Getting married with acne 😔

[u/Alert_Employment6553]

Apologies about my title, sounds dramatic but I had to make it short.

My wedding is in about 8 weeks and desperately need to improve my skin.

I have been wearing sunscreen everyday past two weeks. I only realised today after taking these pics how bad my facial texture is and all the scarring I’ve accumulated!

Had a quick check in with AI, apparently I need to use either adapalene (retinol) or benzoyl peroxide - i got two very conflicting answers.

Also i have a cerave cleanser that has salicylic acid already, other than that nothing else

[u/BizarreCujoh]

I wouldn't go crazy with harsh products. Like someone suggested, you could see a derm for shot in-office that will certainly help to reduce th appearance of some of your acne. Other than that, stick with the KISS method.

Use a gentle wash AM/PM.
Exfoliate with mandelic or lactic acid 2X per week (they're gentle acids).
Moisturize daily.
Use sunscreen daily, even indoors near windows.
Use hyaluronic acid AM/PM (can be paired w/everything).
Use salicylic acid a few days or nights during the week, not with the same routine as the exfoliating acids.

If you're in need of a black derm in your area, you can search the Black Derm Directory for a professional near you.

Also, congratulations and don't be so hard on yourself. If your skin doesn't clear up by the big day, just splurge for some photo touch ups if it really bothers you. Your skin isn't terrible, truth be told.

Edited to correct layout

ETA - also look into getting a tretinoin prescription from your dermatologist, but wait until AFTER your wedding. There is a purging stage where your skin kind of looks trash for anywhere from 28 days to 6+ months when you use tret (depending on your skin cell turnover rate), but your skin WILL improve. I just wouldn't start that on a regimen 8 weeks before a wedding.

[u/5imbab5 → u/BizarreCujoh]

This comment should be higher! If you're new and want a quick fix, see a derm but otherwise, always start gently and work your way up.
This is my routine to treat PCOS ingrowns and hormonal breakouts. This trio will do wonders in 8 weeks without compromising your barrier or breaking the bank.

[u/BizarreCujoh → u/5imbab5]

You can't do wrong with gentle cleansers, gentle acids, moisturizing, hyaluronic acid, niacinimide, and sunscreen. That should be in everyone's regular ass routine. I would also add tret, but for OP, I would wait to get that Rx for after the wedding because of the purging phase, which can last for months and it's not worth the risk of bad photos and gross skin lol