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This thread is the best place to start if you have questions about skincare products, your routine, and your skin. Our community is knowledgeable, and we want to help you have the best skin of your life!
Do you have a question?
Step 1: Read our resources
First take a look at our FAQ and Wiki! They include product recommendations and advice for skin concerns like acne, pigmentation, and dehydrated skin. You might find a solution to your problem there!
If you can't find an answer, or you have additional questions after reading, please move on to step 2!
Step 2: Ask for help
To give you the best advice possible, our users need relevant information about your skin and skincare. With your request for help please include:
The issue(s) you need help with.
Skin type. It's OK to be subjective, how do you feel your skin is? Oily, dry? If you need help clarifying, check out this guide on skin types
Current routine with the full names of your products (try to separate it in to Morning, Evening, and Occasionally used)
How long you have been using your current routine, or product in question
Anything new you’ve introduced or started doing that might change the condition of your skin
Your location so we can recommend products/services available to you
Thanks for taking the time to include your information!
Would you like to give advice?
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The rants, raves, & new purchases thread is posted every Sunday at 12 am ET
I apologise in advance as this is probably going to be pretty long! However, I'm really happy about this and as it happened as a result of the tips and knowledge I've learnt from this sub, I thought I'd share here!
So my mum and I have never really gotten on very well as we are both incredibly stubborn and have personalities that clash on an almost biblical scale! It's for this reason that I moved in with my SO after having to move back in with my parents last year due to medical issues. I went back for a few days over Christmas so I was expecting to just have to wait things out and try to stay civil until Boxing Day (today) when I would be coming back home to spend the day with my SOs family!
However this Christmas has been a bit of a turning point in our ever turbulent relationship! I'd brought my "essential" skincare products over, as well as a few extras that I wasn't using or didn't get on with that I was going to leave for my mum if she liked them.
Although we have different concerns with our skin, we have the same skin type and texture. I was just getting ready for bed so I was doing my nightly routine when my mum came into the spare room to "check I was all set" to leave tomorrow and to ask if I needed my brothers help carrying anything down as I have spinal problems! I'll hand it to her, she seemed to be trying as hard as I was to avoid any confrontation etc this year which was really nice!
So she said she'd noticed the improvement in my skin and she asked if I would like to watch a movie and teach her what I use etc So for the first time since she taught me to paint my nails and put mascara on at the age of 12 (I'm 22 now) we sat down and had a "girly evening"! I was a little apprehensive at first but we sat down and went through her collection and I explained what they did, when and why she should use them and she tried out the acid peel I attribute the majority of my skins improvements to! We put face masks on, I painted her nails + toenails over a glass of wine and the new Peter rabbit movie! This morning she was so pleased with the results that we went shopping for some upgrades to her collection before I left to come home!
So I suppose I'd like to thank you all for teaching me about skincare and for in part facilitating having a wonderful evening with my mother!
Last night, I had a weird reaction to a sheet mask that I use regularly. It usually calms my skin and leaves me refreshed & dew-y, but this time it burned a bit. I woke up this morning and felt some bumps on one of my problem areas that’s hard to cover up/treat.
Cue silent freak out, trying to figure out what products I have while I’m away from home to treat the bumps, worrying about how I’ll look at Christmas dinner, etc. All while still lying in bed in the dark, not even seeing if it’s as “bad” as I think... on Christmas morning.
I don’t really like Christmas for a variety of reasons and deal with anxiety/seasonal depression on top of it. The last thing I need is to beat myself up over something that no one else is going to fixate on, that doesn’t change my value as a person.
I’ve noticed lately that I’ve been spending a lot of energy on my appearance because it’s easier than addressing the beneath-the-surface pain. I’m deciding to let that go today. No drawing attention to the couple of imperfections on my otherwise smooth & clear skin. No complaining about how much weight I’ve gained or how I don’t like the holidays. I’m going to enjoy time with loved ones and put my best self forward. Vulnerability is a beautiful thing.
I type this all out because it was a good mini-wake up call for me. I think a lot of us probably spend time scrolling through this subreddit looking for tips on how to perfect ourselves on the outside. Skin care is an awesome hobby and has done wonders for my mental health. And, the “addiction” in SkinCareAddiction can also go a little too far sometimes.
Whether you’re celebrating today or not, I hope you are able to be kind to whatever face you are putting forward - this day and every other one!
Price: $19.15 for 1oz on GoW (sample size of 0.25oz for $5.70)
Victoria Health carries GoW 10% Azelaic Acid Serum for £9.00
Ingredients: Spring Water, Azelaic Acid, Liposome Base (soy based), Allantoin, Glycerin, Sclerotium Gum, Leucidal SF
Special Info: pH of 4.4; fragrance-free; doesn’t test on animals (unsure if cruelty free); azelaic acid is derived from castor beans, not wheat
The 10% Azelaic Acid Serum (UK) has a pH 5.3 – 5.5
Review: I’ve been interested in trying azelaic acid in order to address some general redness, but I was put off by the reviews of the popular products (Melazepam, The Ordinary.) It’s not that I don’t love thick goopy formulas, it’s just that I don’t have room for another one in my routine and I was worried that it’d have a slippy silicone feel I’m not a fan of. So I was pretty excited when I found out that Garden of Wisdom has an azelaic acid serum (excited enough to skip the sample size!)
Ingredients of note: The star of the show is obviously azelaic acid, which has been shown to be effective in treating acne [1, 2, 3, 4], rosacea [5, 6, 7], and hyperpigmentation [8, 9, 10, 11]. All of the studies I’ve seen have been on 15-20% AzA, so I wasn’t sure how GoW’s 8% would stack up - but hey, no harm in starting with a gentler product!
The rest of the ingredients list is short and sweet, and the pH appears to be in the proper range for azelaic acid (super roughly estimated ~3.9 - 6ish based on Holland & Bojar and Li et al., but if someone has a different range, you should probably defer to that.)
Texture & scent: This is less of a serum, more of a toner - it has a very thin, water-like texture that dries down quickly and matte. No discernable scent.
Packaging: The packing is a nice black PET pump bottle - the pump itself does take some getting used to as the product is quite thin and liable to shoot out, but otherwise very sturdy. The only con is that near the end of the bottle, the straw gets a bit gunked up and I started getting some little crunchy bits coming out. It dissolved on my skin and didn’t bother me too much, but it’s worth noting. The instructions do say to apply to a wet face (which I happily ignored), so this might not be an issue if you’re better at following directions than I am.
Experience: For reference, my skin type is overall ‘normal.’ Dry in the winter, oily in the summer. I have a bit of irritation going on at the moment, but usually my skin is pretty hardy.
I started using it around the start of September and experienced no irritation at all, even though my skin was a bit sensitive at the time. I used this daily in the AM after cleansing and before moisturizer & sunscreen. Since the formula is so thin and easy to apply I had no problems with layering and it didn’t feel like I had applied any product at all - no stickiness, no shine, no nothing!
I wasn’t exactly expecting a miracle - the concentration seems a bit low and I’ve tempered my expectations for actives quite a bit - but damn, this really seems to have beat back some redness! My skin tone is noticeably more even, a bit brighter, and post-acne red marks seem to be healing up a bit faster. Of course I still have normal color variation and a bit of redness, but I gave niacinamide a good (year long) shot for the same skin concerns and never saw a lick of difference, so I’m very pleased with these results!
The 1oz bottle lasted me about 3.5 months - from the start of September to mid December. I’m a bit of a slatherer, so your average consumer would probably find that this lasts a bit longer than that.
tl;dr: GoW 8% AzA helped me deal with some redness that I thought I’d never get rid of and let me achieve some kinda nebulous skincare goals like having a more even, brighter skin tone. It’s a freakin dream to use and I’ll definitely be repurchasing :)
Pros:
Thin, toner texture that’s easy to apply and dries down fast
May be suitable for sensitive skin
Ime, effective in treating general redness and evening skin tone (ymmv!)
Cons:
Concentration may be a bit low
Got a bit gunked up near the end of the bottle
Rating: 8.5/10, will repurchase (may see if I can get my hands on the UK version!)
Have you tried GoW 8% Azelaic Acid (or a different azelaic acid)? What’d you think?
I am pretty sure i’ve seen someone post that here and I’ve used it once. Now i can’t remember the website and can’t find it via search.
Does anyone know it? Thanks.
Sirry the pics are so bad. From my understanding the best two options aside from a procedure. Are a Vitamin C serum or a Retinol cream. I know that it depends on what kind of scars you have. I don't quite understand all of that. So which do you think would be better for me. I'm a 19 year old male if that makes any difference. And any recommendations for products would be apperciated. And if they can be bought on Amazon that would be great. Thank you in advance!
Hi everyone, thanks for tuning in.
I have been dealing with a lot of dryness at the top of my head the past few days, and I have no idea how to treat it.
I tried with vaseline yesterday but it seems like it did no difference.
I just applied argan oil to see if thats better
I cannot go to work like this, and I feel extremely sad about it.. my dermatologist is closed due to christmas days.
Any advice?
3 PHOTOS
Whatever advice you might have, its most welcome. I appreciate it.
Merry Christmas
I had eyelid contact dermatitis a few months back, and ever since my eyes and eye area have been extremely sensitive. I only use Avene Soothing eye contour cream on that area 2-3 times a day, and it works well in terms of not irritating me, but my eyelids are often still dry and sometimes flaky. Can anyone suggest what I can do about this?
Before I knew this subreddit existed I wanted something to clear my acne etc, and always saw Pro Activ on TV and told my grandmother about it.
Fast forward I found this subreddit and now learnt the sidebar information and recommended routines,
Problem is, I got the Pro Activ Plus Kit as a Xmas present and feel bad not using it at all.
Ive heard to avoid it, so just how bad is it? (I’ve used BP in the past).
And what’s alright to use?
Current Routine:
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
BR P50V.
Cetaphil Gentle Moisturiser.
SPF.
About a month ago I was diagnosed with perioral dermatitis (PD). I had been dealing with flare-ups for about a year, and only suspected it might be PD a few weeks before my derm diagnosed it. Until then, I thought it might’ve been fungal acne, and likely made the PD worse with all the treatments I was trying.
When I finally got to a dermatologist, they told me it was perioral dermatitis. My weird acne/rash thing was only around my mouth/chin (kind of a dead giveaway). I am lucky that I pretty clear skin everywhere else, and I owe much of that to birth control and relatively healthy eating. I use a fungal safe routine, as I had suspected it might’ve been fungal acne before visiting the derm, but the derm prescribed me a topical clindamycin phosphate gel as well as oral doxycycline. I’m a graduate student going for a PhD in microbiology, so I have my hesitations with using antibiotics, especially oral ones.
Currently, my routine is as follows:
AM Vanicream Face Cleanser Clindamycin gel on PD areas Wait to dry Hada Labo Skin Plumpking Gel Cream (sparingly around the areas where I have PD, lotion tends to aggravate it, although it gets kind of flaky)
PM The same, though I remove my makeup with the Garnier Micellar Water (pink cap) and some nights I will exfoliate instead of using the Vanicream face cleanser.
So far the clindamycin has definitely helped. I see a noticeable difference. I haven’t completely gotten rid of my PD, but I think it’s pretty easily aggravated. It took a week or two of using the clindamycin to see the difference. I almost stopped using it but I’m glad I haven’t. I’m still hesitant about the doxy, but I know that it will likely be the most effective. Other than that, I use a very basic routine, change my pillowcases often, use a basic laundry detergent, no fabric softener, SLS free toothpaste/shampoo/conditioner, etc. Some days it flares up and some days it cooperates. I just keep up with my routine and hope for the best.
Basically, if you can afford it, get to a dermatologist for an actual diagnosis because, like me, you can get led down a rabbit hole of misinformation and “treatments” that will actually make your face much worse. Not everything works for everybody. And, it’s normal for your skin to have good days and bad days, and it can be really discouraging. I get it. I want to hear if you guys have any product recs or stories about your PD!
I’ve had problems with acne in the past (and still get quite bad hormonal breakouts); I’m also a picker (I know I shouldn’t and I’m trying to stop but it’s a nervous habit for me so please don’t judge).
I’m looking to up my skincare and get a facial which is right for my needs and skin health and someone who will be able to help me as I get older to alter my routine.
My concerns at the moment are -acne scaring -early signs of ageing -hydration
TLDR; how do I find a good skincare professional who will be able to help guide me through the facials available
What was your experience with Differin? I’m struggling with mainly texture issues. Not much inflammatory acne or cysts. Is this too extreme for me to try?
Maybe an AHA?
I am really discouraged and tired of dealing with these CC’s.
Current routine: AM- Paula’s choice CLEAR cleanser, cerave PM moisturizer PM- PC cleanser, Cerave pm moisturizer, Paula’s choice 2% BHA gel
Welcome to the new Curology referral thread!
The old thread has been archived. So if you’ve posted there, you can repost your code here :)
When you refer someone to Curology, they will get their first month free and you will get a $10 credit to your account. If you are signing up now, you have to sign up through the link; you can't get the credit retroactively if you have already signed up.
The thread is sorted in 'contest mode': comments appear in random order, so that the older comments aren’t always at the top. Feel free to choose any code anywhere!
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In addition, if you post more than one code in this thread, it will be removed. Repeatedly trying to post more than one code can get you banned as well. You can check if you’ve posted here before by making sure all comments are visible and then doing a page search for your username.
Do not use a link shortener or link your code in text like [this](http://reddit.com). Instead, post the full link as it appears, like this: https://curology.com/invite/code. This helps us to verify the codes.
Thank you!
| All week | Daily Help Thread |
| Wednesday | Discussion day (text-post only) |
| Friday | Casual Friday (Humor, Cringe, Selfies, B&As are allowed; General Chat) |
| Sunday | Rants, Raves & New Purchases |
- Acne and Spot treatments
- Dark Circles and Under Eye Wrinkles
- Dehydrated Skin
- Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation(PIH) /"acne scars"
- Purging
- Rosacea
- Sebaceous Filaments /"blackheads" in your nose
- Stretch Marks
- And more in the wiki!
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