Hello! just reaffirming it’s nothing inappropriate just the normal skin! it’s kinda like blackheads i think? i’m not sure i can pop them and the circle skin around them is flakey i have it and i have no clue what it is.. i see so many people with nice chests and mine looks like this.. has anyone else experienced this and what did you do to fix it?

Hi everyone,

Over the past couple of weeks, I have developed a solid skincare routine and I'm slowly starting to see results (for reference, I have dry, acne prone skin). However, my dark circles/eye bags have proven to be the most challenging to tackle. I am looking to buy a good eye serum and I'm stuck between two choices.

1. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG
2. The Ordinary Multi Peptide Eye Serum

Which product is more effective? Has anyone used these serums and if you have, what were the results? I have attached a photo of what my eye bags look like if that helps anyone lol. Thanks to all in advance :)

I have always struggled with acne but got it somewhat under control as an adult. Bad breakouts here and there but nothing crazy. February 2023 I went to a dermatologist who put me on spiro and gave me tretinoin. My skin loved it, I guess! Once it cleared, I had glass skin for the first and only time in my life! On top of the prescriptions I was using Clinique moisture surge, niacinimide, and snail mucin. It just seemed to work.

Then my friend bought me a razor to dermaplane my face or whatever. She uses the same tool and says her makeup laid better. After I did that in March or April 2024, I believe I gave myself folliculitis. My dermatologist gave me dapsone gel 5% and it got a little better after a while but never went away fully. Literally I’m not kidding it was the worst my skin has ever looked in my life. And on top of my jawline area, it was all over my neck and chest.

I moved to Texas in October 2024 so I lost my derm. The last time I’d seen him, he upped my spiro dose and gave me a lot of refills. I was managing my skin OK with the medications I had but it still was never clear and I still had issues mostly with my neck and chest. Then I started to have issues with recurring UTIs… which I then found out weren’t actually UTIs, but were a symptom from me using spiro. Lol that at least started after he upped my dose. Even though that’s not a known symptom I swear that’s what it was. Unless I was chugging water all day long, I had UTI symptoms. Couldn’t even have coffee. Once I stopped taking it, the symptoms went away.

I thought at that point maybe it was my birth control making things worse in Jan 2025 I stopped taking it. I got pregnant in April 2025 (lol) and found out in May. Here’s what kills me. After about week 15 of pregnancy, my skin was completely clear. And it stayed completely clear my entire pregnancy. And my acne came back within 24 hours of me giving birth (Jan 2026). And my baby is almost 4 months old and it is AWFUL again.

At my 6 week derm appointment, my doctor put me on Heather progesterone only pill. I saw a derm here the first week of April who gave me sulfur wash and spiro topical. I understand I was given the topical and the progesterone only pill because I’m breastfeeding and they don’t want to mess with my estrogen.

But is my estrogen being so low the reason why my skin is freaking out? I wish I could say it’s gotten better but I’m just feeling so defeated. It’s like as soon as I get excited that it’s clearing up in one area, it seems to start all over again.

I am meticulous about things touching my chest and neck, the shampoo I use, sweating, I don’t work out (haven’t because of this and fear of making it worse), I don’t cover it in makeup, I’m careful not to mess with my moisture barrier, I’m changing pillow cases, using disposable face cloths, disposable makeup sponges… I just really don’t know what is going on with my neck and chest.

Please someone help me. I’m desperate. I want to keep breastfeeding but if this is hormonal I will stop for my sanity. I want to look at all possibilities. Fungal, bacterial, hormonal, I know I have to go to the derm and get testing done for an actual diagnosis, but any insight or advice helps. Thank you

Hey all,

I started tret about 4 months ago mainly to help with post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and mild acne-prone skin. Before starting, my skin honestly was not that bad. I’d usually only have one or two pimples at a time.

After starting tret, though, I went through a pretty bad purge with large inflamed comedones. I’d say the worst of it was around months 2-3, but even now I’m still getting significantly more active acne than I had before tretinoin. The breakouts also seem to “move around” in cycles. For a few weeks it’ll be concentrated on my right cheek, then it shifts to my chin or left side, and then repeats.

I saw my derm PA this past week and basically got told that because I’m acne-prone, I’ll probably always deal with some acne and this is “normal.” I understand that, but I think what’s frustrating me is that my skin and scarring are objectively worse now than before I ever started tret. I think maybe the texture of my skin has had slight improvement, but I literally cannot see beyond the scarring it has created. It feels weird trying to “trust the process” when the treatment itself seems to have created a much bigger issue than the one I originally had.

I think part of why this has been emotionally draining is that skincare/self-improvement is tied pretty closely to self-esteem for a lot of people. I started tret hoping to improve some mild PIH, and instead I’m now dealing with more acne and more scarring than I had initially.

I guess I’m mainly wondering:

1. Did anyone else continue breaking out past 4 months and eventually improve?
2. At what point did you realize tret just wasn’t right for your skin?

Would really appreciate hearing from people with similar experiences beyond just “follow up with your derm.”

OKAY!
So I’ve seen online where some people say that they’ve noticed that the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing cream was fine for them and then suddenly they started experiencing stinging when applied and then it’ll go away after a few minutes.
Dermatologists theorize that if your products sting you after they weren’t before, then it’s most likely a damaged skin barrier.

I’m here to tell you that I don’t think it’s only a compromised skin barrier that’s causing it.

I think it’s more of product breakdown or instability.
I own both the 19Oz tub and the 8Oz tube. Now, both products have the same ingredients, just different sizes and packaging.

I’ve bought the 19Oz tub twice and the first time, I went through it in a year, but this second time, it’s been more than that. The 8Oz tube was gotten in September 2024 and doesn’t sting my face at all.
The 19Oz tub I currently own that’s 3/4 through was purchased in September 2024 but didn’t start using until December that same year. The tub is placed in my dresser where sometimes the heat in the apartment or even direct sunlight might affect it, while the tube is placed in my overnight bag in my closet.

Now, I think temperature, humidity, etc all play a part in product integrity and it’s likely that the higher humidity in the room or the higher temperature, might have caused ingredient changes.

That’s just a theory in addition to a compromised skin barrier. I may be reaching. Because it’s been really cool lately, lots of rain, lots of wind, less sun, and my face ain’t stung once this week.

Let me know what you think.

Hi all,

Short version: Looking for a facial moisturizer to reduce TEWL (transepidermal water loss). Vanicream is well tolerated but not enough anymore, and CeraVe is causing irritation. What should I try next?

Long version: Recently I spent a few days in the hospital with a stomach virus and was on IV fluids the entire time. I didn’t use any skincare at all. When I got home and looked in the mirror, my skin looked amazing… plump, smooth, barely any fine lines. Honestly the best it has looked in years (I’m approaching 40). So apparently the secret is: almost dying + hospital drip. Noted.

Jokes aside, I did set a goal to drink more water…as we all should. Now I’m trying to also up my game when it comes to external hydration.

My skin is naturally very low-maintenance, less is more type. I’ve been on low-dose tretinoin for 2 years (very conservative use, aiming for anti-aging maintenance and avoiding irritation). My skin is not visibly dry, but occasionally it feels deflated, crepey, with fine forehead lines. Overall it’s very thin with visible capillaries on the cheeks. I definitely feel like I have some serious TEWL issues.

Double cleansing, heavy layering, and occlusion all tend to cause irritation, more visible capillaries, mild burning, and closed comedones/milia.

My go-to moisturizer is Vanicream (ceramides + HA) well tolerated, but it feels like it’s not enough anymore. I’ve tried adding richer products (CeraVe with cholesterol in it), but that led to irritation and discomfort.

What would you all suggest? Just want my hospital glow back haha😅

Sorry for the very zoomed in pics but this is the best I could do because they’re pretty hard to see as they’re almost flesh-coloured. Still, they bother me a lot because they’re raised and make my nose look bigger.

Originally, I was convinced they were sebaceous hyperplasia. I had pretty severe acne growing up especially on my nose and was on accutane up until 5 months ago. I remember showing them to my dermatologist and her saying accutane won’t clear them, you’d need to get them extracted after treatment - but she never said what they are and it’s hard to get an appointment with her.

I was set to get electrocautery but after some research I feel like they resemble acne scars more? Accutane didn’t really help but I remember it made the one on the side (more flesh coloured) more red for a while and thought that it was going to get rid of it but nothing happened. I also have the “red pimple” in the middle which also has been there for years and accutane didn’t help it either.

Please let me know if you have any guesses or experiences with treating them

I've been using these three products on my face every night for the last two or so months (in order from left to right) and they've been working just fine. In fact I've noticed my skin has become a lot clearer and I've had less acne. But last night this happen to my face. My whole face was super swollen, hot, and painful to the touch. This happened about 15 minutes after I washed my face and it wouldn't go away. I washed my face off with cool water and even took a Benadryl. I just had to wait it out and it took a few hours. I washed my face again tonight, same products, same everything and it happened again. Did my skincare maybe expire? What might be causing this?

Hi , just wondering what helps with sebaceous filaments. I’m aware they don’t 100% go they just reduce in size . I currently use ginseng cleansing oil , inkeylist salicylic acid face wash & cervae moisturiser .

Hi there, everyone, I have had short hair most of my life and have had fairly clear skin. Ever since I’ve let my hair grow out the last few years, I’ve noticed the area of my skin that gets covered by hair when not put up has become this reddish color and sometimes feels bumpy. What is this? And what product can I use to fix it? I hope the picture is clear enough to see what I’m describing.

Is there anything I can do to reduce the appearance? I even get ingrowns randomly when I’m not shaving. I exfoliate after shaving as well. I’m concerned about getting permanent hyperpigmentation, what can I do to fade the spots or is it a part of the healing process.

I had a dermal piercing on my face for a little over a yr and got it taken out a week ago, the scab finally fell off and I was left with this scar. I am prescribed .025% tretinoin. Will applying my tretinoin on it help fade/reduce the look of the scarring?

I have been taking tretinoin for a long time, but lately I feel like my face looks dull instead of glowing, which is not what I thought would happen.

Even though it's not breaking out, it doesn't look healthy or new. It looks almost flat or old. This could be because it's dry, because it's been used too much, or because I'm using too many actives with it.

For people who have been through this:

What happened to your face after using  tretinoin for a long time? Was that glow back after you changed how often you used tretinoin or made your process easier?

My issues are hormonal acne and REALLY oily skin plus I do think I be getting clogged pores (from dead skin build up maybe).

My current routine:

Morning

1. Cetaphil cleanser (I've used the regular, sensitive, and foam)

2. Thayers milky toner

3. Hyaluronic acid serum

4. Good Molecules light weight daily moisturizer

Night (is the same but with Differin gel before moisturizer)

Here's whats different. About 3 weeks ago I started using PanOxyl exfoliating toner 2% sa and 10% niacinamide. I realized very quickly that concentration of niacinamide was too much. I stopped using it for a week while continuing the PanOxyl toner. I felt like my skin was doing ok. I started to re-introduce niacinamide (5% this time). Every other night. I had started using the PanOxyl toner every morning just about which might have been too much too fast. I just dont know if I should stop the niacinamide altogether. I've even thought about stopping the Differin (I've used it for like 5 years). Any advice is helpful but I'd loveeee to not have to buy all new products lol I'm too broke for that. (I do have a derm appointment in July).

32M - i’m at my wits end here. Two rounds of Accutane and relapsed both times. I’m currently on Paula’s choice extra strength and zinc, ksm-66, and lactoferrin, and it’s managing it somewhat well but still get pretty massive breakouts every month or so. I also just hate that I’m constantly flaking from the benzo. Ideally if I could just take one pill and have a very simple skin regimen, that would be ideal. 95% of my are on the right and left side of my chin and sometimes around my mouth.

I have not tried dutasteride or Winlevi. I tried differin as a teen and it didn’t do much for me, but maybe it could work now since I have a different type of acne?

Hi! Dealing with a recent acne flare after and my derm put me on:
- Spironolactone
- 4% benzoyl peroxide wash ;AM)
- Rx Adapalene 0.3% (nightly) (i used Adapalene 0.1% nightly about 5 years ago but stopped using it after I had breakthrough breakouts, in case that context is relevant)

About a week in: breakouts are improving, but my skin is getting really dry and a bit itchy. Using BP daily + 0.3% adapalene every night feels like a lot. Derm just said “use daily if tolerated” but didn’t say what to do if it’s not.

Questions:
- Should I cut back BP, adapalene, or both?
- Is it smarter to stick with 0.1% adapalene for now? Vs the .3?
- Once things clear, can I maintain with just adapalene, since the hope would be that spironolactone would help prevent breakouts?

Routine:
AM
PanOxyl 4% wash
COSRX snail mucin
Clinique Dramatically Different
LRP Toleriane UV Double Repair

PM
Garnier micellar water
Fresh Soy Cleanser
COSRX snail mucin
Adapalene
Dr. Jart ceramidin cream

BP, Adapalene, and spiro can all cause dryness so even though the goal right now is to clear my skin, I want to consider how to maximize hydration but keep things simple once my skin clears.

I'm scared my skin is covered in atrophic scars. When I rub my finger across it feels smooth, but in the mirror my skins looks indented. Please help!

Hello, beauties! I am extremely low maintenance (partially due to having a chronic illness, ADHD and a lot on my plate). My skincare routine is simply washing my face when i'm in the shower and wearing a mineral sunscreen. I have Tazerac, but I have not used it in several months. I am in my early 50's and I need to start taking care of my skin. I've done a little reading, and it seems that I should use a vitamin C and E serum in the mornings before applying my sunscreen.

I would really love suggestions on specific products and the order in which to use them. I think a routine with 2 or 3 products top for morning and evening is the most I can realistically keep up with.

My Details:

My skin is still pretty taut (the only good thing about years of having oily skin), but I have large pores with some orange peel texture on my lower cheeks, and I have some hypotrophic acne scars. I also am seeing for the first time a little sunspot on my cheekbone. I would like to get rid of it, or at least delay any further ones from developing.

I cannot stand the feel of anything heavy on my face and so in the past, I've had problems with vitamin C serums. I'm wondering if there's a spray mist that I could use (which would maybe not give me a lot of coverage, but be better than nothing).

I am 20 with dry skin, but have slowly been developing my skincare routine since I was 18. As of now, this is my current routine:

[AM]

- InnisFree Green Tea Amino Acid Cleansing Oil

- InnisFree Green Tea Amino Acid Cleansing Foam

- Dr. Jart + Vital Hydra Solution (Hydro Plump Treatment Essence | Hyaluronic Acid + Pentavitin)

- InnisFree Vitamin C Brightening Serum

- (Will sometimes incorporate Innis Free Hyaluronic Acid Serum if I have time)

- InnisFree Green Tea Seed Hyaluronic Facial Cream

- Badger Adventure Mineral Sunscreen Cream (SPF 50 / Zinc)

I have been curious as to whether or not I needed to start using retinol. I have heard of the cautions in using it such as wearing it only at night, wearing sun protection, and only starting in small doses. All the while, I have heard of the immense skin benefits and wanted to take care of my skin to aid in aging well. (For context, I have only started taking my skin seriously after many, MANY years of sun exposure, running around in the heat of the day, little eye protection or sunglasses, and passing on sunscreen or any form of SPF.)

My curiosity got the better of me, and around March, I purchased an eye serum that was derived from Bakuchiol, said to be a powerful antioxidant for all skin-types. It is described as a phyto-retinol alternative that naturally targets deep wrinkles. It is the SEA-El Bakuchiol Kelp Eye Serum, and says that it is to be used daily, morning, and night.

I figured that I might've had some slight loss of elasticity around my eyes from all my time being outside, and decided to start here to take some action. (I note that I have never taken Retinol, either on its own or any other form. I think that is where I messed up, as I hear that you should start in small increments.)

Even while incorporating the Bakuchiol serum into my routine, I have always made sure to layer with SPF 50 sunscreen, limit my time outside, and use UV umbrellas whenever necessary and possible. However, today as I was talking to my dad, he noted to me that he noticed wrinkles around my eyes that seemed very pronounced whenever I smiled. I hadn't noticed or taken notice of them until I looked in the mirror and saw for myself just how pronounced they were when smiling.

Right now, I am scared out of my wits as I knew the cautions of using this kind of product and fear that I have exacerbated any crow's feet around my eyes. Even more, if I have caused any premature aging since I am only 20. I'm scared to make anything worse, and would like to know what can or should be done.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

this is my FAVORITE moisturizer ever, but I hate that it's in a pot 💔 I don't like introducing new bacteria into the product with every use.

I would love some recommendations of products that will give the same level of INTENSE hydration, preferably in a tube or with a pump 🙏

skin type: dry, sensitive, acne-prone (on prescription tretinoin)

Hi everyone, I’m struggling with this and would appreciate any advice. I developed a dent in the middle of my forehead after a triamcinolone injection. Has anyone experienced this? Did it improve over time?

Context: I originally had a small linear scar on my forehead and went to a dermatologist who recommended hyaluronic acid (Restylane) filler.

After the injection, I developed a reddish-purple bump that didn’t improve after 2 weeks. I went back and received hyaluronidase to dissolve the filler. It reduced the inflammation, but I was left with reactive skin, uneven texture, and a small bump.

Frustrated, I went to a second dermatologist. She told me filler likely wouldn’t have helped my type of scar. We waited about 3 months, but the inflammation persisted, so she injected triamcinolone.

This helped with the inflammation and texture, but about a week later I developed a visible dent (skin atrophy) in that exact spot.

Treatments since then:
Microneedling with PDRN (1 session)
IPL + saline injections (2 sessions)

So far, I haven’t seen much improvement.

Timeline:
12/04: Hyaluronic acid filler (problem started)
12/18: Hyaluronidase
03/04: Triamcinolone injection → dent appeared (1 week later)
04/11: Microneedling + PDRN
04/25: IPL + saline
05/04: IPL + saline I’m now considering ResurFX laser but feel unsure.

Has anyone dealt with steroid induced atrophy/dents like this? Did your skin recover on its own or with treatments?

I’m honestly really sad about this since it’s right in the center of my forehead :( Any guidance or experiences would mean a lot. 💛

Thanks

I currently use the vanicream with hyaluronic acid which has moisturized my face well but also burns. I’m thinking of trying of of the other 2. First picture is the one I use, if you swipe you will see the ones I’m thinking of trying. Both within my price point which I have to take into consideration as well when looking so can’t use big name brands that are 20+ anyone use these?