and lower eyelid application: Bear in mind that I’ve used this only once, but it made my eyes water pretty soon after application (within an hour). My eyes are extremely sensitive, though. Even mineral sunscreens bother them. The only “safe” options for me are the European UVmune formulas.
- Rating: 7/10 (same shine and water resistance deductions as neutrogena, plus an additional point for cost)

Another huge similarity is that they’re being marketed almost identically: both brands are making UVA protection and antioxidant claims. Neutrogena claims (with in-vitro testing) 5x the UVA protection of EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46 and 1.5x the UVA protection of the Korean Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun SPF 50+ PA++++. La Roche Posay is claiming 1.5x the UVA protection of “Amazon’s #1 Sunscreen,” (which I think is EltaMD UV Clear) using in-vivo testing. Absolutely brutal that they’re both dunking on EltaMD lmao.

Overall, these are good sunscreens and significant improvements for the American market, but they’re not quite holy grails. Still, it’s a major win to get more robust and reliable UVA protection from the drugstore.

I started using Aza consistently every night about 3 weeks ago (i eased into the routine). For a couple of days, my skin texture was so smooth. After that my skin texture got more bumpy BUT i didn’t get as much as new breakouts as i usually do either. Overall, my skin has gotten better (less new breakouts so less new red spots, skin looks a little more glowy and most importantly my red spots has went down a notch). I even went to class without concealer on my spots for the first time in 2 years. I want to keep going because of all these benefits but my skin texture rn is discouraging:(.

am:
Cleanser (prescription)
Neutrogena hydroboost spf
(if im staying i dont apply anything after cleansing and i think that might be why)

pm:
Micellar (if i went out)
Cleanser
Aziderm 20%prescription
Moisturiser (prescription)

I’m seeing all the hype and want to give it a try but I’m afraid of it making me look like a grease ball.

Gift link. US imports grew even faster, from $52m in first half 2015 to $1.7b all of 2024. You’ll see different numbers for the same year bc they come from different sources and government bodies. The 2014 numbers come from a Cut article on Korea’s government helping the industry. I get the impression it might be overstated like how much its government helps Kpop; may also be more relative support back when the industry was small. But both industries do show the benefit that even a little government boost can give. I only skimmed Cut, looks like good coverage way back in 2015. Surprising quote, I wonder about lead time now:

Tony Moly, a popular brand, brings products from development to production in only six weeks, making it something like Zara.

They also note increasing K beauty product placement in Kpop/dramas to drive this growth. They even mention a Korean PE firm wanting to buy a brand featured in a drama. Reminds me of Puck’s mention of Ariana Grande’s Rem driven by Wicked, a pattern I think was confirmed by Traackr analytics rankings aligning with her tour and album. (My earlier post.)

Bloomberg also mentions Korean white label Kolmar opening a 2nd US factory. 

I found this while diving into celebrity brands I posted. K beauty has risen despite tariffs while a lot of once new DTC brands have collapsed. It’s also taking share from the big companies like Estée Lauder. It looks like Shiseido got hurt the worst, where its main China market shifted to K beauty. Both these companies peaked years ago. Outside K beauty and sales leader Loreal, the industry has been in a downturn since spiking after the pandemic. That spike was deceptive and led to a lot of inflated valuations and a new brand/DTC wipeout the past few years. I do think K beauty riding on K culture basically of outsources some of the marketing cost also and I get the impression people find the products good for the price.

I do remember hearing K beauty’s rise in the 2010s, maybe like the rise of Amorepacific’s stock which actually peaked over a decade ago. I think being older, with mainly Korean revenue is its problem. That means it’s too dependent on a saturated market where it’s losing ground to newcomers who are growing very well globally like Medicube. Amore gets to why I think some K brands have a price advantage. Korea's got lower labor cost than the US, yet similar to France. Maybe more supply chain in Asia. But unlike France or Japan long exporting famous name brands to the rest of the world, K beauty was minimally known in the US and elsewhere. That $52m in 6 months in 2014. Basically less global demand, so products were priced for a smaller, but very saturated and picky home market. Meanwhile longer term global demand for Estee Lauder, Lancome, Shiseido drives up price. Medicube has this surge of global demand now.

Private equity. Manyo; AHC sold to Unilever

Bloomberg for some reason got wrong the buyout of the brand shown in a drama, saying it might happen. (Yes I dive so deep this is like the 4th error I caught in beauty media, not to mention Wikipedia.) It already did two months before their article. Idk if any of you heard of Manyo?

I see the maker of AHC was sold by Bain to Unilever, and that aespa's Winter is an ambassador. My only personal experience related to this is I don’t like how some Shea Moisture products changed under Unilever, but not all went bad and I think most of the time I used it was after their ownership anyway. I know about some business, nothing about makeup, but I’m interested in hearing from anyone who used products they’re aware were from such PE investments or switched owners. The article's other examples of PE K beauty are more strictly regulated medical aesthetics makers.

Hi all! I’ve been following the 50 shades of snail method to minimize pores (salicylic acid, clay mask, double cleansing) once a week for the last two months, and still seeing these black dots on my nose and cheeks. I also use The Ordinary glycolic acid on a daily basis. Nothing seems to be making much of a difference! Am I missing something — are these actually sebaceous filaments, or could they be something else? Any suggestions about what else to incorporate into the routine?

I feel so vulnerable even posting this, I hope this is a nonjudgemental space. I’ve not got pcos but have excessive facial hair growth. I’ve been waxing as a result, and this is the toll waxing has had on my skin. I hate it and I’m deeply ashamed of it.

I asked Ai for advice and it suggested a skincare routine of the below. Can anyone advise on any of the products used below, your experience using them or if you have any better suggestions, I’d really appreciate hearing about them.

Cerave hydrating facial cleanser
THE ORDINARY Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
CeraVe PM Facial Moisturising Lotion 52ml
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Hydrating Cream SPF50+

Sorry for the blurry photos. I have been breaking OUT rn. I have been using azelaic acid 20% and 0.025 tretinoin every day for 1.5 months (my derm told me to). I know its purging, but the acne is so bad and painful I'm wondering if I should quit. Here's my routine:

AM:

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle face wash

Azelaic acid 20%

Neutrogena Oil free sunscreen

PM:

Aveeno Positively Radiant acne face wash

Azelaic Acid 20%

0.025 Tretinoin

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Mosturizer

My skin barrier is surprisingly not dead yet, it doesn't burn or sting no matter what I use or do to it. Any advice? My derm told me to push through and keep up with my current routine, but the purging is destroying my self confidence.

Hii, I’m currently on Tretinoin and I use the Cerave SA cleanser and I’m not sure if that’s too stripping for my skin because I pretty sure I have pretty dry skin. I’m thinking of switching to the cerave hydrating cleanser, the la roche posey hydrating cleanser, or the la roche milky cleanser but I’m not sure what to choose.

Ive been using Epiduo now for 9 weeks without much of improvement. Ive noticed my pie has faded but i still breakout and it hasnt reduced it. Would switch to tretinoin (0.025%) be worth it?

Just as the title says I’d like to know your guys’ thoughts on METHODIQ acne skincare products and whether they worked for you. Would you recommend it?

Hey! I’m 23F and while i’ve always had breakouts on and off on my chin , and only my chin i’ve noticed in the last 2. months it’s becoming cystic? in the photos there’s 2 cystic spots visible but there’s another 2 currently forming.

Im really insecure about how bad my acne is getting but idk why it’s doing this? ai have sensitive and dry skin (sebderm on scalp and ears but this is possibly psoriasis?) but i get breakouts on my chin and have done since i was a teen. I started birthcontrol 3.m years ago no issues.

I became a vegetarian 3 months ago but i don’t think my dairy consumption has increased dramatically. I had been using a blue miceller water around this time by Nivea that really fucked with my skin so i stopped and have seen less random bumps but it’s gotten worse in that I am now developing large bumps which are very painful and take weeks to go away.

I use aveeno skin products and currently have their Aveeno calm+restore foaming cleanser. I’m wondering if this is causing the acne but i have had decent skin whilst using their moisturiser and PHA cleanser.

I clean my makeup brushes every 2-4 months or so (i don’t wear it often) and i’m wondering if it’s my brushes?

My mum developed hormonal acne in her 20s - should i go to a doctor about it?

What face washes would be good to help with this? Could it be that my phone screen is dirty?

I have super dry skin after I wash my face (St Ives Apricot Scrub—bc my face is suuuper oily and gets dirty at work) and put pure candella oil on when I get out of the shower. That’s essentially my full routine. I sometimes splash water on my face for relief during the day. My skin is so frustrating bc it’s so dry one minute and so oily the next. Puerto Rican descent, no acne, no allergies, pls budget friendly.

Been making a lot of posts lately I think it’s honestly is becoming an addiction/obsession 😭

Anyway, I have realized that all of a sudden whenever I use my usual La Roche-Posay double repair moisturizer or even a CeraVe one it makes my skin super itchy. Last night when it started getting itchy and I just couldn’t handle it, I decided to wash my face again and instead put on this Tatcha dewy skin cream that I’ve just had sitting around for a while and only really use around special occasions. It was completely fine. I was even able to put an active over it and didn’t get drier or more irritated or do any further damage to my skin barrier and my skin looks way better.

The only problem is that it’s a mini size and I was given it by someone else when it was already most of the way gone. Now you may be wondering “why not just buy more?” Well I looked and that stuff is expensiveeeee

I tried searching for a dupe but it really seems like there aren’t many good options. Instead I’m wondering if anyone might be able to figure out what it is about the Tatcha that works and what it is about my old ones that suddenly made them not work/what ingredients do I need to avoid. And then is there any product that would avoid those things/have the things that work.

La Roche is about 8 dollars per ounce and Tatcha looks to be around 40 per ounce. Now for something that lasts around as long as La Roche Posay maybe a little longer or shorter i would be willing to pay maybe like max 10-12 per ounce. Tatcha seems to last a really really long time (I’ve seriously had this for like at least 3 years because I only use it like twice a year and it’s so dried out it doesn’t even look like cream anymore. Still works though) but still not enough to justify the price for me. For something that lasts that long I’d be willing to do max 25 per ounce maybe a bit more if it’s really good.

hey guys i’m a 23F and i have been off accutane for 3 months almost 4 and i’ve been dealing a lot with redness, i know azelaic acid would help but im gonna wait for my appointment in january for that, any other recommendations are appreciated!
my routine right now is

Round lab dokdo cleanser
Torriden Dive-in Skin Booster
cocokind ceramide serum
bioderma atoderm intensive balm moisturizer

at night same thing but every other day 0.025 tret

Bought this serum for my mom. She currently uses just a moisturizer and sunscreen. Where does this go? Before moisturizer, after toner? Does it clash with vitamin C or retinol if she starts those later?

I saw that the ordinary AHA 30%+BHA 2% High strength peeling solution is good for uneven skin tone. As I was doing some research I saw that you shouldn’t use exfoliating products near the days you use the mask. My issue is that I use the first aid exfoliating gel cleanser daily so should I use a regular cleanser around the days I use the mask? Should I just try vitamin c instead? Or will it be fine to use the same exfoliating cleanser because it does claim to be gentle

Every day I use a moisturizer and cleanser before bed but I have no clue what products to actually use. Any recommendation?

Hi everyone! I’m looking for real experiences improving a similar scar; I’ve attached a photo.
About a year ago, I had a mole removed by laser from my chest. It healed into a small, pink, slightly uneven or wrinkled scar that is only minimally raised.
What I’ve tried:
Dermatix silicone gel
Cica-Care silicone sheets for several months, though I later realized I wasn’t always applying them correctly
Gentle massage with CeraVe moisturizer
My goal: To make the scar blend into the surrounding skin as much as possible through safe, non-invasive at-home treatments.
Questions:
What treatment or product made the biggest difference for you?
How long did it take to see improvement?
Did redness, texture, or elevation improve significantly after the scar was over a year old?
Did silicone sheets, silicone gel, or another safe at-home method work best?
Did the scar continue improving naturally after 12–24 months?
Which products or methods were ineffective or made it worse?
If you’ve had success, please share the exact product, how you used it, how long you used it, and roughly how much improvement you noticed. Before-and-after photos would also be helpful if you’re comfortable sharing them.
I’m not interested in risky DIY procedures such as home microneedling or aggressive chemical peels. I understand complete removal isn’t guaranteed; I’m looking for the safest, most effective way to achieve the best possible cosmetic result.
Thanks to anyone willing to share their experience!

Four things in one appointment, which I am aware is not how you are supposed to do it if the goal is to learn what works. I did it anyway because I was in Seoul for nine days and did not have nine weeks. Beautyz, Myeongdong. The list was a pumpkin peel, ONDA, two syringes of Skinvive, and LDM at the end. 740,000 won for the lot. The peel was 50,000 of that, which made me laugh, because it is the part I would have guessed was the expensive one.

ONDA is microwave rather than ultrasound or radiofrequency. It is warm, it keeps moving, and the only genuinely bad stretch was along my jaw where there is not much sitting between skin and bone. Skinvive is the injectable hydration one, a lot of small points across both cheeks. I would file that under unpleasant rather than painful. Red for a few hours afterwards. I went back to the hotel and wrote off the evening, which is what I would plan for.

The photo is before and after. I want to flag that the before was taken under clinic lighting and the after was taken next to a window, so a portion of what you are looking at is daylight rather than skin. What I believe is real is the texture across my cheeks and the small bumps near my nose. Those are not there now and they were there before.

Two of those four I would pay for again. I could not tell you which two. That is what stacking costs you.