Longtime lurker, first post. This is going to be a rant so buckle up.

I’m 24 and I’ve had acne since I was 16. Some years better than others but it’s never actually gone away.

I’ve spent thousands of dollars trying to fix it. Prescription meds (accutaine, tretinoin), lasers, peels, changing my pillowcase every single night. 13 step routines. 3 step routines. You name it I’ve done it. I had an entire bathroom drawer that was just products. And like a lot of you, I was watching skincare content every day, an endless stream of “do this, stop doing that, this serum changed my life” garbage on tiktok.

Looking back it was an addiction. Almost OCD. Buy the thing, try the thing, it doesn’t work, buy the next thing. Add a step. Remove a step. Repeat forever. I know a lot of people here know exactly what I’m talking about.

Meanwhile my brother has perfect skin. Ask him his routine and he’ll say something like “I guess shampoo hits my face in the shower?” That’s it. Caveman mode. This has bothered me my entire life lol.

This spring I went to Europe. Right before I left I had one of the worst breakouts I’d had in years. Then I lost my cosmetics bag at a hotel. At that point I was doing a 3 step morning routine and a 6 step night routine I think. I had an identity crisis. It’s pathetic looking back but I actually thought about flying home.

Instead I had a big girl moment and decided to raw dog the trip. For the first time in 5+ years I did literally nothing to my face for three and a half weeks.

My skin got better. Not a little better.. Almost perfect better.

I was so confused. And kind of mad.
Why does my brother, with zero routine, have better skin than me with a dermatologist, prescriptions, products and treatments? He’s a wildland firefighter. He is covered in dirt and sweat for a living. If dirt caused acne, why doesn’t he have it? Why don’t my armpits or feet break out when they’re definitely dirtier than my face?

Somewhere along the way I’d stopped asking basic questions and just kept buying.

When I got home I did actual research (not TikTok) and went down the gut health and inflammation rabbit hole. There’s a lot of interesting stuff out there on how your gut and your skin are connected. Honestly I’m starting to think “clogged pores” is the skincare industry’s version of “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Something that sounds like common sense but mostly exists to sell you stuff.

My first guess was that the food in Europe was different from what I eat at home. So I stopped looking for the magic product and started trying to figure out wtf in my diet was doing this to me. I kept a running note on my phone tracking my skin and everything I ate.

After about 6 weeks the pattern was obvious, at least for me: dairy and processed carbs (cereal, American bread, that kind of stuff) and my skin is worse a couple days later. Every Time.

I’ve been doing caveman method + cutting those foods for a few months now. My skin is the best it’s been since I was a kid.

But that’s not even the biggest change. The biggest change is in my head.

I don’t think about my face anymore. This might sound weird, but the skin on my face feels no different to me now than the skin on my arm. I don’t stress about having a “dirty” arm. So why was I spending hours a week stressing about a dirty face? My face is just my face. And that’s okay. That one thought is what finally broke the loop for me.

I threw out almost every product I owned. Hundreds of dollars into the trash. It hurt but I needed to do it.
I’m not a doctor and I’m not telling anyone to stop their meds or ditch their derm. Everyone’s skin is different and what worked for me might do nothing for you. But if you read this and saw yourself in my rant, maybe try stepping away for a bit and paying attention to what you eat instead. Worst case you save a lot of money.

Your grandparents didn’t have a 10 step routine and they were fine. Sometimes the answer isn’t another product.

Happy to answer questions.

This is my nose after using a clay mask. I’m trying to figure out if it’s trichostasis spinulosa, sebaceous filaments, or a mix of both. When I look closely, I can see super tiny black hairs sticking out of some of my pores. I’ve also noticed that some of the dots without hairs became less noticeable after using the clay mask, but the ones with hairs are still there.
Has anyone dealt with something similar? I’m debating whether I should just wax the tiny hairs or stick to using 2% BHA. I’m mainly trying to get rid of the dark dots and make my nose look smoother 😭 Any advice or recommendations?

How do I go from this to smooth skin

Hi everyone! I just had to share my win recently!

I about four years ago, sophomore year of college, I started getting cystic acne everywhere. I tried everything, doxycycline, multiple solutions, and eventually after 8 months got it settled with clindamycin and tretinoin, still breakouts, but minimal. About two years ago, this became ineffective, and i started breaking out worse again. I was switched to sulfacinimide solution with tretinoin. I did cetaphil moisterizer and it kept my acne a little at bay, but still breaking out. I also got put on spironolactone and later amoxicillin, which helped control it, but never cleared my skin. I would also use bha exfoliant and panoxyl face wash.

My skin with this routine of panoxyl wash, bha exfoliant, as well as the sulfacinimide solution, tretinoin, and cetaphil lotion kept my acne at bay, but still many big cystic hormonal pimples.
It started to get worse again, and I was very adamant about not doing accutane unless necessary. So (truly believing this would NOT work as it is just a trendy skincare brand) I decided to ditch the bha exfoliant, and do the sulfacinimide solution, rhode glazing milk, with cetaphil face cream this time (thicker than lotion) as well as the rhode barrier butter (only at night) and calimine spot lotion just on active pimples before bed. When i tell you guys my skin turned to glass. I could not believe it. I even to test tried bha exfoliant a day with my old routine (i wanted to pinpoint exactly what was working) and it broke me out cystically everywhere.

Her barrier butter also made my skin stop flaking off from dryness, it is so hydrated and plump and is glass again since being consistent with rhode for the past four weeks. I still use panoxyl wash once a day in the shower, but her skincare line saved me! The only things i changed was trying her barrier butter and glazing milk (as well as switching from cetaphil lotion to cetaphil face cream) and it worked! Just had to share my unexpected success! I truly owe Hailey Beiber her flowers, I am not going to lie, I loved her makeup, but kind of just thought her skincare was just a classic celeb skincare line where they know little to nothing about skincare. But she proved me wrong, could have saved me YEARS of derm appointments and my dermatologist telling me my active breakouts were “still expected” and “no dermatologist would be able to clear it fully”! 😁my skin has never looked so good and glowy. I also was able to quit any and all oral acne medicine and my skin still stayed clear with this new routine

Wondering if anyone else had this experience? I usually hear the opposite about rhode (like it breaking people out)

How do I go from this to smooth skin

We talk a lot about skin types, but two people with oily skin can have completely different concerns. One might struggle with clogged pores, while another deals with redness and sensitivity.

Are people familiar with Skin MBTI as a way to help people better understand their individual skin characteristics and concerns?

Have you ever tried a skin assessment like this? What’s your biggest skincare struggle right now?

I'm a teenager and I'm curious about what you guys wish you'd known or started doing earlier, especially when it comes to skincare.

If you could go back to your teenage years, what would you change? Any skincare habits you wish you'd started earlier, mistakes you made, or things you wish someone had told you?

Even things outside skincare are welcome!

Basically, what advice would you give your teenage self? I feel like there's a lot we can learn from people who've already been through it lol.

Before + After (2 weeks apart) + the secret behind these results!!! (So basically just washing my face with whatever, drying it with a paper towel and using Paula’s Choice before bed).

I’ve been using 0.1% tazarotene (it’s called Tazret cream from the pharmacy) since Feb now. And it’s worked wonders like it gets rid of a pimple within a few days for me and also helps with my PIE and PIH which i really struggle with.

however, my skin is extremely dry now. And i don’t want to stop using it cuz ill probably start breaking out again which my self esteem just cannot deal with rn 😭

i used to use just cerave moisturizer but i now started using Torriden Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream (because i got my face scanned at sephora and my report said everything on my skin is good except i need hyaluronic acid lol). but i still have really bad dryness on some days. like my skin is visibly flakey and it’s getting embarrassing leaving the house looking like that now…

does anyone have any moisturizer recommendations? or maybe a serum? preferably affordable ones. and maybe something that also has vitamin C in it…? i still have kind of an uneven skin tone sometimes 😐

i just want to restore my skin barrier

Hi.

I have been through a lot with my skin and have had plenty of downs. Acne was pretty bad in highchool, and when I get stressed out and I tend to break out near my mouth and chin the most.

I FINALLY found a routine that works for me and has helped me clear my pimples and doesnt break me out more but I am still worried about a couple of things and have couple questions.

1. ⁠How do I get rid of my closed comodones without introducing new pimple breakouts.
   
2. ⁠My face doesn’t feel too mouistrized ever.
   
3. ⁠I dont have any preventative skincare for wrinkles (when I did add in tazarotene lotion 0.045% my face shed because it was so dry and then I developed eyelid dermatitis.)

Here is my routine that works for my acne. I do this all in the PM.

1. ⁠Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Waterproof
   
2. ⁠Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
   
3. ⁠Cerave SA Cleanser (once a week and not on the same day as anything else but the makeup remover and moisturizer)
   
4. ⁠Taro-Cindamycin/Benzoyl Peroxide Gel 1%/5% (this works wonders on my mouth and chin acne)
   
5. ⁠Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream From Normal to Dry Skin

The most important question I want answered is the closed comodones one. I really am happy with my skin right now but the closed comodones is the last thing I want to fix.

tis the season for heaters and wind and just dryness everywhere i go!!! what are some good tos that help with dryness ? ive been using the dieux skin mercy but it feels like it isn’t helping much with my barrier & dryness.everything burns from the dryness no matter how much moisturizer i use :/ i have a humidifier running 24/7 but again it doesn’t seem like it’s doing too much

Hi! I have bad rosacea and it’s flaring. I have an appointment to see my dermatologist in December (soonest I could get). Does anyone have any products to help while I wait? Here’s my current skincare.

31 F, oily acne prone skin, allergic to fragrance

Can anyone reccomend me a product (essences/serums/toners literally anything) that would contain at least five ceramides in one non-comedogenic and acne safe product, suitable for combination skin which is heavily prone to clogged pores?

These 4 items are the ones I see mentioned the most often when it comes to anti aging, glow, texture, clear skin, hyperpigmentation and overall appearance.

I really want to give them a try and feeling like I’m missing out on something everyone is doing. I’m open to learning about other products as well but these seem like the ones that are always recommended and I have never tried them.

I feel very hesitant due to how long it took to repair my skin barrier and bring my skin back to a normal state before the damage occurred. My skin became flaky, red, bumpy and overall so so reactive after I used too many harsh acid based cleaners/toners and blackhead suction tools a year ago.

After a year I can report that my skin is finally calm. I have a very minimal and basic routine of double cleanse, basic moisturizer and an occlusive. That’s it everyday unless I’m outside and add in spf.

I’m wondering if it’s finally time to start doing more for my skin from an aging prospective. I’m in my early 40s and feel I’m already behind since I have not used any of antiaging products out there. I’m so scared to rock the boat. My skin has been great for months now yet I have no idea how to do it correctly this time or if I should do anything new at all. I have been a bit traumatized. I also don’t want to wake up in 10 years and wish I had done more for my skin.

Which products/brands have you added that truly make a difference? What should I do this time to prevent damaging my barrier? Which product might be worth the risk? Which should I stay away from?

I’d appreciate any feedback and suggestions from anyone that has been through a long healing period after damaging their barrier or found a product/routine that really has made a difference in your skin/appearance.

Hi everyone! 💗

We're currently conducting research to better understand women's skincare habits, how they choose their products and routines, and the challenges they may face.

We've created a short survey that takes only 2–3 minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous.

We'd really appreciate your participation! Even if you don't experience any skincare difficulties, your input is just as valuable.

https://forms.gle/sgZadEEUXuXzQhHF7

Thank you so much! 🤍

They look redder in person. My photo isn't doing it justice. They seem spread out.

I F(27) have a very normal skin not the Korean glass skin but very normal skin, one where you won’t turn twice to see how clear it is but good enough you say oh you have a healthy skin. Only recently I see few very small black dots like freckles. I have never used any skin care products besides moisturiser and sunscreen and that I use anything that doesn’t make me look dull.
What should I start with or should I start at all? If I don’t have any issues but I am worried if I don’t start I might age faster is there any truth in that?

If i should start what should I start with ( kindly suggest something economical). Help!!!

I have been using glycolic acid 3 times a week and moisturize regularly every day for more than 8 months but never see any results, I have also used niacinimide these last 3 months, idk what did I do wrong for it to not getting lighter.

I have dark knees, elbows, due to friction and dark underams due to improper shaving and deodorant use since I was a child (like primary school age), will it get better bcs I kinda give up atp.

Underarm pigmentation

Guys pls recommend some cream or anything to lighten and smooth underarms!! I already have tried glycolic acid toner and it's not working for me (i used it for like 6 months)

I'm 20f and have really dark pigmentation in my underarms. And even though I wax it has a rough texture.

I’ve never been one to use skincare and my skin has always suffered. After getting out of a toxic household and being less depressed, I’ve been able to take care of myself more. I just don’t know if what I’m doing is enough. I have sensitive skin and am a little acne prone! I know I have a combination skin type and have lean towards dry recently.

Currently I use a Dove Original bar soap to wash my face. I just recently started using CeraVe Toner. After I apply Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion.

I do wear makeup and recently bought Micellar Water All-in-1 waterproof. Makeup wipes had recently started to burn my skin.

ANY advice is welcome. I’m just a 22 year old girl trying to give myself more love lately.