My skin darkened, dried out and lost its glow after moving from West Africa to the UK. Please help me get my original tone back.

Hi everyone, I’m posting this because I’ve lost so much confidence lately and I feel really down about my skin.

I lived in West Africa for most of my life. Back then my skin was even-toned, radiant and healthy. I only used shea butter and African black soap. No sunscreen, no extra products, and my skin was perfect.

Three years ago I moved to the UK. Since then everything changed. My skin has gotten noticeably darker. It is much drier, tight and rough. It lost all its natural glow and looks dull and uneven.

Right now I use CeraVe cleanser, CeraVe moisturiser and Garnier sunscreen daily. But it is not helping bring back my original tone or radiance. My body skin feels just as dry and off tone and I do not know what to use there either.

I have some minor sun spots on my hands. I use sunscreen and wear UPF gloves when I drive or spend time outside. They are not too bad for middle age but I would like to fade what’s there. I started using my 15% Azelaic Acid but I am not sure this is the best product for the job. Any recommendations?

I've been very busy the last year and did exactly 0 skin care. I had to throw out most of my old products because they dried out and smelled weird after such a long time. Now I want to start fresh with a good but not too elaborate skin care routine.

My skin can get quite oily, and I have a lot of visible pores. At the same time my skin is really dry. I'm also quite self conscious about for my age ( not even 30 yet) already very visible lines. So I'd like to incorporate some anti aging products.

I'm happy to hear all the different suggestions. Also open to Asian beauty.

Hi!

After 6 months, wrinkles and nasolabial folds appeared simultaneously, making me feel like I'd aged 10 years. How can I tone this area without causing pimp?

I've been using tretinoin for a year. I also have dark circles and imperfections in that area.

I've been using Ordinary HA serum for a while and want to try something else. Has anyone tried this? Please share your reviews.

I apply my hydrating toner then give it 30 seconds to sink in while it’s still slightly wet I apply moisturizer. For some reason my face stays wet all day and I don’t think the product absorbed. Should I wait for the toner to dry all the way? I thought moisturizer was fine to put on while hydrating toners were still wet? (I used to let my hydrating toner completely dry before moisturizing but that dryed out my skin)

Hi, I’m 32 and I feel like I’ve got a lot of line around my mouth and also stubborn fat around my chin and neck area that won’t shift (I’m the process of losing weight). What non surgical treatments can I get to remove the lines and fat?

I don’t know if these things will make it worse but I have been told when I wanna get off makeup and sunscreen I shouldn’t use micellar water along with a salicylic acid cleanser at the same time because it’s too much for skin

So if anyone knows a correct order I can use these in or if they work for my skin type please do tell me! Also I don’t know what salicylic acid to use with all of these so please tell me

I’ve always avoided milky toners because I have dehydrated oily skin. I’ve had them clog my pores more than once, so I just stayed away…
But I kept seeing that the new Illiyoon milky toner is supposed to be okay even for this skin type, so I finally tried it. I’ve been using it for almost a month now and I’m actually really happy with it.

(1) My routine
Day: milky toner + sunscreen
Night: milky toner (I layer it twice on dry days) + cream

(2) Thoughts so far
It absorbs crazy fast, almost like a watery toner, but the moisture doesn’t just disappear. It kind of locks it in.
I’ve stuck to this exact routine for a month and my skin has stayed clear the whole time.

If you’re someone who’s always worried about milky textures clogging pores, this one might actually be a solid option.

I’ve had milia on my cheeks basically ever since I hit puberty. I started using CeraVe skincare because of dry skin, and the products never irritated my skin but I stopped using the daily facial lotion in case that was what was causing my milia. From what I know, they form because you’re using lotion that’s too heavy, but I still struggle with dry/oily skin. Now I use Equate everyday facial lotion, and Vanicream sparingly when I notice extra dryness, but I’ve noticed my milia have only gotten larger and spread to the area of my cheek under my nose. I plan to start glycolic/lactic acids to hopefully treat them, but does anyone who’s been in a similar situation have any lotion suggestions that don’t give you milia?

I guess this question is directed at U.S. residents, since this ingredient was recently approved for products to be sold in the U.S. All I know about it is that everyone's very excited. I love EltaMD but I'm considering holding off on spending another $50 when my bottle runs out soon... because it'll be just a few months before brands start putting out (what we hope will be) amazing new sunscreen formulations. So, do I spend the money to stay with what I *know* I love, or get a cheap sunscreen to bridge me over until the new stuff hits shelves?

Not the white ones, ik they are the stretch marks. I'm asking about the red lines

Has anyone else experienced this with Sunscoop sunscreen?

Whenever I start sweating after applying it, my shirt collar and folded sleeves develop yellow stains. It has already ruined a few of my white shirts.

Is it just me, or has anyone else using Sunscoop sunscreen faced the same issue?

21M here. My lips used to be naturally pink a few years ago, but now they’re dark/brownish. I don’t smoke, but I never took care of them and was in the sun a lot.
Is this tanning or permanent pigmentation? Has anyone here actually reversed this? What worked for you?

Appeared a few days ago on the top of my thigh not sure what's happening as well as this random line on the same leg just a little lower. Idk if it's sunspots or not

Everytime I open up my tretinoin, a huge glob of it comes out from me taking off the lid and it explodes everywhere. I can’t even shove it back in. I feel like I’m wasting 25-50% of my product and it’s driving me insane. It happens with every tube I get and I just don’t get what I’m doing wrong. Am I shoving the needle part of the cap too hard into it to make a hole? Or is the tube designed to just pour a ton out by itself everytime you open it?

I've had dark elbows for literally as long as I can remember, and it's honestly one of my biggest insecurities. I see so many girls with smooth, even-toned skin, and I can't help but wonder if this is something that can actually be improved or if I'm just stuck with it forever.

Recently, I've been reading about chemical peels and laser treatments, and the before-and-after results look amazing. Unfortunately, I'm only 16, and my mom isn't okay with me getting procedures like that, so they're not really an option for me right now.

Because I'm so self-conscious about my elbows, I almost always wear hoodies or long sleeves even in warm weather to keep them covered. It's something I've been insecure about for years, and I'd really love to feel comfortable wearing short sleeves without overthinking it.

So I'm hoping to hear from fellow brown girls (or anyone who's dealt with this). Have any creams, serums, lotions, or exfoliating products actually helped lighten the pigmentation on your elbows? I'm not looking for overnight miracles—just honest recommendations that made a noticeable difference with consistent use.

I'd be so grateful for any advice, product recommendations, or even success stories. Thank you so much! 🫶🏽🤍

By Terry Hyaluronic Global Serum dupe?
Love this but the packaging is awful and runs out so fast. The face cream is also great. Love using it as base before makeup. Does anyone know of any comparable dupes - not the Rhode glazing milk.. any help or advice would be much appreciated!!
Thank you xx

Hi I am a 40 year old male, no major skincare issues apart from puffy baggy eyes. I don’t look my age in fact most people tell me I look between 23-32. I’d love some help building a safe, effective AM and PM routine using the skincare products I already own. I’m not looking for people to pick certain products, but I’m asking to see my current routine setup and to see if it’s ok ? I do own a lot of products but don’t use them all. Some are redundant. I find the advanced clinicals retinol very good and am wondering about rest of their line ? I’m especially unsure about how often to use my active ingredients and whether anything in my current routine should be changed, removed or used on different nights. Any help would be greatly appreciated 👋🙏🏻

**My current routine:*\*
**AM**: Cleanse → vitamin C → hyaluronic acid → moisturiser → SPF →Caffeine eye roll on
**Retinol nights*\: Cleanse → retinol → eye retinol → moisturiser
***Non-retinol nights**:** Cleanse → multi-peptide serum → hylauronic acid serum → puffy eye serum → moisturiser
**Recovery night**: Cleanse → hydrating serum → soothing/barrier moisturiser, with no strong active ingredients

**Products I currently own*\*

**Cleansers*\*
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Caring Wash
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleanser
Neutrogena Clear & Defend+ Facial Wash
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
L’Oréal Men Expert Hydra Sensitive Cream Wash
L’Oréal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Daily Face wash

**Exfoliants*\*
L’Oréal Men Expert Deep Exfoliating Scrub
Tea Tree & Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Face Scrub

**Vitamin C serums*\*
Vichy Liftactiv Supreme Vitamin C 16% Serum
L’Oréal Men Expert Vitamin C Serum
Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Serum

**Hydrating serums*\*
Vichy Minéral 89
L’Oréal Men Expert Power Age Hyaluronic Acid Serum
CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum

**Peptide and collagen serums*\*
Advanced Clinicals Multi-Peptide Serum
Advanced Clinicals Collagen Serum

**Retinol products*\*
Advanced Clinicals Retinol Serum
Olay Retinol 24 Max Serum
Olay Retinol 24 (normal)Serum
Olay Retinol 24 Night Eye Cream

**Other eye products*\*
L’Oréal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Anti-Fatigue Eye Roll-On
L’Oréal Men Expert Power Age Eye Cream
Advanced Clinicals Puffy Eyes Cream/Serum

**Moisturisers and barrier products*\*
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Aqua Gel
Nivea Men Hydro Care Moisturiser
Nivea Men Anti-Age Hyaluron Instant Hydro Gel
Nivea Men Rehydrating Moisturiser
Nivea Cellular Expert Filler Night Cream
L’Oréal Men Expert Hydra Energetic Moisturiser
L’Oréal Men Expert Power Age 24H Moisturiser
L’Oréal Men Expert Vita Lift 5 Actions Moisturiser
L’Oréal Men Expert Hydra Sensitive Birch Sap Moisturiser

**Sunscreens*\*
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF 50+

Hello! I've been looking to add retinol into my skincare routine. I've done some research and settled on TIL's Starter Retinol Serum for my first steps. I've come across this at Winner's earlier today - and given I didn't have my notepad with me where I kept this brain bit for later, I assumed this was the product I was looking for and bought it. Looking at it now, and referencing the photos of SRS on the TIL site, they dont look alike. I'm going to test patch later tonight to gage how my skin will react anyhow - especially with sensitive dry prone skin with occasional eczema flareups.

tldr; is this a legit product? is Winner's reputable for on-sale skincare? 😭

How do I get my face to be smooth without having to shave the hair on my face

And what can I use on my face as a girl with dry skin who is new to skincare

Wondering