Some mini reviews for products that will be leaving my skincare bag!

ETA: I get it! No AI in future, sorry!

1. Anua Niacinamide Serum - I really like the Anua serums. They sink in nicely, they are gentle and non irritating, look great under makeup and make my skin feel really smooth. Niacinamide, however, is in so many of my products I just don’t feel it needs its own place in my routine.
2. Medicube Deep Vita C Pads - my skin hates these, not sure it it’s fragrance related but they broke me out and made my skin feel sensitive. My skin felt really textured and bumpy on days I used these. I do use the Zero Pore Pad and the mild version which I love and have no issues with.
3. Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel - it’s just… meh. Feels nice and lightweight, and sits nicely under makeup. I don’t find it to be very hydrating and I have better options.
4. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Soothing Cream (gel) - I actually really liked this when I started using it but similarly to the BoJ, I just feel like I have found better. It is gentle and soothing, sits nicely on oily skin, and I would say it’s more hydrating than the BoJ.
5. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Intensive Ampoule - I received this as a free gift, again, I don’t really have any complaints it’s just… meh. It does feel hydrating and soothing on those sensitive skin days, but it’s not special enough for me to repurchase.
6. SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Brightening Toner - there is a running theme here… I really liked this initially and used up the whole bottle. The product itself is nice, gentle and non-irritating, and left my skin feeling soft and smooth. I also believe it played a part in fading my PIE, but my skin goals have changed and I now prefer more hydrating toners.
7. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Toner - I saw a lot of good reviews for this but for me it might as well be thick water in a bottle, I don’t feel it does ANYTHING.
8. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice SPF50+ - as an oily girlie this was high on the list of recommendations. Unfortunately for me it broke me out and I became SUPER oily within 3-4 hours of wear.
9. Laneige Cream Skin Cerapeptide Toner & Moisturiser - wanted to love this, broke me out massively. The end.
10. Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream - I used this religiously for YEARS as it was the only cream moisturiser I found that didn’t break me out. I liked it but it felt quite silicone-y on the face and I’m not a fan of the fragrance. Luckily for me I did eventually (after lots of trial and error) find some lovely cream moisturisers that my skin loves.

For some reason when I use the tallow cream my mom bought and claims works great as a lotion and face moisturizer it heavily doesn’t work. I forgot the name but I hve something that cause red bumps (kinda like pimples) on my arms and thighs, but when I put lotion on it overtime it goes away and when I stop they come back. I’ve been using this tallow cream for about 2 years now and it’s never helped with those at all and the bigger issue I’ve been seeing is that, when I use it as a face moisturizer it basically sits on top of my face and just makes my skin hella oily. I then proceed to get really bad painful acne like in the photos shown. I thought why not try the new lotion I bought instead since rn I don’t have money for face moisturizer and they can be high in price. I’ve noticed a few things with the lotion, it’s gotten ride of the bumps in 2 days but where the bumps are my skin is acting like it’s been in a drought since 1980, it seems to be the same thing with my face. I put a little on my face and it literally sucked it up like a vampire so I put a little more (I was unsure of how much to add) I’ve already noticed a difference in my face my skin doesn’t look oily kind of shiny but look more hydrated kind of shiny if that makes sense (the selfies where taken just now after I had put the lotion on) I’m confused as to why the lotion work better then the cream? (I’m autistic so if this is a simple or stupid question please let me know)

I’m 19 and I’ve been starting to wrinkle since maybe 16, right now it’s decent fine lines in my forehead + one smile line on the left side of my mouth. Other than that I’ve had enlarged pores around my nose for a while, and whiteheads on my nose.

The smile line gets way worse when I emote. I’m always covering my mouth after a lot of laughing because that stupid line just makes me look years older. I figured it was dehydration so I got a good moisturizer and drank more water for a while, but nothing changed.

I’m not very familiar with skin care and I usually just slap on whatever we have in the house. Right now I moisturize and prime before makeup, sometimes I use SPF but i have sensory issues with it because it stays greasy all day.

What products would I use to hydrate my skin better? I feel like it always looks rubbery and dry no matter what I do. Preferably products that don’t cost me an arm and a leg, too.

So, I recently finally got a dermatologist appointment after years of my mom making me use "natural things" for my acne and only having it worsen. I've been taking tretinoin for about a week, and specifically told not to use anything else. My mom wants to me to use pure tea tree oil, and reasoning does not help. She says the medicine hasn't worked, even though I've only been using it a week. I have very sensitive skin and I know this will irritate it, but it looks like there's no going around it. Does anyone know what I can do to help calm the effects, or counteract it?

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 :,)

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have advice on a low-effort skincare routine (for under 25s)? I don't have any skin issues, but just want glowy skin. I have dry skin.

Not using anything so far - just intermittently use vitamin C and E cream at night.

Thank you, all :)

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 am 30 and have had acne / skin issues my entire life. Ive tried SO many products over the years with little to no luck (sometimes making things worse) and had pretty much just given up.

I recently caved to social media pressure and decided to try out a couple medicube products. The difference was literally noticeable overnight, but I didn't get my hopes up. Nope... they've been amazing. Insane transformation in my face, and while some have seemed to help better than others, I have bought more of their products over time and now have quite a few.

The problem is I'm getting overwhelmed with how many I have 😂 I have never been great about skincare / beauty stuff in general, but now that I have so many / what seem to be basically duplicates or different versions of a product, I'm getting stressed by how many to use, how often, what order, etc.

Can someone please help / give advice?

I own:

The blue clay mask

The blue zero pore SA cleanser

The red peptide serum

The blue zero pore serum

The yellow kojic acid pads

The blue zero pore pads

The vitamin c capsule cream

The pink collagen jelly cream

The pink under eye patches.

..... I think that's it 😂

I also bought some that Dr melaxin peel shot stuff... I didn't hate it overall but I didn't notice any miracle fix like in the ads, and it seemed to almost be abrasive in any sort of rough areas like my chin and temples so I've only used it a couple times.

The vitamin c capsule cream feels kind of heavy on my face and also smells really bad to me, I wasn't sure if it was helping at all and may have even been breaking me out so I haven't been using that in a while. The kojic acid pads I also thought might have made me break out, but it was also around the time I was due to start my period so I think it may have been coincidence.

I also have been using my normal cereve daily lotion most days because it has always seemed like a good fit for me and goes under makeup well (I haven't been wearing any face makeup except for some concealer under my eyes).

I have been doing the clay mask about once a week. I use the zero pore cleanser every day in the shower, and usually follow it with using the zero pore pads, then the zero pore serum, then the normal lotion. Every other product I've just been like... randomly sprinkling in at various points? 😭 because I dont know how many to use at once or when to use them, like do I use both types of pads in a row? Do I use the serums at the same time or have to pick one? Do I do one in the morning and one at bedtime?

Literally any and all advice would be so greatly appreciated. I feel like the entire zero pore line + my normal cereve lotion have shown the most consistent improvement but I'm not sure. The collagen jelly does seem to make my skin look nice and plump and glowy but it's also like... sticky almost like power grip primer, and doesn't seem to actually moisturize very well.

Was hoping to see if anyone has experience with large and raised pores and if there is anything that helps. Currently just using cerave cleanser, and Laroche moisturizer.

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.

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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.

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)

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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 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

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!

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.

Hi!

My skin is in a constant state of looking like this (for about the past year). I’m not sure what the little red spots are and my skin feels smooth in these areas, but I do get occasional small pimples (nothing crazy) here that I pop when I see them. I also shave my face everyday and I don’t know if that contributes to it. So I’m wondering if it’s acne scarring or razor irritation or something else and if there’s a product I should be using or not using. My routine for the last three or so months has been:

Morning:

CeraVe SA cleanser

Azealic acid 10%

CeraVe moisturizing lotion

SPF

Night:

CeraVe SA cleanser

Paula’s Choice Liquid BHA (or azealic acid)

CeraVe lotion

Any help is appreciated :)

Hi everyone! I am looking for some advice on how to improve my skincare routine because my skin is feeling so dull and I keep getting random texture/breakouts and I don’t know what to change. I don’t want to just aimlessly add to my routine because so I would love some advice!

At night:
- I use the Prequel oil cleanser to get off my sunscreen/makeup
- I then use the Vanicream gentle cleanser to wash
- Once my skin is dry I use the Cerave Resurfacing Retinol
- Finally I use the La Roche Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizer

In the Morning:
- I use the same Vanicream cleanser
- use the Naturium Vitamin C on dry skin (i know the politics are bad but I wanted to use it up before I buy a new one so I will totally take suggestions!!)
- use the Byoma moisturizing gel cream (or the La Roche if my skin is feeling dry)
- finish with the Byoma Sunscreen

I have pretty normal skin since Accutane completely changed my skin type from oily to normal. I do get the occasional dry spot on my eyelids or under my eyes but I wouldn’t say I am oily. Any advice, recommendations, or tips would be greatly appreciated!!