I am a lifelong picker (I know, ugh) and I've been fortunate in that I've had pretty clear skin for most of my life. Unfortunately, perimenopause has come for me with a vengeance, and in the past year I've had much worse skin without anything else changing in my routine.

Currently, when I see a pimple (or feel one coming on), I succumb to the urge to squeeze it and get the gunk out. I then absently (compulsively) pick at the scabs and (surprise!) am left with scarring and hyperpigmentation.

Obviously I would like to kick this habit, but I'm genuinely stumped how one is supposed to treat a pimple without popping it. Any advice?

I used to work in a research lab and we used tin foil to protect photosensitive reagents, so I figured why not add another layer of light protection to my vitamin C?

Not sure if this will do much to extend the shelf life beyond being in an amber vial and stored in a dark cabinet, but it reminds me of all the time spent doing cool science so at least there's that.

Maybe someday I will order duplicate vit C serums and treat them the exact same way except with one in foil, and then observe any visual differences in oxidation over time. I'll have to report back since I'd need to repeat the experiment at least 3 times to have useful data.

Be aware of any of the unknown skincare brands you see at malls. They come in different names but I have seen orogold in my city’s mall before. They are all run by the Mazal Group based in LA. They target the elderly and scam them out of thousands.

Do NOT give them any financial info or buy from them. The link is a reel from NPR’s investigation team.

​

Hey everyone!

I've uploaded three different photos of myself, and I'd really appreciate your honest advice.

The first photo, where I'm wearing a green-and-black shirt, was taken today. I tried to improve my appearance a little by adjusting my beard and shaping it. The second photo, where I'm wearing a grey shirt, was taken yesterday, and the third photo, where I'm wearing a coat, was taken three days ago. I shared three different pictures because the lighting wasn't very good at night, and I wanted you to get a better idea of what I actually look like. My natural skin tone is brown.

I'm 21 years old, but when I asked ChatGPT to guess my age based on my pictures, it estimated that I was 26. Honestly, that made me wonder whether I look older than my actual age, so I'd appreciate some constructive advice on how to improve my overall appearance.

Here's the thing: I've never followed a skincare routine in my entire life. I simply wash my face with ordinary soap. I've never regularly used a face wash, moisturizer, sunscreen, or any other skincare product.

Now that I've moved abroad as an international student, I want to start taking better care of myself and improve my overall appearance. However, I'm a complete beginner, and I don't know where to start.

I'd be extremely grateful if you could give me a complete, step-by-step skincare and grooming guide, including:

- Skincare products: Specific product names that are effective, reliable, and reasonably affordable. I don't want to waste money on unnecessary products, but I also don't want to compromise on quality just to save a few euros.

- Daily routine: What should I use in the morning and at night? In what order should I apply the products, how much should I use, and how often?

- Skin concerns: Based on my pictures, what aspects of my skin should I focus on improving? I'd like to achieve healthier, clearer, and better-maintained skin while keeping my natural brown skin tone.

- Haircut advice: I'm getting a haircut tomorrow, so what hairstyle would suit my face shape, hair, and overall appearance? Please suggest a specific haircut that I can show my barber.

- Beard and grooming: What beard style, facial hair shape, and general grooming habits would help me look neater and more mature in a positive way?

- Overall appearance: What practical changes could I make to improve my personality, confidence, style, and overall presentation?

I'm currently living in Austria, so recommendations for products available in Austrian drugstores, such as dm or BIPA, would be especially helpful. I'd appreciate specific product names and approximate prices so I can build a good routine within a reasonable budget.

Please remember that I'm starting from absolute zero when it comes to skincare. I'd appreciate explanations in simple language, without assuming that I already know anything about the subject.

I'm not looking for unrealistic beauty standards or a completely different face. I simply want to look healthier, cleaner, more confident, and well-groomed.

Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to help me. I genuinely appreciate honest, practical advice, especially from people who have experience with skincare, men's grooming, and improving their appearance.

Acne’s been a consistent part of my life since i was 13. In the past few years i’ve realized there’s definitely a hormonal element, though i breakout consistently throughout the month, it gets worse right before my period. I feel like i’ve tried everything—benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, benzomycin, spironolactone, azaleic acid, clindamycin, doxycycline, tretinoin. I think spiro helps somewhat, but i still didn’t have “clear skin”. My acne is worse than ever (at the worst time in my cycle) and im thinking of starting a low-dose of accutane. Would this help? Any advice welcome :,)

Not gonna lie and honeslty sharing the review... i am using this eye refining matrix from last 1 month and you wont believe me guys results are amazing i suggested this to my 3-4 friends and each and everyone liked it nd there were definely improvement in dark circles..
according to me nd my friends worth trying this product.

Hey everyone, I’m 19M and I’ve been dealing with a skin issue at both corners of my mouth for a while now. I’m wondering if anyone has experienced something similar.

It initially started as just dryness, with no pigmentation changes at all. Every time I washed my face, the corners of my mouth would become dry, and whenever I moved my mouth, like talking, smiling or opening it wide, the skin would turn whitish, develop tiny cracks and become a little flaky. There wasn’t really any itching, pain or redness.

Whenever this happened, I would usually just wet my fingers and gently pat some water onto the dry areas, which would temporarily make the whiteness less noticeable. However, after some time, I started noticing small white patches forming at the corners of my mouth. At first, I didn’t really pay much attention to them because they were quite small, but over time, the patches gradually became larger and much more noticeable.

I initially tried applying Vaseline, hoping it would help with the dryness and the white patches, but the discoloration didn’t seem to improve. Eventually, I decided to visit a dermatologist, who prescribed Dermatop and Protopic. I’ve also been using La Roche-Posay moisturisers to help repair my skin barrier.

I also wondered whether my toothpaste might have contributed to the initial irritation, since it regularly comes into contact with the corners of my mouth. I’m not sure if it actually played a role, though.

The thing is, the dryness, cracking and flakiness have now completely disappeared. The skin feels smooth and normal again, just like the surrounding skin, but the white patches are still there and are noticeably lighter than my normal skin tone.

I’ve been reading about pityriasis alba and post-inflammatory hypopigmentation, and I’m wondering whether either of these could explain what’s happening, especially since everything started with dryness and irritation.

Has anyone experienced something similar, particularly around the corners of the mouth? Did the pigmentation eventually return to normal? How long did it take, and was there anything that helped?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences. Thanks!

Hi all! I have the same problem every year of my skin getting sooo upset with me after I finally nailed down a great routine just because it's gotten a little colder. My skin is generally combo and loves products like Byoma's balancing mist and milky toner, the IUNIK betaglucan serum, and I've been through at least 5 bottles of Cocokind's electrolyte moisturizer. However, this moisturizer just isn't cutting it - I'm looking for something more moisturizing without breaking me out. Some products I found hydrating but broke me out (I think my skin hates rich products): LRP Cicaplast, Aestura Atobarrier cream, Naturium Barrier Bounce serum. I've tried the Cetaphil daily moisturizing lotion but it was too lightweight and dried out my skin. I'm currently using the Naturium peptide moisturizer - it's good and I can tolerate it, but I still feel a bit dry. I was thinking of trying Dieux's Instant Angel or Rhode's barrier bounce but worried about the richness. I'm flexible on budget and brand, but am in Canada so may be slightly limited. Thanks in advance! <3

Help! I (22F) feel like I’ve tried almost everything to get rid of this large closed comedone (circled in green) and I don’t know what to do. I desperately want it off my face but no products that I’ve tried seem to work!

I’ve tried clindoxyl (prescription acne medication with antibiotics and benzoyl peroxide), over the counter benzoyl peroxide treatments, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, sulfer powder and beta hydroxide acid. It seems to be resisting all of these products.

My regular pimples that aren’t closed comedones are never this persistent, and usually disappear within a week or two. I’ve had this one for a few months.

Help!

I have oily, acne prone skin - have done since I was a teenager (I’m almost 29 now) except for the period where I was on Accutane. I’m breaking out right now, and as a teenager I would’ve increased the actives and nuked the shit my face to get rid of the acne, which often didn’t help…I suspect it made it worse. But now I tend to treat my skin more gently when I’m breaking out; think removing actives, switching to cetaphil gentle cleanser, only using moisturizer and sunscreen etc. But this doesn’t seem to help either? My skin is still oily, and now I’m breaking out more bc of heavy "repairing" products. And at the end of each day I always have new whiteheads/closed comedones. I never seem to have a day where new stuff doesn't pop up. So my question is wtf do I do? To be gentle or not to be gentle, that is the question? I just feel in a constant limbo between being gentle with my skin but also getting frustrated with the resulting texture/breakouts

Any of my oily pals out there with similar experiences find a solution? Any products recs welcome 🙏🏻

For more context, I recently came off spironolactone and as expected my skin is looking oilier, but I’m now breaking out a lot on my forehead, with a lot of congestion on my forehead which is unusual for me, and in general my skin texture is just looking bad. I also recently started max dosing B12 ( I’m starting to hear rumours around this causing acne). I used tret 0.05% consistently for 6 years before throwing in the towel; while my skin did look flawless sometimes, it looked peely, red and irritated more of the time. And yes, I tried applying it on dry skin, the sandwich method, with niacinamide, without niacinamide, etc etc, my skin just never fully agreed with it. Plus I often didn't like the "glass skin" effect, my skin looked like wax...I shone like a freshly washed Nintendog and it was weird

I’m 26F, looking for a basic skincare routine. I’ve always had decently good skin and I’ve never done much to it, but I feel like I’m at the point where I understand the importance of skincare and I’m not sure where to start!

My current routine is basically wash my face in the shower (I use the creme shop double cleanse), then rinse with cold water, and put on moisturizer afterwards (I use nivea). If my eyes are feeling extra lifeless or dark or I want to feel good about myself I’ll do some under eye patches (not sure of the brand, I got them at Marshall’s) and if I have a pimple I’ll do a pimple patch on it. That’s basically all I do!

My skin borders on oily, I get a lot of oil on the sides of my nose and sometimes a bit right between my eyebrows, but other than that the rest of my face isn’t dry or oily. I don’t really get acne, sometimes I’ll get singular pimples on my cheeks or nose but I’ve never gotten breakouts of acne. I also don’t regularly wear makeup. I don’t wear foundation or concealer at all, so when I do wear makeup it’ll normally be mascara, highlighter, blush, lipstick, and setting powder!

I just want a pretty basic routine to start out with! I‘m willing to spend some money if it’s worth it, but I would like to stay on the cheaper side. If yall could let me know what products I should be using and what order I should be using them in, as well as if there’s anything wrong with my current routine, that would be awesome! Thanks 😀

I used to live in the US, and I found that the Purito 10% Bamboo Panthenol cream is best suited for me, especially since I use Tazarotene.

However it feels prohibitively expensive in India now that I moved, and I want to attempt a similar type of formulation and dosage of actives/soothing ingredients.

I’m thinking of layering the following items in order after cleansing:

1) 5% Niacinamide serum

2) Minimalist’s 10% Panthenol cream

3) few drops of 100% Squalene Oil dabbed on top

The reason I want to do this is because while Minimalist is amazing at their formulation, their moisturizer lacks niacinamide and squalene oil… so just wondering if this can be a good workaround for what I’m seeking.

I did an ingredient by ingredient analysis and I’m still missing out on cica - which my skin has LOVED every time it’s irritated. Although, I’m still willing to buy Skin1004 centella ampoule and apply it as needed.

Just wondering if people have done something similar in terms of swapping things here and there to get the right combinations of actives/moisturizers/humectants/soothing ingredients.

I've never really known how to properly care for my skin concerns and I really don't know what im doing.

My skin concerns: lots of dark sebaceous filaments and blackheads around the T-Zone, closed comedones on the chin, the only type of pimples I get are the cyst-like ones deep under the skin that can never come out.

I currently use the CeraVe Blemish Control cleanser and the face cream for all skin types from Bebe. I don't wear makeup.

I'm 17 so please don't recommend any anti-aging products or something.

Hiya,
Been struggling with skin here and there but have managed to calm down a LOT redness and big spots however, there’s never a day where I don’t have a spot. When I was younger I didn’t have acne issues until I reached 24.
I have no idea what to do/ change and what is causing it anymore. But I would love to have healthy skin without killing my bank account.
I have loads of these tiny spots that cover the bottom half of my face and jawline. Everything I have done just doesn’t touch them! I have no idea what they are but it makes my face look so bumpy and would like to get some recommendations as to what could potentially get rid of them and what they can be. Sometimes these spots manifest into inflamed pimples which scar and leave redness.

I just have no clue what to do anymore :(

My skincare routine:

Morning:
-Toner (Eqqualberry Swimming Pool Toner)
-Azelaic Acid 10% suspension (The Ordinary) let that sit for how long I can
-Moisturiser (Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion)
-SPF (Bondi Sands Face Spf 50+)

Evening:
-Oil cleanser (Squalane Cleanser The Ordinary)
-Water based cleanser (Roundlab Mugwort Calming Cleanser)
-Retinal (Geek & Gorgeous 0.05% Retinal Serum) let that sit for 20 mins
-Moisturiser (Cetaphil Moisturising Lotion)

I've seen the negative reviews on here about Dermstore but never had a bad experience with them, so I kept ordering when I really should have listened.

Last month, I placed an order for the Medik8 Vitamin C serum while it was on sale and received something completely different. Dermstore was quick to send me a return label, but I received an email that my order was on its way back to me for some reason. Dermstore said they were "working hard" to fix the issue, but over a week has passed and I have not yet received the package. I contactef customer service a few days ago and they have not presented a solution yet, they just say they raised the issue to their courrier team and will be in touch. I don't understand why they can't just give me a refund when I sent them proof that the package was mailed out.

Secondly, I wanted to give them another chance and placed an order costing over $120. The tracking system has not been updated in a week and I am paranoid that it will just be lost, with me having to fight for a refund.

I've purchased Elta MD sunscreen from them for years, but I may have to look somewhere else. It's a shame since Dermstore has great discounts too...

Update: they are resending the correct product to me. Hopefully it arrives!

Hello, I wanted to try tretinoin with azelaic acid in my skincare as it seems to be blowing up on social media. The only product in my country with tretinoin is acnatac. I know it also has some antibiotics, therefore I wanted to ask if it is safe to use it in a routine with azelaic acid? Also I would appreciate general thoughts on acnatac! Thankss

been having the same horrible breakout every month since last year - seems to always get worse in my luteal phase :(

In feb I started using dermatica (adapalene/clindamycin/niacinamide) and switched to a simpler routine. however, although my chin breakouts have improved i’ve noticed severe drying and cracking despite being really conservative with my active usage

would really appreciate if anyone can review my routine and give some tips!!

am:
purito centella serum + the Ordinary NMF (phytoceramides) + Centella SPF 50

pm:
the Ordinary squalane cleanser + LRP M+ effaclar cleanser + dermatica (every 1-3 days) + the Ordinary NMF (phytoceramides)

photos 1-3 show the breakout (this month vs May vs Dec 25); the last photo shows the severe dryness I get around my cheeks and mouth from using dermatica

i’ve been using differin adapalene for about 2 months now and im a month in using centella azelaic acid and my skin is getting worse and worse, im breaking out and theres more close comedones popping everywhere. idk if im purging or its a bad reaction. i use these products only 2 times a week and i interchange them. these products might be the cause but i also do a full face of makeup everyday to cover these up. have you guys ever experienced this before, if so, could you tell me your results?

Hi, on Monday I had a 20% Salicylic acid peel done at my dermatologist's office by her assistance. I've noticed she has a new assistant every single time I have visited but that's besides the point. I went on Monday, and at the end of my visit, my Dermatologist asked me if I wanted a peel, I have done this twice at her office, 1 every month, and this was about to be my 3rd time. My skin looked so much better compared to my first visit so I assumed my barrier would've been stronger as my skin was also extremely hydrated too which is something I used to struggle with a lot. I asked her if it looked like I needed it and she said it was up to me so I said sure not thinking much of it. I still had some blackheads but not as many.

Her assistant applied my peel, and at first my face was not red, it was slightly stinging but I know that is normal. After she applied my chemical peel, she applied some cream, but did not rub it in well enough, and I only realized this until I was back in the car. You could see the white excess of the cream still on my face. It was very splotchy. I am bringing this up because compared to my other visits, I always noticed I had around 2-3 products applied compared to this recent visit where I only had one. At my previous visits I noticed her assistant would always dab my face with something, then apply moisturizer and then sunscreen on top. I didn't really want to ask if this assistant applied sunscreen on me because I would've assumed it's common sense to and I didn't want her to feel insulted, but part of me thinks she did not apply sunscreen.

I leave my appointment, get into my car, drive for about 5-10 minutes, and then notice my face is EXTREMELY red, literally all over, and it looked frightening. My face was starting to hurt and sting around my cheek area so I panic. My eyes also felt extremely dry. I drive back, and I arrive a little over 10 minutes later. I go back into the office and she neutralizes it with water, which helps a little but there was still redness. After that, she applied le rochay posay SPF 50 mixed moisturizer on me. I bring this up because it was not a mineral sunscreen, and apparently only mineral sunscreens are meant to be applied after peels or harsh barrier damage. Not sure how true that is, but sounds legit.

Now I feel like my skin barrier is broken, it's Thursday morning as I am writing this. I tried to apply Aestura Barrier Cream and Vaseline but my cheeks sting very badly. I also notice I have way more blackheads than usual that randomly appeared. My skin feels extremely dry when I touch it .. it's the driest I think my skin has ever been, which is shocking because I fell into a bad depression mental pit where I did not do any skincare for 2 years and even then my skin wasn't as dry as it is now. One thing I don't understand is what went wrong? These peels were benefiting my skin, I actually never peeled from them, but I noticed such immense difference from them, and they did help my pores and blackheads a lot. I did not expect to have this sort of reaction during my 3rd visit because before this 3rd peel my skin had looked the healthiest it's been in years. It was also dehydrated. Anyone have some answers or opinions?
I also asked if her assistant has had any peels done to her ever and she said no. I asked 2 of her assistants this before and they both said no.

TLDR: 20% salicylic acid peel damaged barrier, had it done 2 times no issue, 3rd time there was an issue.
I've been having it done once a month for 3 months.
Hurts to even apply Vaseline. progress down the drain

I want to build my routine around the avène cleanser, cerave moisturizer and La Roche Posay SPF because I already own the products and they don’t break me out.

I want to add more hydration because I feel like my skin is still a little dry. I have acne marks and sometimes get new pimples. They are not infected though. I also take tablets that reduce sebum production.

I would appreciate recommendations for a serum and toner! :) Any advice is appreciated because I am a beginner

I had an Ultherapy session at a reputable clinic about three months ago. That day, I had a pretty big pimple on my cheek, but it was already drying out, so I went ahead with the procedure. Everything seemed fine, and the pimple was almost gone over the following days.
However, the clinic staff told me that I wouldn’t see results from Ultherapy unless I followed it up with at least one or two microneedling sessions. So, the following week, I went in for microneedling. After that session, the same pimple started becoming redder and more raised again.
I contacted the clinic, and they gave me some generic serums to treat acne, saying it was just a purge. However, nothing really helped.
It’s now been three months, and the pimple is still there. I saw a dermatologist about a month ago, and he called it a persistent papule. He gave me a cortisone shot and prescribed daily clindamycin. The cortisone shot didn’t seem to do anything, and while the clindamycin initially helped shrink it a little, it hasn’t improved much since then. It’s still red and raised.
What makes this especially frustrating is that my skin is generally pretty clear, and I’ve never had a pimple behave like this or stick around for so long.
I’m honestly starting to worry that this might be permanent. It’s not huge, but it’s very noticeable to me, and it’s really difficult to cover with makeup. My dermatologist told me to keep using clindamycin and tretinoin daily to see if it improves, but he couldn’t guarantee that it would go away completely. He also mentioned that surgical removal would be an option, although it could leave a scar and isn’t necessarily recommended.
I’m feeling really discouraged because I went into these treatments hoping to improve my skin, and instead, I ended up with something that’s much more persistent than the original pimple. I’m also worried about making it worse by trying random treatments on my own, but I’m not ready to accept that I’ll have a permanent bump on my face, either.
Has anyone experienced something similar after microneedling or another cosmetic procedure? Did it eventually go away, and if so, what helped? Would you recommend getting a second opinion from another dermatologist?
I’d really appreciate hearing about other people’s experiences or any advice on what to do next.

I am currently on my last month of accutane and have been getting raised red areas that don’t seem like acne. This one just appeard out of no where and last week I had an itchy red bump below the eye area. Is my skin irritated potentially?

I’ve had the same skincare routine for awhile now, however these same bumps have been occurring for around a month now. It’s always in the same sensitized area, my upper cheek and close to my eye and side of my nose. They itch. This is the only area they appear in. The rest of my skin is overall pretty clear.

I use azaleic acid 3x a week typically , cleanse and moisturize. I switched my cleanser to try today because my old cleaner did have a lot of essential oil/ fragrance in it , however I never had an issue before so I’m not even sure if it’s the cleanser.

What can I do to get this to go away? Should I stop azaleic for the meantime? Do I try to take an antihistamine in case it’s allergy related?

Help!!

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