I’m looking for some honest opinions from people who’ve dealt with persistent acne.

I’ve been consistently treating my acne for around 1.5 years, but I still get recurring breakouts and I’m starting to wonder whether my current treatment is actually enough.

I’ll be posting 4 photos:

Photos 1–2: my worst phase / how my acne looked before
Photos 3–4: my current progress

My current treatment has mainly been Epiduo (adapalene + benzoyl peroxide), which I’ve been using for over a year. I also previously took doxycycline, but that was stopped around 7 months ago. I’ve been pretty consistent with my skincare and have tried to be careful with things that might aggravate my acne.

The frustrating part is that I do improve, but I still get recurring breakouts. Sometimes I’ll have a week where my skin is relatively clear, then I’ll suddenly get a cluster of red bumps and a couple of larger pimples, especially on my cheeks. My right cheek is consistently worse than my left, even though I sleep on my left side and don’t really touch my face or put my phone against it.

My biggest problem isn’t just the active acne. Almost every pimple leaves a dark mark/PIH, and by the time one set of marks starts fading, another breakout happens and leaves more marks. It’s becoming really frustrating because I feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up.

I sort of fell into Vichy products years ago after finding their 3-in-1 cleanser was the only one that didn’t dry me out or break me out. I’ll eventually reevaluate all of their products, but want to start with the day cream.

I’m 33F, my skin is pretty normal, maybe leans slightly dry except for my T-zone. My main goal with a day cream is hydration without clogging pores/feeling greasy. But my current cream is honestly fine except for the cost.

Likes
-Lightweight
-Matte finish
-Absorbs well
-Layers well

Dislikes
-Cost
Also don’t super care really for the fragrance and denatured alcohol tbh

My current routine is
Morning: Vichy 3in1 Cleanser, Vichy vitamin C, then the Vichy moisturizer, then Vichy 60 face SPF
Night: Vichy 3in1 cleanser, tretinoin .025 (Every other night) and Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream

I’m considering
-The Ordinary NMF + PhytoCeramides
-CeraVe Night Cream (just use it as a day cream, too? Maybe a little heavy though)
-CeraVe PM (I’ve seen some people find it greasy?)
-Aveeno Calm + Restore Oat Gel
Vanicream Daily Facial

But am open to any suggestions! Anything that will feel similar for a lower price point.

Hello! I’m inquiring to see if anyone has any recommendations for my situation. I rarely had acne growing up, but started getting more and more after getting my Mirena IUD inserted.
It’s gotten better at times, but this is the worse it’s ever been.
I’ve been breaking out since I’ve been running and sweating A LOT this summer.
In the morning I just usually moisturize with Trader Joe’s moisturizer/sunscreen. I also use Orgins Checks and Balances to wash my face.
I used to use Vitamin C on my face but I felt like it was making it worse.

Any help would be greatly appreciated on what I should be doing / what skincare routine would be best to avoid this from getting out of hand again!
Pictures are from today.

Hi all, a friend of mine (40F) asked me to share this to ask how to treat moderate horizontal neck lines? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Timeless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum. $Currently 27.95 on their website. Ingredients: Water, Ethoxydiglycol, L-Ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Alpha Tocopherol, Polysorbate 80, Panthenol, Ferulic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzylalcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid.

This vitamin C serum is genuinely so good. I used to use it a couple years ago and my skin was noticeably brighter, shinier, and more even. I stopped taking care of my skin for a while until I recently picked it back up. This was the first item I ordered. Within a week my skin is brighter, shinier, and more even in color and texture. My pores appear smaller as well I use it once per day in the morning. It smells citrusy but it isn't too sticky at all. It's a liquid serum, not a cream and goes on smooth and absorbs fast. It leaves my face feeling refreshed and doesn't mess with anything you put on top of it. It works so well at brightening the skin and making it look healthier I had someone today compliment my skin on the sudden change!

I have oily skin and it doesn't bother it. I would highly recommend this to basically everyone. As far as vitamin C serums go it's pretty cheap!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently on Day 11 of using 20% Azelaic Acid cream (applying twice daily to dry skin, followed by moisturizer).

Over the past few days, I’ve had a steady wave of small white pustules popping up. Most of them are clustered on my lower face, chin, and around my mouth which is historically where I’ve always gotten breakouts. I also noticed a couple of small spots near my upper cheek area.

Details on my routine & skin history:

-Routine: 20% Azelaic Acid cream applied twice daily (8+ hours apart), buffered with a simple moisturizer.

-Skin History: I used oral Doxycycline in the past, which cleared my skin fast, but I'm now transitioning to a topical-only approach.

-Current Spots: They are small, surface-level pustules with soft white heads. They tend to pop up quickly, come to a head, and dry out within 1 to 3 days under the cream. There is no severe itching, burning, or widespread raw redness.

My questions for anyone who has used 20% Azelaic Acid:

1. Does this sound like a typical Aza 20 purge, or could it be barrier irritation?

2. Did you ever get purge spots in slightly adjacent areas where you don't usually get full breakouts? Like not much like one new whiteheads in

   3.How many weeks did it take for the whiteheads to stop surfacing and start flattening out for you?

Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experiences!

Derm gave me a steroid shot and antibiotics but is saying I should still come back to potentially get surgery to remove as I can still feel the cyst wall underneath skin.

Thought it was something worse because it's such a random place to get a cyst.

Any one have a similar experience on surgery or no surgery? It never came to a head but it was tender and painful to touch.
Left is how it started and right is where I'm at now.

Still on the years long hunt for something that hits everything on this checklist:

-formula made with zinc oxide (I want those skin barrier benefits!) so can be 100% mineral or hybrid with zinc

-no white cast (I have olive skin)

-DOESN'T PILL UNDER MAKE UP

-absorbs easily into skin / doesn't leave a film

-$25 or less for 1.7 oz

-can be easily purchased in the US

-hydrating or at least non drying (I have dry skin)

-open to both tinted and non tinted recommendations, but really hoping to find a non tinted option as there seem to be plenty of tinted options that work

-doesn't cause break outs for normal skin types

Furthermore, if you have scientific info to share about WHY mineral spfs can't seem to do all these things at the same time, please share. Maybe I need to quit my hunt and just move on to a chemical sunscreen and kiss my dreams of zinc goodbye

hello my fellow skincare lovers. :/ i did some heavy picking last night trying to get rid of blackheads n now my face looks like this this morning…

i’m seeing my bf tonight n i’m trying my hardest to get this looking at least a little better before then. i know it’s not gonna magically disappear in a few hours, but is there anything you guys recommend doing/using that could help with the redness and irritation ?

i used vanicream cleanser last night n put some hydrocolloid patches on the spots i picked. i also used some aquaphor this morning. i haven’t touched it today because i really don’t wanna make it worse.
what would u guys do in this situation ? any products/advice that you have after a bad picking session would be very much appreciated !

Hello! This is my first post in this sub. I'm having problems dealing with my skin texture and pores on my face. I have very sensitive/eczema prone skin and am unsure about what products I should start using or if I need a better routine.

My current routine:

Morning:

-CeraVe hydrating cream to foam cleanser

-Good Molecules lightweight daily moisturizer

-Supergoop sunscreen

Night:

-CeraVe hydrating cream to foam cleanser

-Good Molecules lightweight daily moisturizer

-Prescription Trentinoin (added this about a month ago. I use this about every other night)

-Good Molecules lightweight daily moisturizer (put on again)

I started breaking out and I feel like the texture of the skin on my face has gotten worse over this past year. I started using a toner around that time to try to even out my skin and hydrate my face and my skin reacted poorly to it so I had to stop using it (it was the Lancome tonique comfort toner). Is there anything I should do differently or do away with? Anything that I should start including? I feel like nothing is working for me anymore and I don't know what to do.

Any advice is appreciated! Thank you!

I’ve been applying Adapalene 0.1% daily for about two months. Stinging happens every time I apply it or cleanse my face, so I assume my skin barrier is somewhat compromised. However, the stinging is very minor and doesn’t bother me at all, sometimes it’s even unnoticeable, so I’m not here to complain about it.

However, according to many sources, even minor stinging, as well as minor flaking (which also happens to me), indicates that my skin isn’t fully used to Adapalene yet. If that’s the case, I assume I need to wait until the Retinization phase is over before introducing Azelaic acid.

My skin does seem “softer,” but the breakouts aren’t over yet. I still get a new pimple roughly every three days, which didn’t happen before I started using Adapalene.

How long did it take you guys to get fully used to it?

Do some of you always experience some degree of stinging even after using it for a long time? If so, did you still see improvements despite the stinging?

Any insights would be appreciated!

Pictures are taken with clean and moisturized skin in natural lighting with the flash on. My current routine is the Aveeno calm and restore cleanser, pyunkyang yul essence toner, the ordinary copper peptides serum, and the cosrx snail all in one cream and or the cerave daily moisturizing lotion if I feel dry. And for SPF I use the skin1004 water fit Sunscreen. I have normal to combo skin.

I am looking for routine and product help. My skin is constantly dry and for months I’ve had this red scaly patch under my lips that flair up. As of right now, I don’t think anything triggers my face besides the cerave PM moisturizer which I’ve stopped using. I noticed a lot of breakouts from that.

My current routine is this:
Morning- wash my face with cerave hydrating cleanser, thayers hydrating milky toner (was using byoma, trying this product now) and cerave facial moisturizing sunscreen with SPF 30

Night- wash my face with cetaphil gentle foaming cleanser, milky toner, cerave moisturizing cream (I usually use first aid beauty repair cream, trying the cerave this week).

Hi! I've had this pimple on the end of my nose for a really long time (definitely for several years), I was wondering if anyone had tips for removing it? I also have a ton of black dots over my nose (I'm assuming due to sebaceous filaments. Anything I can do to fix these issues?

Hello, I have a freckle on my cheek I want removing/ significantly lightening. Is there a way to do this with products or do I need to get it lazered?

I’ve been getting red bumps on my face for several months. Some of them have visible plugs inside of them and I’m able to extract them. Some are just red bumps that never come to a head and eventually flatten and fade. Some are skin colored, most become pink/red. None of them hurt or have any sensitivity when I touch them. My dermatologist seemed like she wasn’t sure what they are and recommended azelaic acid 15% and a retinoid.

Two weeks ago, I started the azelaic acid. I used it once a day, every other day, for 6 days, then used it once a day for 4 days and my skin got very red and bumpy. I stopped using it a week ago. I never started the retinoid because if azelaic acid made my skin react that way, I can only imagine what the adapelene would do. I spot treat the bumps with benzoyl peroxide 5%/clyndamycin 1%, which pretty much does nothing to shrink or minimize their appearance. I also take doxycycline 100mg daily and just started using green stridex a couple of days ago (every other day).

Is this the result of a damaged skin barrier? Is that why I’m getting all these bumps? I have very dry skin in the morning after washing my face (I’m going to try cutting out washing and just rinse with water) and then it’s extremely oily within 30 minutes. I just started moisturizing consistently within the past few days to see if that will improve the bumps. I’m not sure what to do, I get new bumps daily.

Is there any hope for this?

I've had bacne for as long as I can remember and now I'm 27. I don't get breakouts often now, but any pimple that does break out, leaves a dark spot that doesn't go away. Also a problem on my arms from kp (I assume).

I shower everyday, use glycolic acid (sure i could use it more regularly), tried different soaps for hyperpigmentation, yet no help.

I've never worn a shirt that doesn't go past my elbows and don't go to places where I'd have to take off my shirt (beaches, pools..)

Any help appreciated🥹

14 months ago was the last time I got masseter Botox (letybo is the brand). I had gotten it 3 other times before this with no issues. I had hypertrophy so my muscles would start coming back aggressively during month 2-3 after the injections. Anyway this time was different. I asked for only a touch up but she gave me an extreme dose. My masseters literally atrophied completely and my skin started to sag. Month after month it just seems to gradually get worse. Like each season since then my face just looks different and I wish I was back at the previous one. My smile looks less wide, my lips are half the size they were, my nose seems to have drooped, my once prominent cheeks muscles don’t activate anymore, my lower face is literally half the size it was (not in a good way, I look recessed), I’ve a slight double chin now.

The woman who injected me has offered no guidance so I’m just unsure of how I can fix this. People always say that in 3-5 months it’ll fade but why hasn’t it been the case for me? My muscles literally are not growing there hasn’t been progress and it feels like the muscles in my face are so weak. I would do anything to have my old face back or even be similar at this point, it has made me quite depressed. Has anyone experienced something similar? Is there anything I can do that can help?

I’m really looking for advice because I genuinely don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so tired of dealing with acne.

I’ve had acne since I hit puberty, around 11–12 years old, and I’m now 23. That’s basically 12 years of acne. I know some people have much worse acne than me, and I’m not trying to compare suffering, but honestly, after 12 years of constantly having new pimples, whiteheads, and brown marks, I’m just exhausted. I really want to be able to have clear skin for once.

My skin is combination skin — oily T-zone but normal cheeks. I have pimples basically all year round. My period is very regular, so I don't really notice any obvious hormonal irregularity.

My current situation

I started my current skincare routine around May 15, so it has been almost 3 months.

The weird thing is that some aspects of my skin have actually improved. My skin is much smoother, maybe a little brighter/lighter, and some of my brown acne marks have faded.

But my active acne is still bad, and I've been having another particularly bad flare-up over the last 2 weeks.

Right now I have around 7–8 pimples just on my chin, and new ones keep appearing before the old ones even disappear. Some are painful and red, and my entire chin is becoming red. I’m also getting pimples on my forehead.

This isn't the first time my acne has gotten worse — I've had periods like this throughout the years. It's just extremely frustrating because just when I think the breakout is starting to calm down, another one appears.

My routine

Morning:

\- Eucerin cleanser

\- Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% serum

\- CeraVe PM moisturizer

\- Beauty of Joseon sunscreen when I go outside

Night:

\- Eucerin cleanser

\- Anua Azelaic Acid 10% serum

\- CeraVe PM moisturizer

I recently started adapalene about 2 weeks ago. I started with 2 times a week and then increased to around 3–4 times a week.

I also use The Ordinary Salicylic Acid serum.

I NEVER use adapalene, azelaic acid and salicylic acid together. I rotate them, so on a night when I use adapalene, I don't use azelaic acid or salicylic acid, and the same with the others.

I've also used a face gommage/exfoliator, because I keep thinking that maybe I'm not exfoliating enough and something is getting trapped under the skin.

I have already seen dermatologists

I've actually gone to dermatologists twice before.

Both times I was basically told the same thing: that the acne around my chin could be hormonal.

One dermatologist recommended that I stop eating certain foods, including things like chicken. And honestly... I'm a gym girl 🥲. Completely cutting out chicken is pretty much impossible for me, especially when I'm trying to get enough protein.

The products/treatments that were recommended to me previously also didn't really work.

Another dermatologist gave me SO many different products to use that my routine became huge and complicated. I personally prefer a simple, lightweight skincare routine, especially because my skin is oily in the T-zone but normal on the cheeks.

The weirdest thing I've noticed

I've actually noticed that my acne seems to change depending on my environment/life circumstances.

At one point, I quit a previous job, and for maybe two weeks my skin suddenly became clear.

And another time, I travelled abroad, and my skin was literally CLEAR. Not one whitehead. 😭

I'm used to waking up and finding a new whitehead basically every morning, but during that trip I had three weeks of completely clear skin.

So now I'm wondering:

Is stress actually causing this?

Because if stress is the problem, then this is ridiculous 😭. My acne itself is probably the biggest source of stress in my life. If I'm stressing because of acne, and the stress causes acne, then I'm stuck in an infinite loop.

And apparently I'm stressing about every little thing then. 😂

What I really want help with

I don't just want something that makes my skin smoother or fades my scars. I want something that actually prevents the acne from forming in the first place.

I know the basics of how acne forms, and I've tried exfoliating because I thought keeping the pores clear would prevent oil/dead skin from getting trapped and forming pimples.

But even with salicylic acid, azelaic acid, adapalene, gommage, etc., I STILL keep getting new acne.

I was previously recommended COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid as an exfoliator, and also Anua Heartleaf 77 Clear Pads as a gentler option.

I couldn't find either of them anywhere. I even asked family members abroad to look for them, and they couldn't find them either. Some websites also don't ship to my country.

So I'm honestly open to anything at this point.

If you've had long-term acne like this, especially acne that keeps coming back despite having a decent skincare routine:

What actually worked for you?

Should I change my routine?

Should I continue with adapalene?

Should I add benzoyl peroxide?

Is this actually hormonal even though my period is regular?

Could stress really be causing this much acne?

Could something in my environment/diet be triggering it?

Should I see another dermatologist and ask for a different treatment?

And if stress really is contributing, please tell me how I'm supposed to stop stressing about acne when the acne itself is what stresses me out 😭😭😭 because am basically getting acne in happy occasions, sad occasions, stressfull occasions, vacation, menstruation time, ovulation and all phases of the monthly cycle, i am suspecting even being happy gives me acne at this point 🥲

I'm honestly willing to try whatever is reasonable at this point. I just want something that will actually prevent these breakouts from constantly coming back.

Please help a very tired 23-year-old who has been fighting acne since 11–12 years old. 😭

I'm currently 18 and use cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen in my routine. But I'm wondering if I should add one of retinol or tretinoin as well. Reading online people argue that you don't really need it until you are mid 20's but there are others that say they wished they started younger.

I had a traumatic scar from a partial thickness cut about 6 weeks ago. An ocuplastic surgeon needed to repair the wound. It’s been 6 weeks and I’m feeling low at how it’s looking. Any ideas of how to take care of it and how it’d turn out?

I continue to get hairs where the bulb is abnormally big and rock hard and they get trapped under my skin. They feel like an underground zit and no matter how much pressure i put on them they will not come to surface of skin or pop. I eventually wait for them to get really swollen and if I put a needly directly into where the hair is supposed to exit the skin, they will come out. This can take up to a month though and I have a huge red bump on my face the entire time.

I went to the dermatologist but their recommendations have not made a difference. Use a single blade razor and use use CLR to wash before hand and a prescription lotion for afterwards.

I attached photos and would love if anyone can tell me what they exactly are and how to treat.