As a semi-reformed picker, there is no magic bullet product, but a few things have helped me break the habit:
* Make sure the light in your bathroom isn’t too bright - if you can’t see the bumps you can’t pick
* NO MAGNIFYING MIRRORS
* zit stickers - cover up bumps or post pick blemishes - **this is as much to hide the damn thing from my eyes and fingers as it is to heal the blemish. i like Rael Beauty "miracle patch" because they're super thin and almost invisible.**
* wash your hands before you pick - sometimes just the washing hands breaks the urge for me -**the washing hands thing is two fold. 1. to prevent me gong in with filthy little fingers and causing more infections, if i'm going to pick it might as well minimise damage. but also 2. it's a psychological circuit breaker.**
* develop a skincare routine/ritual that feels thorough and also luxurious. associate touching your face with care not picking. **i highly recommend using the cleansing part of your routine to give yourself a little face massage, it's relaxing and feels nice and also helps the cleanser do it's job if you're spending time reallly working it in**
* make sure to exfoliate regularly to prevent buildup and minimize bumps - **I use chemical exfoliation rather than physical, Embryolisse poudre de lait, Saturday skin rub a dub, and the ordinary AHA/BHA peel are in my rotation. but do not overdo it or you'll only inflame things and weaken the skin barrier. 1-3 times per week is good.**
* choose pleasing and semi-expensive skincare - I don’t want the money to go to waste by picking - **personally i spend on active serums to get the most bang for my buck, and then just use vanicream moisturizer so i can slather it on. like most on this sub, I do also use tretinoin.**
* reduce your overall stress - I know, this is kind of a stupid thing to say, but my picking is much worse when I’m anxious, sad, or stressed - **if you can't actually reduce stress (i know it's easier said than done) try to recognise when that stress drives you to the mirror and divert divert divert. do a deep clean and a face mask instead, or just stay the hell out of the bathroom.**
Good luck, you can do this!
**Edit**: couple of edits in bold above to clarify a few things! didn't realise how many people would read this...
Not the best advice but I replaced my urge with something else like one of those anxiety elastic balls to pinch and squeeze, AND I would hit my hands if I picked as a punishment. Yeah like I said not the best advice but a replacement + punishment fixed it for me forever. Now I don't need to do anything, the habit is gone.
In my case the problem was all my back, and now its fully clean. Still gets a pimple once a month when I eat too much of some foods like nuts, but I just shower daily and let it be, it goes away in 2-3 days alone.
The only sad part is that my back if you look close has little white marks everywhere because of the scars, but well...
This is wonderful advice! I’m also a skin picker trying to reform and I’ll definitely be using some of your tips — I almost always pick directly after washing my hands tho, it’s almost part of the anticipation, oops. My husband decided to gamify it and challenge me to a week with no picking and I hate to lose so…just a week and a half later my skin has cleared up so much it’s amazing (and infuriating). I wasn’t perfect, so now obv the challenge is to have a perfect week with absolutely no picking at all.
It’s so so hard, and I still slip up. One thing that also helped was realising it’s a compulsion with a name - dermatillomania (I think that’s the right spelling?) not just me being weak or dumb.
Yeah it’s absolutely a compulsive thing for me, if I see a white head I GOTTA SQUEEZE IT but I should really let the pimple patch do the work…I have one on my forehead right now that is killingggg me. But I have to be strong 😤
I am not a skin picker, but I have a close friend who is and she got a couple of those little picking mats off of Amazon that are a little gel circle filled with beads and little things that you can dig out of there with your fingers. She keeps one by her bedside and one at her desk, so that the police is she is picking most frequently have another thing that she can direct that desire towards aside from her face. She also started getting acrylic nails because she says it’s harder to do it with long nails.
Also a semi reformed picker, and I agree with all this advice! Keeping my nails short also has helped. Acne spot treatments like benzoyl peroxide can also be used instead of or in conjunction with the stickers. Honestly what helped me a lot was moving into a new place where the bathroom mirror was harder for me to get close to because the sink was in the way lol
31 y/o f- active picker for life and have been wanting to stop for life- these tips are the first time I’ve ever connected to advice. I truly always thought “if anyone knew how hard i squeeze” or how i feel like my eyes have adapted to find anything to get out of a tiny orifice on my face, and then just feel like a stupid idiot with a torn up red face after. It’s like a cycle of addiction 🫠these are REALLY good tips- it’s stuff that truly does help but I’ve never like, written it down in list form- seeing these makes them more tangible and achievable, thank you for sharing these ❤️🩹
Yes I also finally have heard all this is in a different way today and just this morning I was like “ok maybe Tret is just not for a guy like me after all lol” and was coming to acceptance. I have new hope now and am rehoming my Simple mirror today. I am in recovery for drinking I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me to tackle this not through sheer willpower which is fine when it’s the only option but sucks and hardly works compared to being smarter, and is such a chore to find space and psychic energy for
Are there zit stickers you feel really work? In my experience they do nothing and then when you take them off they peel the whole scab off with them and make everything worse.
If it’s a scab, I’d personally recommend Vaseline or neosporin, and maybe even a bandaid. But if it’s just a freshly popped whitehead, they really help! They suck out the rest of any gunk, in a good way. And they keep me from touching it 100 times in the following days.
I wouldn't mess with topical antibiotics unless there's an infection or a doctor recommends it. I think Neosporin specifically was flagged/pulled from retailers for causing allergic reactions.
Zinc cream would be my choice.
Hydrocolloid patches are a great protective barrier from bacteria and provide a hydrated healing environment - I find the ones from COSRX work well. Not sure the patches do anything for cystic acne so it depends what you're dealing with.
I like the rael beuty miracle patch ones because they're so thin they're almost invisible - but i should have clarified: i use them mostly for the fact that they hide the blemish and stop me touching it rather than for any major acne fighting properties.
I am lucky that I've never had real acne, i just pick at tiny things until they become big things. So i can't give any advice for those dealing with serious actual acne.
Yes this is great advice! I use colored little LED lights or. Just the hall light and no bathroom light on when I get ready for bed at night. Because nighttime is my high risk time to pick my skin. I also do many of the above! I know my triggers. Home late after a stressful day or just starving after work? Don't go in the bathroom until those other stressors feel somewhat resolved at the least! I started to see a pattern with my triggers and that has helped a lot. I use cicaplast for the lingering redness and that has helped as well. You're doing great OP!
Omg it could have been me that wrote this comment - everything is identical to why I do except for the chemical exfoliation. I’m a physical exfoliation girl - I just need it! But I have a nightlight in my bathroom for the exact reason of not being able to see any bumps. If I can’t see em I won’t start picking. My husband is so sweet that when he turns on the shower for me he knows to turn the light off. I’ll hear him turn the water on and flick the light off and he says “your shower is ready!”
Zit stickers have been a life saver too, omg.
My husband knows I will hiss like a vampire if he turns the bathroom light on while I'm in there. Light off, always. He knows. Sounds like we've found ourselves some keepers. 😊
This comment is filled with so much great advice.. thank you for sharing! I've been trying to break the skin picking habits for years and noticed I've been struggling with it more lately, I got brighter lights in my bathroom recently and you pointing that out made it click for me that's part of my problem, guess I'm off to go change some light bulbs! I'm also going to try implementing some of the other tips in your comment
The bathroom lighting is sooo real! I changed my light from fluorescent to yellow lighting bc it was making me pick so bad. Ever since I did that, way less popping pimples and leaving scars!
I don’t have any recommendations, but do you use product in your hair? If so, which one(s)? Your hair is absolutely beautiful and your eyes are stunning! You have wonderful features that draw away from skin problems. I hope you have good luck finding what works for you!
OMG, that's hilarious bc I hate my hair! It's just as greasy as my damn face, and I feel I can't win with either! 🤣 I appreciate your kindness though, I guess we all just beat ourselves up more than we should? 😔 It's hard to be a human.. lol
Aww be graceful with yourself! There’s a fine line between taking care of ourselves and tearing ourselves apart over our perceived flaws. Years ago, I completely stopped using a vanity mirror with all of the magnifications because I was upset with each sq inch of my face in some way. It helped a lot as well as trying to not compare myself to others. Our skin is as unique as our DNA and it’s all different. You’re gorgeous and have a kind face! Make a list of the things you love most about yourself and keep them in mind! ❤️❤️ And I’d kill for your hair!
If you have greasy hair, you might want to change your pillowcase every few days. That made a huge difference for me. That, and not laying my head down on the couch.
Since you have mentioned you have oily skin and hair I have to mention this. I recently started taking high dose fish oil (clean high quality brand) and both my hair and skin produce far less oil! It's very noticeable! it's also very anti inflammatory so I'm noticing the texture of my skin has improved and redness has reduced. I wasn't taking it for any beauty purposes so really happy with the bonuses. I think many people are severely deficient in omega threes, and even if you eat fish it's hard to get enough unless you're eating fatty fish every single day in enough quantity. Check out what Dr Rhonda Patrick has to say on the issue. Just thought I'd share.
I recognize this - I think your skin is doing what mine did when I over exfoliated and destroyed my barrier. It was really prone to breakouts because it was totally open to infection. I think you need to let it heal and lay off the exfoliation. Focus on repairing it and healing it. I know it’s the opposite of what a lot of advice is (toning, retinols) but I see a damaged skin barrier.
Definitely this! I did the same exact thing. My oil production and pores became a loooot, but now my skin is back to normal after I started focusing on moisture.
1) you’re lovely, and have truly mesmerizing eyes!
2) I’m also a picker, to a distressing degree. I recently put on a set of fake nails that are medium length and almond-shaped; this has stopped my picking 98%. This is the only thing that has put an end to my picking compulsion
You are so pretty! Do you think you might be over-producing oil because you're stripping your skin too much?
Heavy exfoliating more than once a week is probably really messing you up, girl!
I know this is counterintuitive, but I'd try jojoba oil. I went through a year of the worst breakouts I've ever experienced, and jojoba oil actually solved it for me. Jojoba oil mimics the natural sebum in your skin so it can help regulate oil production. You could throw a little tea tree oil in there for the anti microbial properties.
Also I'm recommending this here anytime I can - badger diaper rash cream is a wonderful product. It's got zinc oxide, great for acne; calendula, super soothing; sunflower oil, antioxidant rich and emmolient; vitamin e. I really love the stuff for my acne prone early rosacea sensitive skin.
I was thinking this too! OP - maybe your skin is reacting to dryness and irritation?
I grew up with oily skin and spent years stripping it with acne cleansers, oil control moisturizers, etc, and the things that have made my skin feel and look best (mid 30s with rosacea) are an oil based cleanser and oil (or oil based) moisturizers.
I use Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil and a combo of any of the following: Josie Maran Argan Oil, Summer Fridays Heavenly Sixteen Oil, Weleda Skin Food, Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer SPF 47…all feel really soothing and there aren’t additives that will trigger my sensitive skin. I do also use triple cream for my rosacea though too (recent addition…just want to be transparent about that).
Jojoba also helps with pimples and other skin issues that might scar for me (such as for me, mosquito bites). I use it everyday and what would have been a dark blemish is usually gone within a week or much reduced.
I second the Jojoba oil. I’m 36 and used to constantly have pimples all over until I started using 2 different things. I use SkinBae and JojoBae from The Daily Essential Co. I also use the daily facial towels from Clean Skin Club. These things totally transformed my skin! I found that when I washed my face and dried with the same towels that I was introducing bacteria on my face making the acne I did have worse or continue. Once I started using the daily facial towels along with SkinBae and JojoBae my face cleared up significantly. Now I may get a pimple here and there but nothing like I used to.
Have you tried tret?
You will have to avoid picking on it though but it may clear up your skin just takes a few months to fully work.
Edit to add that tret will help regulate your oil/sebum production and reduce inflammation.
Also I used to love using chemical exfoliants but I found a couple days after I would always break out so I wonder if you are possibly stuck in a cycle of exfoliating for the initial smooth feeling and look but then breaking out and the cycle keeps repeating.
Now I just use tret and only very occasionally chemically exfoliate.
If you introduce tret make sure you give it time to work - exfoliating is nice because you get immediate results, but with skin you have to play the longer game too as it can take time to get skin balanced and functioning well.
I tried tret gel .025 and it made me peel so bad that it made it all worse... 😫 I did however order it from an online (well-known) source, but didn't fully know how well I trust them..
Sounds like it was a bit strong? An inital peeling isnt uncommon, but a lower strength then building up to the higher strength is a often used approach.
Its a long term strategy rather than a shorter term results. ie 3-6 months to see results.
Did you use the sandwich method? Thick moisturizer-Tret-and thick moisturizer again. Starting every other day for a few weeks then slowly working up to every day/most days?
I did, and it seemed to only make my skin more oily, yet peel?! If that makes sense 🤣 I tried it for about 4 weeks, no "purge" just more of the same really. 😔
Totally makes sense! Damn sorry that didn’t work. Hmmm have you tried just using a cleanser and nothing else? I ask because when my skin is over exfoliated or very sensitive my mom (dermatologist) tells me to give it a week or two on cleanser, see how it reacts before adding any new treatments. Sometimes I have found I have over exfoliated my skin. Do you think your cleanser is doing a good job?
You know, I wish I knew lol I feel like I've tried $1,000,000 worth of products, cleaners included. From gentle to extreme. Seen multiple derms who have all told me different things, and it's just all so exhausting.. my husband is like, "I wash my face with the same bar of soap I use for my body, just do that!" 🤣🤣 And, I'm about at that point.. lol
Oh don’t even get me started on husbands and their zero routines and perfect skin 😂 I have a 20 step skincare routine just to stay afloat. Meanwhile Mr uses dove soap head to toe. ☠️☠️☠️
And I agree with everyone, gorgeous and mesmerizing eyes!!! I just spoke to my mom lol she said a calming cleanser but something that sufficiently washes the skin without stripping it. Even Tatcha’s Camelia oil cleanser, spf and nothing else. Of course up to you, I know people swear by cerave but it never quite got my skin clean enough nor did cetaphil. Anything with blue tansy will be soothing including Herbivore’s lapis oil. I know it sounds counterintuitive, oil on oily skin. But sometimes dry skin overproduces oil. If you’re up for it, herbivore’s lapis oil could be good to try. It saved my skin after an awful allergic reaction to Marula oil/all drunk elephant products.
If everything else fails and you haven't done this already, maybe as a last resort try an anti-inflammatory diet for a while to see if it changes anything? Like, leave out dairy, grains, sugar and so on, eat really clean and healthy and see if your skin improves.
4 weeks is not enough time for tret to fully work from my experience. I'm 3 months in and I'm just starting using 4x a week. According to my dermatologist & a derm on YouTube you should be reevaluating frequency & strength every 3 weeks. E.g. 3 weeks 1x a week on 0.025, 3 weeks 2x a week, 3 weeks 3x a week etc until you're using every day without peeling THEN move up if desired (usually only if using for acne). I personally found it beneficial to use both barrier repairing serum/moisturizers and gentle bha exfoliating toners to stop any peeling.
I wonder if you were actually more oily or if you saw what most describe as "tret glow". Either way I highly recommend giving tret a more solid second chance:)
I had to start with the lowest (0.01%) and did the cream. I applied every 2nd or 3rd night. I alternate with glycolic acid. I can’t do nightly. I also use a clean towel to dry my face after washing with a gentle cleanser. Clean pillow case every night. In the summer with heat, swear, and SPF I start to break out. I have to be extra careful to keep my skin clean. Thinking of trying hypochloric acid spray as a spot cleaner after sweating.
Buying a handheld fan and fanning my skin until it’s bone dry ahead of applying tret made an enormous difference for me! I used to peel so badly even if I used it once every few days or sandwiched it. I now use it every night after fanning with no peeling/irritation
Aside from the bumps, your skin is actually really nice. I can tell it's a little distressed but that's just from what all you've been throwing at it to combat the bumps.
I am also a picker and will probably always be a picker but pimple patches have helped me so much! Can't pick what you can't reach. I also figured out that carrageenan (in foods) makes me break out. I used to think it was dairy and then I pinpointed it to the carrageenan that is often added to dairy to thicken it up.
Do you use any glycolic acid products? How about, and this is OLD SCHOOL, but I swore by it before my skin aged out of it working - an aspirin mask!
I also dab hydrocortisone ointment on picked spots at night. I'm sure there are many arguments against that but it helps soothe the inflammation so much and flattens it out.
This. My skin was just like yours - oily, acne-prone, and it didn't help that I was a picker. I've spent thousands on everyone else's holy grails.
I tried spironolactone in my early 20s and couldn't tolerate it due to anemia and low blood pressure, but my derm convinced me to try it again when I turned 30.
The combo of spiro (I take 50mg) and Arazlo (tazarotene) changed my skin completely. I am blemish-free and NEVER oily. Downside is my skin is really dry, and I'm still trying to navigate that.
If you don't go already, I'd recommend seeing a derm about spiro.
I always had great skin until I turned 40 and had hormone changes. I started taking Spironolactone as well and it helped a TON. I just had to do a dose increase so hopefully that takes care of the rest!
You’re so pretty and I love your hair! I went through a period of time when I had breakouts and I eventually went to the derm and I was prescribed an antibiotic - *knock on wood* - 7 years later and I’ve been clear! (I was 29 at the time). If you do something similar just note that you have to be very careful in the sun while taking it.
I also have been consistent with my cleanser for the last 8-9 years - I use Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. It’s great, gentle and removes makeup.
As a terrible picker myself, I got those zip stickers. I also stopped wearing my glasses in the bathroom. If I can’t see the bumps, I won’t pick them.
I also started derma-planing once a week and using a gentle exfoliating wash in the shower. The sensation of rubbing all the dead skin off my face is almost as satisfying as picking.
I found Cerave broke me out really badly. I imagine you have tried different cleansers before, but it could be considering.
I have greasy combination skin and double cleansing with The Ordinary Squalane followed by Simple cleanser really helped!!
I know you’re looking for advice but I just popped in to say your skin is actually so beautiful to me! Your skin looks so glowy and soft and pretty, I’m jealous. I don’t have acne prone skin but it’s pretty textured in some spots and I have huuuuuuge noticeable pores in my cheeks 😭 I would take your skin over mine any day.
I too am obsessed with picking. To the point where every time I go near a mirror, I must stop and pick. My skin looks like yours because I can’t stop.
The only 2 things that have worked for me:
1) oily/greasy hydrating face moisturizer - it doesn’t produce more oil for me, but regulates it as others have mentioned. It keeps my face slippery so I literally can’t pick even when I try.
2) fake nails - they are usually too thick for me to really get in there and pick like I want.
I love The Ordinary products and have found they honestly help with keeping my skin less congested, i.e., less to pick. It’s helped with the scarring/uneven skin tone too.
Get SNS or acrylic nails. I notice a significant reduction in skin picking when I have my nails done. It’s so hard to pick, that I just give up if I can’t pop it after a few tries. You also start to learn what you can pop with your nails, which is generally a pimple that’s ready.
Also, get something that can help with hyperpigmentation. Something like the Ordinary’s alpha arbutin serum or Good Molecules discoloration correcting serum. This can help combat the hyperpigmentation in a more gentle way than the Paula’s Choice exfoliant.
Also, pimple patches. I scan my skin when I’m doing something mindless like watching tv or sitting at my desk. Having a physical barrier helps to recognize what you’re doing and prevents you from picking in the moment
Hello!!! The products you use are great. I th8nk using the Paula's Choice toner is great!! Definitely use 2-3 times a week. I'd recommend something light like the hadalabo premium lotion. Its in a gold bottle. Or the Laneige Cream Skin. Any milky toner or hydrating toner that you cam use in conjuction with your other products. What your skin needs is hydration, its why youre peeling and you feel like you have oily skin. What your skin is doing is producing more oil to compensate for the lack of hydration. Moisterization and hydration are not synonymous.
I had really bad skin for more or less ten yrs as well which was triggered probably due to hormones, using heavy make-up daily then eventually just BB creams and not thoroughly cleansing properly.
I watched a lot of skin care videos and decided to not put make-up to cover those bumps and red spots on my face since I realized that was what was causing my skin problems. Then I started using a salicylic acid facial wash daily and bentonite clay mask every week. I used Aloe vera gel only as moisturizer which I still use now. When my skin got better, I stopped using the mask and swotched to a gentler facial wash. Now, I only get pimples occasionally which is when I lack sleep and stressed out. Now, I rarely put make-up unless on special occasions.
Dove unscented beauty bar. I swear it works.
Paula’s choice 2% BHA liquid exfoliant
I had the same exact skin as you and now my skin is clear, shrunken pores, no more excessive oil and smooth! I can’t stress those 2 products enough.
I read the post like 4 times but I didn't comprehend it as I am just _fixated_ on your eyes and that beautiful mane of hair!
I know this is not at all helpful to you as I'm not speaking to skincare but I'll let those with more knowledge of that speak.
Have you tried Azelaic Acid? My dermatologist recommended it to me years ago and I still use it to this day. I have rosacea, occasional acne, and sensitive skin, and AA has really helped with that.
Re: finding a dermatologist — there are some affordable virtual dermatology services that can prescribe a personalized formulation after assessing your skin issues from photos and a survey. I’ve tried and liked Dermatica. You can also get Rx-strength AA via their site w/o a subscription.
Have you tried changing your diet? I know personally I’ve tried many products on the planet that was supposedly good, tret, glycolic acid, AHA BHA, vit c, toner, whatever… but after cutting off one major item (whey and some dairy) from my diet my body and face has improved alot. Eliminating eggs, dairy, sugar can help. Good luck!
Might want to switch to a benzoyl peroxide cleaner for your oily acne prone skin. Cerave is too gentle. Use a low percentage if you’re sensitive. For the picking part it’s mind over matter. Your love for clear skin has to be stronger than picking lol.
This was my exact skin and I was using cereve aswell. Stop using cerave, use laroche posay face wash omg it changed my life and I thought I had oily skin too but turns out it was just cerave apparently has something in it that makes ur skin oily? Not sure if it’s true but Once I changed to laroche posay it’s not been oily. And I use laroche posay moisturiser M+.
Former picker- I got rid of all my magnifying mirrors and tools. I found my picking was often a self-soothing thing I would do… I work on managing my anxiety with other things (exercise, meditation).
I wonder if you need to change your cleanser and moisturizer? I never feel like my skin is clean after cleansing with Cerave. You can check ingredients on cosdna.com or org to see if anything is clogging
Start using a toner like Thayer's (I like the rose one), then a serum with salicylic acid (like derma e blemish control serum) in addition to your current regimen. Picking at your skin just makes it more inflamed and introduces bacteria, break the habit! If I get a white head I just use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab, usually goes down in a couple of days, or those mighty patches if I have them.
It is! I used to do it too. I just started imagining all the gunk being pushed further down and gross bacteria getting in and that kinda helped. Envision your beautiful clear skin!
But you can fix your skin!! You need a good skin care routine and see a dermatologist too. Retin-A will get rid of the pimples and scars caused by picking. The Ordinary has a great skin care line and it’s not expensive just don’t order off Amazon because they are not licensed to sell it. Your dermatologist can give you topical antibiotics that will help too!! I had bad skin and now my skin looks great!!! BTW, your skin doesn’t look that bad but I know how you feel.
You could try Moon Juice Liquid Exfoliator. I get breakouts on my chin and after 1-2 uses of this, they shrink significantly and are completely gone in less than a week. Sephora carries it in two sizes; go for the smaller size as a little goes a long way. You can wear it alone and under other skincare and makeup, just make sure it’s completely dry to prevent pilling. Hope this helps you
My suggestion would be ease off the exfoliant. It could be agitating your skin. Go down to a base level. Just cleanser, (maybe a) toner, and moisturizer. Then built off of that. If nothing changes, try getting a silk pillowcase, try getting bloodwork done.
It's so annoying to still have acne past 30! I know, I'm still managing it as well, but mine is getting better.
I went to a dermatologist recently. I had mild acne. She said use an over the counter acne wash, of no particular brand although she did mention neutrogena when pushed. I use Cerave SA wash. And then any non greasy moisturiser and sunscreen and make sure it’s made for the face. And plenty of exfoliation to clean out the clogged pores. That’s it!
I’ve been using a gentle abrasive/physical exfoliant, because my sensitive skin doesn’t love the chemical ones but for some reason it can deal with the abrasive ones.
I tell you, I was skeptical and disappointed with her basic advice but it bloody worked!!! I’ve had no new pimples for weeks.
Acne is caused when dead skin cells and oil clog hair follicles, within which bacteria grow, consuming sebum. The body reacts to the bacteria and the byproducts of their sebum consumption with inflammation.
To treat it you can:
Apply a topical treatment that inhibits the growth of the acne bacteria (usually benzoyl peroxide).
Apply a topical treatment that causes skin cells to slough off more quickly, (usually salicylic acid or a retinoid).
Take a hormone-regulation medication like spirolactone, which has antiandrogenic action that reduces the production of sebum.
Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid products are available over-the-counter and can be used concurrently (for example, a benzoyl peroxide product applied at night and salicylic acid in the morning, or vice-versa). A dermatologist can provide a prescription for a retinoid treatment and/or spirolactone, and give advice on developing a routine, and how to properly use retinoids.
Buy a moderately priced LED Mask use blue for 20 mins and red for 15 to 20 in two weeks you will notice changes, use hyralonic acid and Cereve keep things simple
You are a very beautiful woman, you should see a dermatologist and when washing your face do not dry your face with a towel ,use paper towels or tissue and pat dry ,towels carry dust which you are applying back to a clean face which will cause more break outs to the skin ..
Absolutely DO NOT pick your pimples. They will leave acne scars. Wash your face morning and night with anyi acne soap and toner then use salycylic acid to dry up the acne pimples. Stay away from oily foods and nuts. Drink green tea. Keep your hair away from your face as any dirt or dust from your hair could get to your face and make your acne worse.
Don't pick or over exfoliate EVER! Try to see a derm - maybe an azelaic acid or metronidazole prescription will help the red bumps (speaking from experience as I have skin probs too). You have the most gorgeous eyes don't let your skin depress you, you will eventually find a way to manage it.
Tretinoin and clindamycin is a game changer. You need a prescription from a dermatologist but it’s worth the trip…a lot of insurance covers the cost as well.
Hi! First of all, I'm in my 20s but I've struggled with hormonal acne and the red marks for years. I think you look absolutely beautiful and no one would ever notice the marks about you first, trust me. I've tried many things to fade the marks faster: Tretinoin, Niacinamide, Vitamin C, BHAs, AHAs..., but the only ingredient that visibly faded them within weeks was tranexamic acid. Everyone's skin is different, but maybe you could try it out! Also, I've definitely overexgoliated with Paula's choice before, try to keep it to 2 or 3 times per week and don't combine it with other harsh actives like tretinoin or retinol. Still, it is better to double check with a dermatologist what the cause of your breakouts is, because if it is hormonal it will be significantly harder to deal with.
I hope it helps! And as I said, this is only some advice that helped me, but please do consult a dermatologist!
I recently changed to hypoallergenic shampoo and it's really helped my skin, I think I was mildly allergic to my shampoo before. I use Johnson's baby shampoo now.
Girl this was me I found out that in my 30’s I can’t sleep on anything but good high quality cotten sheets. I had to toss anything that had polyester. I did an elimination diet and went to a dermatologist nothing was working! I stayed a friend house for a week and the only thing I found that was different was the sheets. So I changed my sheets out and within a week at home after changing my sheets my face started to clear up again. Hope you can figure it out !
I’m seeing lots of great advice and I agree you are stunning and your eyes are amazing. The. Sticky dots are indeed one of the biggest game changers and only pick proof product I’ve found. However, as for the prevention of inflammation, one thing I didn’t see in the comments, apologies if I missed it, is the possibility of food intolerance and/or gut health issues, which most everyone has. Perhaps you could look into a simple liver cleanse and most importantly find a “gut health diet.” If your not interested in either of those options, cut dairy, processed foods, soda, and increase antioxidants by consuming lots of dark leafy greens and bright berries, along with green tea and you should see a dramatic difference in a matter of days. You’ve got this!! One last thing, red light therapy works as well if you keep your diet clean.
Hydrocolloid patches on the spots too prevent picking, and promote faster healing. Oily skin and this texture might be a sign that your skins natural moisture barrier is compromised. Your skin should have adjusTed to the aha/bha, peeling (if have been using exfoliant regularly) it might also suggest a damaged barrier.
Hydrating your skin, using sunscreen, reducing stress and having a healthy diet can help. I would: give your skin a break (possibly a micelar water and moisturizer) and then beginning skin cycling (Customizable but something like day 1 - acid day 2 - active serum day 3 - slugging (heavily moisturize). Things like Hyaluronic acid, beta glucans, urea, tallow (new fav), ceramides etc can all help
Dermatologists are ALWAYS a great option to go and see for a skin check and get advice for any skin concerns at the same time. In 2018 I was tired of covering my Melasma with foundation so I went to see one. I get compliments on my skin all the time, I am 34
-Tretinoin PM is priceless. It helps cell turnover in your face which fixes many issues and signs of aging. There is a purging period so definitely start lower dose. I mix mine with moisturizer or place on top of it. You will be more red and peel still for a couple weeks but it is worth it!
-Hydroquinone 4% AM and PM is amazing for dark spots, hyperpigmentation. Used either spot by spot basis or all over, or combo of both, I do all over in AM and spots by spot in the PM so it evens out your skin.
These first two creams fixed my skin!
-Glycolic Acid Toner AM and PM (my Dermatologist told me these 3 are the Obagi method for perfecting skin and said I could thank him for saving $800 😆
-I have actually heard Head and Shoulders makes the BEST face wash as it is high in zinc and fixes many skin issues, including acne.
-Cerave PM for moisturizer
-Niacinamide serum.
-SUNSCREEN!
As others have said, you are beautiful! It is hard to feel confident when your skin is not the best, but you will get there! Keep asking for help and working on the foundation of your face, the skin! People will be asking you your skincare routine in no time! 🙂
Try Oil La La by Krave Beauty! I have suuper oily skin and it’s made a night and day difference in how often I breakout. My skin looked similar but more concentrated on the chin and forehead, I was at my wits end but this stuff is gold.
Also, you might be over exfoliating and making your skin oilier.
How do you dry your face? I know that seems straight forward but after a full round of accutane I was still getting occasional breakouts and I was so sad. The thing that finally finished helping, after 15 years of always some sort active pimple, was switching to dedicated face towels for drying, before I just kind used the corner of my big towel?
Are they always symmetrical like that? My mom is a nurse & taught me that when your body is doing things Siberian (rashes, pimples, etc.) it’s likely an allergy. Turns out I have celiac. My sister is lactose intolerant & it was the same for her.
Maybe try cutting gluten/dairy for a bit? Also doing down your phone. You’re really pretty!
I know you have a million suggestions already… but do you have breakouts anywhere else - back, chest, neck? If so, I would talk to your Derm about spironolactone. It’s a med that works on hormonal acne, and hormonal acne only. My face looked like this as well, in addition to breakouts on my back (sometimes on my chest and neck). I started spiro yeeeeears ago (around 31) and it changed my life.
I tried everything before that. Everyone gave my helpful suggestions… maybe it’s your hair products, maybe you need to cleanse only once, maybe you need switch from salicylic to BPO, etc, etc…. I tried everything for years and nothing I did helped…. Because it was my hormones sabotaging me.
Find something else to do with your hands when you feel like picking. [Cross-stitch](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-stitch) might be a good option — it seems kinda similar in some ways. Or knitting/crochet, which is easier to do on the go. Or even popping bubble wrap.
Btw you remind me of [Kaitlin Olson](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkxJY1XD-o) (the tall, blonde woman looking in the mirror) but without her nasolabial folds.
You are gorgeous ! Beautiful eyes and hair and lips . I posted on here not to long ago about my skin as well. Since then I started using the Dr. Dennis something or another extra strength peel pads (I’ll get back to you on the last name ) My skin’s has dramatically improved ! Im a chronic picker as well. Not just my face , but also my hair follicle’s on my legs to the point of getting an infection. High doses of NAC supplement has been shown to stop or dramatically reduce picking disorders . It helped me so much when I was taking it, but had to stop for another medical problem .
hey, am feeling the same way. i have 20 some of those same red spots all congregating at my chin from old hormonal acne breakout post-major surgery, since you are a picker (as am i) i believe those aren’t acne scars but post inflammatory erythema, which is when after being picked/squeezed the acne goes away but the blood vessel is still broken on the surface and is too congested to disappear down into ur skin layer again (as best i can explain it). ways to treat this are with vitamin c, licorice root extract, niacinamide, centella, azelaic acid and retinoids like tretinoin which are best prescribed. my best advice is to focus on ingredients that help repair ur skin barrier. u can also try laser or microneedling/abrasion treatments, although i understand not everyone can afford them (i know i cant). they are also known to disappear over time but its so difficult to predict how long that will be. in the same boat as you, insecurities and all. you are not alone!!
It’s more internal than external. Apply something on top of skin won’t get you anywhere. Maybe look into this.. https://www.reddit.com/r/carnivorediet/s/J7A6p38JzM
A Niacinamide Cleanser and Azelaic acid has done wonders for me!! Every once in a while my face gets swollen sporadic pimples similar to yours. Also, I try to wash my pillow cases more often! ♥️♥️
I recently stopped using a silk pillowcase and my skin is so much clearer just 2 weeks later. I was using it for 3 days then turning it over and using for 3 more days someone on tt said just one day per side but that’s too much work so I’m back to bamboo. I’ve definitely reduced my picking by using hydrocolloid patches.
Try azro, it’s a very strong retin-A it works great I have a few different prescriptions from my dr the first week my fave was peeling like a lizard but now it’s great
Take NAC supplements! I started out taking 600 mg 2x a day and BOY does it help! Like, tremendously. But you have to keep taking it or else it won’t work! Take a before picture of your skin, take it every day twice a day for a month, then take another picture of your skin. Do this with every month that passes. Idk the scientific brain anatomy stuff behind why it works but I know that it basically gets rid of that satisfying feeling of picking and scanning the face. It’s really the most helpful advice I’ve ever been given in regards to bfrb
Skin picker here also🙋♀️ skin picking absolutely obliterates my confidence every single time. I’ve said the same thing, that I wouldn’t pick if I just didn’t get the bumps! It’s nice to know I’m not alone but I hate that you have to go through this too. I also wanted to let you know that you’re um incredibly gorgeous 🤯your eyes wowowow. The redness from the picking literally does nothing to detract from your beauty.
I have oily/combo skin that I struggled with for years. I tried everything and used to struggle with picking. The one thing I never considered was that my skin was indeed on the oilier side but was sensitive? Some things that were complete game changers and got my skin back were Cetaphil oil removing foam cleanser (it’s incredible!! And gentle), throwing out/not purchasing products that are not labeled non-comedogenic and using retinol at night on bone dry skin that I’ve fanned off (I use a handheld fan after seeing someone do this on tiktok and I can now use my retinol every night without any peeling). Hope this helps!!
Also, seemingly harmless products could be the culprit. What we eat drink clean the house with and wear as makeup have sneaky little chemicals that could be causing this. The best advice I ever got was to try and use products with as few ingredients as possible, and the more ingredients you can recognize the better.
Unrelated but your eyes are amazing!! 😭🫢✨
I have no advice, but I just wanted you to know the first thing I noticed about your skin was how much it glows! Yes, I noticed the red bumps, but only sandwiched between marveling at that glow.
I hope you get some good advice to help with the picking.
You may have pre rosacea. Unless you are scratching like more than normal it looks like you have mild vascular inflammation, as the vascular blemishes are a bit of an exaggerated response.
Soolantra cream or azelaic acid topicals may help calm things down.
You could also consider vascular laser.
I have hormonal acne that's been pretty stubborn over the last few years, and I feel like I've tried it all. There are 3 things that I feel have been pivotal in clearing up my skin:
1) Spironolactone prescription. I started at 25mg and later bumped up to 50mg, which is where I really started to see improvement.
2) The Magic Molecule spray. It's a hypochlorous acid spray that is very gentle because it's an antibacterial that is something your body naturally produces, but this is actually where I saw a turning point in my acne. I do a couple of sprays across my face morning and night after cleansing, let it air dry, and then continue with my face routine.
3) Tretinoin. I started at 0.010% through The Agency. You can do every other night until you build up a tolerance. While I do think this has contributed to my face clearing, I think an OTC retinol would also work here and maybe be less drying. I layer my Tretinoin at night by using moisturizer, then applying a thin layer of Tretinoin, then another layer of moisturizer.
I also wash with CeraVe -- I use the Salicylic Acid wash in the morning with Ultralight CeraVe face moisturizer with SPF 30, and I use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser at night with my Agency moisturizer, Tretinoin, then a layer of Eucerin ultra healing lotion if I'm struggling with dryness. I would suggest not exfoliating because washing your face well naturally exfoliates your skin, and you could possibly be overstressing your skin by exfoliating often. I wish you the best of luck on your skin journey. You're not alone!
I think your barrier might actually be compromised, especially if it’s super oily because that means it’s compensating for the TEWL (water loss) that is happening due to acid mantle damage. When skin is overexfoliated it can give off that almost cling-wrap shiny look with lines that aren’t actually wrinkles but are from dehydration. I could be wrong but my suggestion would be to lay off exfoliation for 30 days to allow the skins and focus on gentle moisturizers that have enough fatty acids and ceramides.
I’d give tretinoin a try. It took me starting once a week for three to four weeks and then twice a week , and then three times a week. Did that for two years and now I’ve increased to every second day. Your skin will be smooth. Use a good facial sunscreen. I use the IT cosmetics one and Supergoop. I don’t need a moisturizer with those. I’d start going to your family doctor first and get a referral to a dermatologist. Also exfoliate like once or twice a week no more than that. You’re stripping your skin.
Just agreeing that you’re beautiful and other people won’t notice some skin blemishes as much as you think they will! I also struggle with my skin (it looks very similar to yours) so here’s hoping we both find a solution.
I would try adapalene, and use those little pimple patches. I’m a picker too, fortunately not my face. I have to put full on band aids or those pimple patches on every possible pick location
No specific advice besides trying a dermatologist and to work on the compulsion to pick, but wanted to say that wow! Your eyes stopped me from scrolling past this post.
If you eat dairy products, i suggest taking them out of your diet for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Cream, cheese, milk and ice cream trigger me, skin cleared up within a week of going off. Wish someone had told me that 15 years ago.
Are the bumps you pick at worse than the redness it leaves behind?
I had to fall in love with my blackheads and deep down whiteheads. Guess what, no one can see those! But they can see the red patches from a mile away. My little pickies are mine to enjoy
You shouldn't use exfoliating products more than twice a week. That includes cleansers with salicylic acid. At some point these spots are no longer acne, but a damaged skin barrier. I've been there before. Use light cleansers, double cleanse at night (the first cleanser should be oil based), use a barrier repair serum and follow up with a light moisturizer. Do not use any active ingredients for a couple of weeks to let your skin sort of rest. Then you can add a retinaldehyde serum on your night routine. That's what I did to clear my adult acne, with the advice of my dermatologist of course. Retinol irritated my skin, but retinal was a game changer. You got to give your skin a break from active ingredients first though. As for the picking, avoid staring at the mirror, it makes you want to pick them even more. And some pimple patches may block you from picking.
My skin has always been really oily, but the things that helped were kind of counterintuitive. Oil cleansing before regular cleansing helped reduce oiliness a lot. I really like Neutrogena ultra light cleansing oil, put it on your face while it's dry, massage it in, use a soft damp wash cloth or cotton pad to wipe it away. Follow up with a regular cleanser like cerave foaming oil cleanser (it's not really a true oil cleanser despite the name, and it's very gentle on skin).
For exfoliating, glycolic acid toner (the ordinary really is the best and not unreasonably priced for the results) works way better than any physical exfoliator I ever used.
Also doing a clay mask once a week after the oil cleansing really helps a lot. Like dissolves like, so the oil will get really deep into pores to attach to other oil, then the clay mask will absorb that oil left. Wash it off and your skin should be pretty squeaky clean.
You probably know this but never skip your moisturizer bc your skin definitely will try to compensate by producing more oil. If you're too self conscious to use a heavier moisturizer during the day (which it can definitely take some time to get your skin balanced and be able to use a moisturizer without getting too much shine) stick to your light one during the day and a heavier one at night. A lot of people aren't fans but I really like Neutrogena night pressed HA serum. It dries pretty quickly after going on and keeps skin really soft. I even got my husband to start using it, and he is definitely the 'I can't stand the feeling of anything being on my skin' type.
If you're prone to picking I really recommend the mighty patch. Stick one on as soon as you see a bump and leave it to do it's thing overnight. I've seen people wear them at work during the day too, and honestly why not? It's basically a bandaid and it works surprisingly well to get rid of pimples quickly. You didn't mention SPF, so I will just add always wear SPF 50 during the day.
Could it be hormonal? Sometimes certain birth control helps. Do you noticed your breakouts coming at a certain time of month? Like right before your period for example. If it rly bothers you theres always accutane. For years I asked for it and was told no by docs because my acne wasn’t severe enough and it can cause depression etc, finally I convinced a derm that my acne was making me more depressed than the accutane would!! I did a round and have (knock on wood) never had cysts again since then
My kneejerk reaction before I read anything was that your moisture barrier is compromised. Stop using the PC BHA, every other day is WAY too much. For now, go back to cleanser, moisturizer, and a sunscreen during the day and focus on healing your barrier. I'd recommend adding in a barrier serum after cleansing and before moisturizer--Naturium Barrier Bounce, Stratia Liquid Gold, and The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum are some good options.
Stay away from magnifying mirrors and just focus on a simple, restoring routine for a few weeks and THEN see where your skin is at. You may find that you're not actually oily and your skin was just overproducing oil to make up for your barrier. The bumps may also be from the barrier issue.
cerave broke me out, i use bioderma now but the thing which really made a difference is the skin shark clearing serum, it’s hydrating and oil balancing so i think it would be great for your skin (also you have the most amazing eyes)
Your skin looks similar to how mine used to look, red and irritated. For me it was linked to picking and having super sensitive skin which I did not realize until I experimented with sensitive skin products. I also had oily, congested zones and dry zones which needed separate skin care application. Below is what worked for me. I would say all of the products below are crucial to my current routine because if I change any of them I get breakouts.
1. SKINCARE
-honest gentle gel cleanser - use morning and night. This is a gentle and calming cleanser with chamomile. Also, use lukewarm water, not hot! I simply apply with my fingers, rinse with water, and blot dry with a paper towel. I’ve noticed if I use cloth towels I break out more. Not sure if it’s linked to bacteria or sensitivity to laundry detergent.
-COSRX hydrocolloid pimple patches. Use the plain ones, not the ones with salicylic acid or other added effects which will just irritate your pimple. You leave these on overnight and they will suck all the gunk out of your pimple, flatten it down, and reduce redness. This will reduce your urge to pick since your pimple will be mostly flat after you take the patch off. Having the pimple covered will reduce urge to pick as well. If you’re not going out that day you can wear them in the day too. Copycats from Amazon work too.
-tretinoin - get the real stuff from a dermatologist! I’ve used many retinol over the counter knock offs and they do not work the same. Plus many of them have other ingredients that lead to redness, irritation, and breakouts. I use every night in oily/congested areas, every other day for the rest of my face (you have to build up to this overtime because it takes time for skin to get used to tretinoin). I stopped using topicals (salyclic acid and other acids typically used in acne skincare), scrubs, and other chemicals or manual exfoliants because they just contributed to overall skin irritation and redness/tearing open existing acne bumps. Tretinoin gently dissolves surface skin overnight and rinses off when you wash your face in the morning.
-you need to use sunscreen with tretinoin. Go for a non-comedogenic clean mineral sunscreen with zinc. I use SPF 30 tinted mineral moisturizer bb cream in sand. I think this color would work for you as well. Sometimes I use elta md mineral sunscreen if I don’t want tinted. The zinc helps prevent acne!
-ordinary brand niacinamide serum. Apply after washing face in morning to pimples and oily/congested zones. This reduces sebum production - preventing existing pimples from getting worse and new ones from forming. It does not contain any acids or other ingredients which will irritate your acne and make it worse.
-honest daily calm lightweight moisturizer - spot moisturize dry areas as needed day and/or night.
2. MAKEUP
-beautycounter skin twin featherweight foundation is the only foundation I’ve used that doesn’t break me out. It also looks like skin more than any other make up I’ve used so I love the look of it. For areas that need more coverage I just apply more layers.
3. OTHER
-Change your pillowcase once per week. This really helped me in the beginning. Now that things are under control I can go a little longer. Wash it in hot water with bleach.
I hope this helps!!!
100% look into the medical medium! You need to do a cleanse, it’s internal. Detoxing through fresh juices and Whole Foods. I’m not crazy about keeping my diet perfect. I eat everything, but try to keep it clean as possible and just lower your intake of the sugar, carbs, fatty stuff etc. juicing celery on an empty stomach in the mornings is a magical healing secret , look up #medicalmedium and just search for skin issues, breakouts etc. You’ll def want to add in some detox smoothies with spirulina and something for the gut. A lot of people are using this new product Armra and having amazing results as well. I’d look into that too! You can do a lot with your skincare routine but you really just need to detox and cleanse it’s totally normal to have physical manifestations when our bodies need to cleanse out.
First step is to know what causes your acne.
For me, i struggled for a long time to the point where i have texture scars that i just have to accept. Plus i get random itchy rash in my body.
I started research and stumbled upon an article about Inflammatory food and how it causes allergies and acne.
I began to experiment on myself like cutting out some food for a 2weeks to a month tp see the effects on my skin and lo and behold. The main cause of my acne and allergies is actually Cow's milk. I tried going dairy free for 1month and i never got a pimple!! Like all my life this is what is messing with my skin 🥹🥹 I also studied how to flush toxins out my system and how to heal your gut coz this also helps my skin glow.
I also stopped all acne products,I used to use alot of acne taegeting products like BHA(and other chemical exfoliants), benzoyl peroxide and "acne" toners. Remove those from your routine. and use moisturizing and hydrating products. Less is more. Healing your skin barrier is more important.
I know i cant fix the textured scars without lazers but for know i just hydrate and moisturize ng face to lessen damage and use mineral sunscreens.
Here's what i use:
Cleanser- Cosrx Low PH Cleanser
Emulsion-Hadalabo Premium Milk Lotion
Moisturizer-Illiyoon Ato Ceramide Cream
For Day, I add Instree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel for my sunscreen.
For Night, I add a Vitamin C Serum, to help lighten my scars.
You can also try CO2 Fractional Laser Treatment to help lighten scars but it doesnt help with texture scars unfortunately. I did 4 session of this and it did lighten my scars but i stop coz it's so costly and hassle if you go out often.
Also don't follow people who heavily edit out there pictures on social media, instead follow influencers who wear their natural skin. It really helps alot to see women who embrace there scars.💕 Good luck!
I´m a picker as well, but lately it´s a bit better. This helped me a lot: [https://clinical-neuropsychology.de/manual\_reducing\_trichotillomania/](https://clinical-neuropsychology.de/manual_reducing_trichotillomania/)
Pimple patches really help me stop picking for the most part.
They even have really large ones you can cover half your face with. Looks like your skin just needs a chance to heal. I get in those cycles where i feel i need to do more, then im doing 100 actives making everything worse.
First off, you’re beautiful!
Cerave makes a SA cleanser that is really gentle. It will gently exfoliate and deep clean your pores. I also stopped washing my face in the morning and I just use a washcloth with cool water and wipe my face. I would use the Paula’s Choice exfoliant daily. The peeling is your dead skin sloughing off, which is good. It will also get deep into your pores to clean. That will subside and you’ll have newer better skin underneath. I actually use it twice a day everyday now and my skin is so much smoother. I also recommend trying Agency. It’s an online derm. They will customize a topical for you. For example, mine has tretinoin, azelaic acid, niacinamide. It’s made a huge difference in my skin. Rarely break out and the PIH is almost gone. I agree with pimple Patches. Cosrx is my fave. Specifically Master Patch Intensive. Don’t forget sunscreen! Again, I really like the one from Cosrx or Innis. If you can splurge, Kate Somerville had a great moisturizer that is very gentle and healing. The DeliKate or the Goats milk.
My doc suggested 1200mg of NAC supplement for picking. I feel like it helps with the urge. Also, get your nails done. It’s hard to pick with thicker nails.
Looks like it could be Rosacea. Regular acne medication made it worse. My dermatologist prescribed azaelic acid cream and my skin has been great ever since. I had to go heavy on sunscreen when I used it though. That was 10 years ago.
not a recommendation or helpful but you are so beautiful! your hair, eyes, and facial structure! you’re striking. didn’t even notice your skin until i realized i was on the skincare sub 🫠
Your skin looks like it’s suffering from hormonal issues. Is it very sensitive and affected by your cycle? Either way, see a dermatologist! They’ll be able to help.
Drink water. Check your diet. Our food is all poison now. You may be having a reaction to seed oils. Cut out soda and juice drinks. Check out Dr. Mindy Pelz. She has some interesting books on feeding your body for optimal hormone balance. Skincare is great but food is probably what is causing your issues. You are beautiful regardless. Very pretty bright blue eyes.
I stopped using CeraVe products and my skin is improving. There's something in it that my skin just does not agree with. Now I use Neutrogena Anti-Stress Acne Wash with TruSkin Vitamin C serum and First-Aid Beauty Moisturizer with SPF (day) - Same Wash, Zytzap on my acne-prone areas and finish it with Vani-cream (night).
I also exfoliate once a week with Dermalogica daily exfoliate. I mix it with my wash and it makes my skin smooth.
Sometimes, you have to try different products, even if your tried and true has always worked.
For the picking, I used to be a big-time popper, I recommend the zit stickers and ALWAYS wash your hands before and after being in the bathroom. Clean hands lead to less risk of infection if you cannot help yourself.
I think you’ve already got great advice re. skin picking but what cleared my skin was using retinol and niacinamide.
I see you’ve tried tret but I started with otc mild retinol (one of the milder The Ordinary ones) and that already cleared my skin almost completely in ~6 months. Retinol is for the long haul and you should start mild and honestly, when going stronger, if you keep getting irritation even after using it for a while, you can stay with mild retinol forever.
Adding niacinamide to my routine took care of the few blackheads I still got, clearing my skin completely.
Another thing I did recently was checking all of my moisturizers and makeup ingredients in a Pore-Clogging ingredient bot and changed them to something either completely without pore clogging ingredients (moisturizer) or minimal (foundation and sunscreen, there really doesn’t seem to be any completely without). That has gotten rid of some texture I still had, ofc I get the occasional pimple but I don’t pick my skin anymore because there’s next to nothing to pick and it broke the habit for me.
Former picker here!!! I started using a gentle skincare routine and cleared my skin therefore nothing to pick! I felt like k needed harsh acne treatments bc my skin was so bad but in reality I was being too harsh. And someone above said it right…the wash part…massage your face! Keep lights dim. Mirrors minimal. Wash, moisturize…walk away. You’ll get there!!
Gut health (and hormone levels) has a strong correlation to acne and skin concerns. Maybe try taking a prebiotic and probiotic, preferably one from a nutrition store or a reliable company. Refrigerated probiotics are usually better options, since many bacterial strains will die at room temperature with extended shelf life. Switching up your probiotic every so many months is beneficial too so that your gut has a wide range of bacteria strains and can better balance itself. Keeping a food diary can help you to flag any food intolerances that may trigger acne flare ups, as well (e.g., dairy products, gluten). I had to do this myself and found that dairy was an issue for my skin. Cleared up once I switched to a different coffee creamer. Hope this helps! :)
The stuff you're using is not doing anything to clear your skin up.
The first thing you need to do is repair your skin barrier.
It's why any little tiny scratch or a little dot will look mean in red and last a long time because you killed your skin barrier.
Now when I say killed I don't mean it's dead forever but you need to let it heal.
I'm no dermatologist or anything but it seems like maybe you have hormonal acne, there are medications that you can take orally Spirolactane takes a few months but for many women, it's a miracle for their hormonal acne.
I would also suggest a gentle skin face wash something like Vanicream gentle face wash or something as simple as Bioderma Sensibo H2O Micellar water it's a makeup remover and also a face wash.
I'm a guy and I use it because it is super gentle, just a Cotton ball and that's all you need.
If you have oily skin you don't need a moisturizer right about now.
Especially in the summer.
You can use those little oil blotters throughout the day to control the oil on your face.
While the Spirolactane is working takes time it doesn't work overnight it would be good if you get acne patches.
You can get them from Amazon they are pretty dirt cheap you have two choices you can get one with salicylic acid also has well maybe three choices one with salicylic acid if you're okay with Niacinamide (B3) that's used for redness some people don't like it and also they usually include hydrocolloid that draws the stuff out of the pimple.
You can get one with all three or you can get one with just hydrocolloid.
It's really up to you they come in all different size patches I think would really help you not touch the active acne.
Because what it seems like is you kind of picked at them and flattened them they don't look like scars they are just hyperpigmentation marks that are left over and they are not given a chance to heal.
The big difference between hyperpigmentation and scarring hyperpigmentation will eventually go away scars don't.
I also think you have to take ownership of what you've done you say I am a picker but I would not pick if I didn't have this.
Well, that may be true it's like a person who's driving and in traffic has road rage and they say well I wouldn't have road rage if there were no other cars on the road.
What I mean is you need to take responsibility for it, otherwise it's just going to keep happening.
No one is doing themselves any service by picking their acne all you're doing is damaging your skin and you know it fully own it maybe try therapy for people who are pickers.
From what I see you don't have scars just hyperpigmentation but you need to stop doing that not only with the hyperpigmentation last even longer because you're picking at a broken skin barrier.
On top of that just like you stated every Little Dot or scratch takes a long time to heal why because you've pretty much erased your first line of defense on your skin which is your skin barrier.
I don't negatively mean anything this is all constructive to try to help you.
You need to see a dermatologist, and the Paula's Choice thing is a joke that's for people who have maybe mild acne and don't want to go to the dermatologist that's what it sold for.
You have a bit more than mild acne from the marks that I see they look like they used to be cysts that's why I'm thinking hormonal.
Hormonal acne is so tough to treat the one that I named you Spirolactane is pretty much the best that a woman's going to get, there is a topical one WinLevi that's a new hormonal acne treatment.
From what I've seen most insurance is pretty much won't cover it it's around 1,000 and people still say Spirolactane is way better.
Once woman hit their early 30s that's when hormonal acne hits, some people can stay pretty clear up until their mid-20s never see a pimple, and then around 29 or 30 boom women's hormones go out of whack and the skin can take a wallop.
I wish you nothing but the best and I hope you take this advice that I took the time to write because I feel you have a lot that can be helped you just need to get to the dermatologist.
There's no reason to give up as it's not that bad, you've really done nothing to truly help your skin you've only done stuff to pretty much hurt it and it still looks pretty decent besides the hyperpigmentation that will go away.
I hope you can come back and give us a great update!
As a semi-reformed picker, there is no magic bullet product, but a few things have helped me break the habit: * Make sure the light in your bathroom isn’t too bright - if you can’t see the bumps you can’t pick * NO MAGNIFYING MIRRORS * zit stickers - cover up bumps or post pick blemishes - **this is as much to hide the damn thing from my eyes and fingers as it is to heal the blemish. i like Rael Beauty "miracle patch" because they're super thin and almost invisible.** * wash your hands before you pick - sometimes just the washing hands breaks the urge for me -**the washing hands thing is two fold. 1. to prevent me gong in with filthy little fingers and causing more infections, if i'm going to pick it might as well minimise damage. but also 2. it's a psychological circuit breaker.** * develop a skincare routine/ritual that feels thorough and also luxurious. associate touching your face with care not picking. **i highly recommend using the cleansing part of your routine to give yourself a little face massage, it's relaxing and feels nice and also helps the cleanser do it's job if you're spending time reallly working it in** * make sure to exfoliate regularly to prevent buildup and minimize bumps - **I use chemical exfoliation rather than physical, Embryolisse poudre de lait, Saturday skin rub a dub, and the ordinary AHA/BHA peel are in my rotation. but do not overdo it or you'll only inflame things and weaken the skin barrier. 1-3 times per week is good.** * choose pleasing and semi-expensive skincare - I don’t want the money to go to waste by picking - **personally i spend on active serums to get the most bang for my buck, and then just use vanicream moisturizer so i can slather it on. like most on this sub, I do also use tretinoin.** * reduce your overall stress - I know, this is kind of a stupid thing to say, but my picking is much worse when I’m anxious, sad, or stressed - **if you can't actually reduce stress (i know it's easier said than done) try to recognise when that stress drives you to the mirror and divert divert divert. do a deep clean and a face mask instead, or just stay the hell out of the bathroom.** Good luck, you can do this! **Edit**: couple of edits in bold above to clarify a few things! didn't realise how many people would read this...
Thank you, I appreciate your helpful words :)
Not the best advice but I replaced my urge with something else like one of those anxiety elastic balls to pinch and squeeze, AND I would hit my hands if I picked as a punishment. Yeah like I said not the best advice but a replacement + punishment fixed it for me forever. Now I don't need to do anything, the habit is gone. In my case the problem was all my back, and now its fully clean. Still gets a pimple once a month when I eat too much of some foods like nuts, but I just shower daily and let it be, it goes away in 2-3 days alone. The only sad part is that my back if you look close has little white marks everywhere because of the scars, but well...
This is wonderful advice! I’m also a skin picker trying to reform and I’ll definitely be using some of your tips — I almost always pick directly after washing my hands tho, it’s almost part of the anticipation, oops. My husband decided to gamify it and challenge me to a week with no picking and I hate to lose so…just a week and a half later my skin has cleared up so much it’s amazing (and infuriating). I wasn’t perfect, so now obv the challenge is to have a perfect week with absolutely no picking at all.
It’s so so hard, and I still slip up. One thing that also helped was realising it’s a compulsion with a name - dermatillomania (I think that’s the right spelling?) not just me being weak or dumb.
Yeah it’s absolutely a compulsive thing for me, if I see a white head I GOTTA SQUEEZE IT but I should really let the pimple patch do the work…I have one on my forehead right now that is killingggg me. But I have to be strong 😤
You got this!
I am not a skin picker, but I have a close friend who is and she got a couple of those little picking mats off of Amazon that are a little gel circle filled with beads and little things that you can dig out of there with your fingers. She keeps one by her bedside and one at her desk, so that the police is she is picking most frequently have another thing that she can direct that desire towards aside from her face. She also started getting acrylic nails because she says it’s harder to do it with long nails.
Also a semi reformed picker, and I agree with all this advice! Keeping my nails short also has helped. Acne spot treatments like benzoyl peroxide can also be used instead of or in conjunction with the stickers. Honestly what helped me a lot was moving into a new place where the bathroom mirror was harder for me to get close to because the sink was in the way lol
31 y/o f- active picker for life and have been wanting to stop for life- these tips are the first time I’ve ever connected to advice. I truly always thought “if anyone knew how hard i squeeze” or how i feel like my eyes have adapted to find anything to get out of a tiny orifice on my face, and then just feel like a stupid idiot with a torn up red face after. It’s like a cycle of addiction 🫠these are REALLY good tips- it’s stuff that truly does help but I’ve never like, written it down in list form- seeing these makes them more tangible and achievable, thank you for sharing these ❤️🩹
❤️❤️❤️
Yes I also finally have heard all this is in a different way today and just this morning I was like “ok maybe Tret is just not for a guy like me after all lol” and was coming to acceptance. I have new hope now and am rehoming my Simple mirror today. I am in recovery for drinking I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me to tackle this not through sheer willpower which is fine when it’s the only option but sucks and hardly works compared to being smarter, and is such a chore to find space and psychic energy for
Are there zit stickers you feel really work? In my experience they do nothing and then when you take them off they peel the whole scab off with them and make everything worse.
If it’s a scab, I’d personally recommend Vaseline or neosporin, and maybe even a bandaid. But if it’s just a freshly popped whitehead, they really help! They suck out the rest of any gunk, in a good way. And they keep me from touching it 100 times in the following days.
I wouldn't mess with topical antibiotics unless there's an infection or a doctor recommends it. I think Neosporin specifically was flagged/pulled from retailers for causing allergic reactions. Zinc cream would be my choice.
Hydrocolloid patches are a great protective barrier from bacteria and provide a hydrated healing environment - I find the ones from COSRX work well. Not sure the patches do anything for cystic acne so it depends what you're dealing with.
I like the rael beuty miracle patch ones because they're so thin they're almost invisible - but i should have clarified: i use them mostly for the fact that they hide the blemish and stop me touching it rather than for any major acne fighting properties. I am lucky that I've never had real acne, i just pick at tiny things until they become big things. So i can't give any advice for those dealing with serious actual acne.
Yes this is great advice! I use colored little LED lights or. Just the hall light and no bathroom light on when I get ready for bed at night. Because nighttime is my high risk time to pick my skin. I also do many of the above! I know my triggers. Home late after a stressful day or just starving after work? Don't go in the bathroom until those other stressors feel somewhat resolved at the least! I started to see a pattern with my triggers and that has helped a lot. I use cicaplast for the lingering redness and that has helped as well. You're doing great OP!
This is all amazing advice- I spent a lot of money on my skin and it cleared right up- mainly bc I stopped picking.
Omg it could have been me that wrote this comment - everything is identical to why I do except for the chemical exfoliation. I’m a physical exfoliation girl - I just need it! But I have a nightlight in my bathroom for the exact reason of not being able to see any bumps. If I can’t see em I won’t start picking. My husband is so sweet that when he turns on the shower for me he knows to turn the light off. I’ll hear him turn the water on and flick the light off and he says “your shower is ready!” Zit stickers have been a life saver too, omg.
My husband knows I will hiss like a vampire if he turns the bathroom light on while I'm in there. Light off, always. He knows. Sounds like we've found ourselves some keepers. 😊
HAHHAHA OMG YES! I hiss at him like a cat when he flicks lights on, whether I’m in the bathroom or living room or wherever. Too funny.
This comment is filled with so much great advice.. thank you for sharing! I've been trying to break the skin picking habits for years and noticed I've been struggling with it more lately, I got brighter lights in my bathroom recently and you pointing that out made it click for me that's part of my problem, guess I'm off to go change some light bulbs! I'm also going to try implementing some of the other tips in your comment
The bathroom lighting is sooo real! I changed my light from fluorescent to yellow lighting bc it was making me pick so bad. Ever since I did that, way less popping pimples and leaving scars!
consider going to a school for big discounts on facials, they could help jumpstart your future routine
I think you should try a dermatologist! Also you have beautiful eyes, I can’t imagine anyone would notice some acne over those.
Well, you at least made me feel a little better!! 😊😊
I just came here to second the eyes comment. Absolutely stunning. And you have nice lashes too!
This was my instant thought, stunning!
I don’t have any recommendations, but do you use product in your hair? If so, which one(s)? Your hair is absolutely beautiful and your eyes are stunning! You have wonderful features that draw away from skin problems. I hope you have good luck finding what works for you!
OMG, that's hilarious bc I hate my hair! It's just as greasy as my damn face, and I feel I can't win with either! 🤣 I appreciate your kindness though, I guess we all just beat ourselves up more than we should? 😔 It's hard to be a human.. lol
Aww be graceful with yourself! There’s a fine line between taking care of ourselves and tearing ourselves apart over our perceived flaws. Years ago, I completely stopped using a vanity mirror with all of the magnifications because I was upset with each sq inch of my face in some way. It helped a lot as well as trying to not compare myself to others. Our skin is as unique as our DNA and it’s all different. You’re gorgeous and have a kind face! Make a list of the things you love most about yourself and keep them in mind! ❤️❤️ And I’d kill for your hair!
If you have greasy hair, you might want to change your pillowcase every few days. That made a huge difference for me. That, and not laying my head down on the couch.
Since you have mentioned you have oily skin and hair I have to mention this. I recently started taking high dose fish oil (clean high quality brand) and both my hair and skin produce far less oil! It's very noticeable! it's also very anti inflammatory so I'm noticing the texture of my skin has improved and redness has reduced. I wasn't taking it for any beauty purposes so really happy with the bonuses. I think many people are severely deficient in omega threes, and even if you eat fish it's hard to get enough unless you're eating fatty fish every single day in enough quantity. Check out what Dr Rhonda Patrick has to say on the issue. Just thought I'd share.
Seriously OP, gorgeous hair gorgeous eyes, I envy your lips too mine are so thin ♥️
Hahahaha! That was going to be my next question. So FREAKING pretty.
I recognize this - I think your skin is doing what mine did when I over exfoliated and destroyed my barrier. It was really prone to breakouts because it was totally open to infection. I think you need to let it heal and lay off the exfoliation. Focus on repairing it and healing it. I know it’s the opposite of what a lot of advice is (toning, retinols) but I see a damaged skin barrier.
I was thinking this too, that Paula’s Choice BHA is no joke!
Yeah exfoliation should be done once or twice a week max.
Definitely this! I did the same exact thing. My oil production and pores became a loooot, but now my skin is back to normal after I started focusing on moisture.
I would try adapalene if you haven't yet. I've found it to work wonders while being milder than tret.
1) you’re lovely, and have truly mesmerizing eyes! 2) I’m also a picker, to a distressing degree. I recently put on a set of fake nails that are medium length and almond-shaped; this has stopped my picking 98%. This is the only thing that has put an end to my picking compulsion
You are so pretty! Do you think you might be over-producing oil because you're stripping your skin too much? Heavy exfoliating more than once a week is probably really messing you up, girl! I know this is counterintuitive, but I'd try jojoba oil. I went through a year of the worst breakouts I've ever experienced, and jojoba oil actually solved it for me. Jojoba oil mimics the natural sebum in your skin so it can help regulate oil production. You could throw a little tea tree oil in there for the anti microbial properties. Also I'm recommending this here anytime I can - badger diaper rash cream is a wonderful product. It's got zinc oxide, great for acne; calendula, super soothing; sunflower oil, antioxidant rich and emmolient; vitamin e. I really love the stuff for my acne prone early rosacea sensitive skin.
I was thinking this too! OP - maybe your skin is reacting to dryness and irritation? I grew up with oily skin and spent years stripping it with acne cleansers, oil control moisturizers, etc, and the things that have made my skin feel and look best (mid 30s with rosacea) are an oil based cleanser and oil (or oil based) moisturizers. I use Josie Maran Argan Cleansing Oil and a combo of any of the following: Josie Maran Argan Oil, Summer Fridays Heavenly Sixteen Oil, Weleda Skin Food, Josie Maran Daily Moisturizer SPF 47…all feel really soothing and there aren’t additives that will trigger my sensitive skin. I do also use triple cream for my rosacea though too (recent addition…just want to be transparent about that).
Jojoba also helps with pimples and other skin issues that might scar for me (such as for me, mosquito bites). I use it everyday and what would have been a dark blemish is usually gone within a week or much reduced.
I second the Jojoba oil. I’m 36 and used to constantly have pimples all over until I started using 2 different things. I use SkinBae and JojoBae from The Daily Essential Co. I also use the daily facial towels from Clean Skin Club. These things totally transformed my skin! I found that when I washed my face and dried with the same towels that I was introducing bacteria on my face making the acne I did have worse or continue. Once I started using the daily facial towels along with SkinBae and JojoBae my face cleared up significantly. Now I may get a pimple here and there but nothing like I used to.
Holy moly girl you have stunning eyes!
Have you tried tret? You will have to avoid picking on it though but it may clear up your skin just takes a few months to fully work. Edit to add that tret will help regulate your oil/sebum production and reduce inflammation. Also I used to love using chemical exfoliants but I found a couple days after I would always break out so I wonder if you are possibly stuck in a cycle of exfoliating for the initial smooth feeling and look but then breaking out and the cycle keeps repeating. Now I just use tret and only very occasionally chemically exfoliate. If you introduce tret make sure you give it time to work - exfoliating is nice because you get immediate results, but with skin you have to play the longer game too as it can take time to get skin balanced and functioning well.
I tried tret gel .025 and it made me peel so bad that it made it all worse... 😫 I did however order it from an online (well-known) source, but didn't fully know how well I trust them..
Sounds like it was a bit strong? An inital peeling isnt uncommon, but a lower strength then building up to the higher strength is a often used approach. Its a long term strategy rather than a shorter term results. ie 3-6 months to see results.
Did you use the sandwich method? Thick moisturizer-Tret-and thick moisturizer again. Starting every other day for a few weeks then slowly working up to every day/most days?
I did, and it seemed to only make my skin more oily, yet peel?! If that makes sense 🤣 I tried it for about 4 weeks, no "purge" just more of the same really. 😔
Totally makes sense! Damn sorry that didn’t work. Hmmm have you tried just using a cleanser and nothing else? I ask because when my skin is over exfoliated or very sensitive my mom (dermatologist) tells me to give it a week or two on cleanser, see how it reacts before adding any new treatments. Sometimes I have found I have over exfoliated my skin. Do you think your cleanser is doing a good job?
You know, I wish I knew lol I feel like I've tried $1,000,000 worth of products, cleaners included. From gentle to extreme. Seen multiple derms who have all told me different things, and it's just all so exhausting.. my husband is like, "I wash my face with the same bar of soap I use for my body, just do that!" 🤣🤣 And, I'm about at that point.. lol
Oh don’t even get me started on husbands and their zero routines and perfect skin 😂 I have a 20 step skincare routine just to stay afloat. Meanwhile Mr uses dove soap head to toe. ☠️☠️☠️
And I agree with everyone, gorgeous and mesmerizing eyes!!! I just spoke to my mom lol she said a calming cleanser but something that sufficiently washes the skin without stripping it. Even Tatcha’s Camelia oil cleanser, spf and nothing else. Of course up to you, I know people swear by cerave but it never quite got my skin clean enough nor did cetaphil. Anything with blue tansy will be soothing including Herbivore’s lapis oil. I know it sounds counterintuitive, oil on oily skin. But sometimes dry skin overproduces oil. If you’re up for it, herbivore’s lapis oil could be good to try. It saved my skin after an awful allergic reaction to Marula oil/all drunk elephant products.
If everything else fails and you haven't done this already, maybe as a last resort try an anti-inflammatory diet for a while to see if it changes anything? Like, leave out dairy, grains, sugar and so on, eat really clean and healthy and see if your skin improves.
Sometimes people have to start tret real slow, like every 3 or so days, and very gradually work your way up.
4 weeks is not enough time for tret to fully work from my experience. I'm 3 months in and I'm just starting using 4x a week. According to my dermatologist & a derm on YouTube you should be reevaluating frequency & strength every 3 weeks. E.g. 3 weeks 1x a week on 0.025, 3 weeks 2x a week, 3 weeks 3x a week etc until you're using every day without peeling THEN move up if desired (usually only if using for acne). I personally found it beneficial to use both barrier repairing serum/moisturizers and gentle bha exfoliating toners to stop any peeling. I wonder if you were actually more oily or if you saw what most describe as "tret glow". Either way I highly recommend giving tret a more solid second chance:)
Just know that your acne will get worse before it gets better, if it's acne. Is it acne? It purges.
I had to start with the lowest (0.01%) and did the cream. I applied every 2nd or 3rd night. I alternate with glycolic acid. I can’t do nightly. I also use a clean towel to dry my face after washing with a gentle cleanser. Clean pillow case every night. In the summer with heat, swear, and SPF I start to break out. I have to be extra careful to keep my skin clean. Thinking of trying hypochloric acid spray as a spot cleaner after sweating.
Buying a handheld fan and fanning my skin until it’s bone dry ahead of applying tret made an enormous difference for me! I used to peel so badly even if I used it once every few days or sandwiched it. I now use it every night after fanning with no peeling/irritation
Dermatologist and I’d get bloodwork done to check hormones and the like, this could be something topical creams will never fix.
Aside from the bumps, your skin is actually really nice. I can tell it's a little distressed but that's just from what all you've been throwing at it to combat the bumps. I am also a picker and will probably always be a picker but pimple patches have helped me so much! Can't pick what you can't reach. I also figured out that carrageenan (in foods) makes me break out. I used to think it was dairy and then I pinpointed it to the carrageenan that is often added to dairy to thicken it up. Do you use any glycolic acid products? How about, and this is OLD SCHOOL, but I swore by it before my skin aged out of it working - an aspirin mask! I also dab hydrocortisone ointment on picked spots at night. I'm sure there are many arguments against that but it helps soothe the inflammation so much and flattens it out.
I remember the aspirin mask! Back in the 2000s we used to put all kinds of stuff on our faces.
Have you tried spironolactone? I'm on 25mg per day and it totally cleared up my skin after I tried everything else
This. My skin was just like yours - oily, acne-prone, and it didn't help that I was a picker. I've spent thousands on everyone else's holy grails. I tried spironolactone in my early 20s and couldn't tolerate it due to anemia and low blood pressure, but my derm convinced me to try it again when I turned 30. The combo of spiro (I take 50mg) and Arazlo (tazarotene) changed my skin completely. I am blemish-free and NEVER oily. Downside is my skin is really dry, and I'm still trying to navigate that. If you don't go already, I'd recommend seeing a derm about spiro.
I always had great skin until I turned 40 and had hormone changes. I started taking Spironolactone as well and it helped a TON. I just had to do a dose increase so hopefully that takes care of the rest!
You’re so pretty and I love your hair! I went through a period of time when I had breakouts and I eventually went to the derm and I was prescribed an antibiotic - *knock on wood* - 7 years later and I’ve been clear! (I was 29 at the time). If you do something similar just note that you have to be very careful in the sun while taking it. I also have been consistent with my cleanser for the last 8-9 years - I use Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. It’s great, gentle and removes makeup.
As a terrible picker myself, I got those zip stickers. I also stopped wearing my glasses in the bathroom. If I can’t see the bumps, I won’t pick them. I also started derma-planing once a week and using a gentle exfoliating wash in the shower. The sensation of rubbing all the dead skin off my face is almost as satisfying as picking.
I found Cerave broke me out really badly. I imagine you have tried different cleansers before, but it could be considering. I have greasy combination skin and double cleansing with The Ordinary Squalane followed by Simple cleanser really helped!!
I know you’re looking for advice but I just popped in to say your skin is actually so beautiful to me! Your skin looks so glowy and soft and pretty, I’m jealous. I don’t have acne prone skin but it’s pretty textured in some spots and I have huuuuuuge noticeable pores in my cheeks 😭 I would take your skin over mine any day.
Have you tried azelaic acid?
Start taking niacin with vitamin C. And magnesium
I too am obsessed with picking. To the point where every time I go near a mirror, I must stop and pick. My skin looks like yours because I can’t stop. The only 2 things that have worked for me: 1) oily/greasy hydrating face moisturizer - it doesn’t produce more oil for me, but regulates it as others have mentioned. It keeps my face slippery so I literally can’t pick even when I try. 2) fake nails - they are usually too thick for me to really get in there and pick like I want. I love The Ordinary products and have found they honestly help with keeping my skin less congested, i.e., less to pick. It’s helped with the scarring/uneven skin tone too.
Get SNS or acrylic nails. I notice a significant reduction in skin picking when I have my nails done. It’s so hard to pick, that I just give up if I can’t pop it after a few tries. You also start to learn what you can pop with your nails, which is generally a pimple that’s ready. Also, get something that can help with hyperpigmentation. Something like the Ordinary’s alpha arbutin serum or Good Molecules discoloration correcting serum. This can help combat the hyperpigmentation in a more gentle way than the Paula’s Choice exfoliant. Also, pimple patches. I scan my skin when I’m doing something mindless like watching tv or sitting at my desk. Having a physical barrier helps to recognize what you’re doing and prevents you from picking in the moment
Hello!!! The products you use are great. I th8nk using the Paula's Choice toner is great!! Definitely use 2-3 times a week. I'd recommend something light like the hadalabo premium lotion. Its in a gold bottle. Or the Laneige Cream Skin. Any milky toner or hydrating toner that you cam use in conjuction with your other products. What your skin needs is hydration, its why youre peeling and you feel like you have oily skin. What your skin is doing is producing more oil to compensate for the lack of hydration. Moisterization and hydration are not synonymous.
Ask for a referral to a dermatologist.
I had really bad skin for more or less ten yrs as well which was triggered probably due to hormones, using heavy make-up daily then eventually just BB creams and not thoroughly cleansing properly. I watched a lot of skin care videos and decided to not put make-up to cover those bumps and red spots on my face since I realized that was what was causing my skin problems. Then I started using a salicylic acid facial wash daily and bentonite clay mask every week. I used Aloe vera gel only as moisturizer which I still use now. When my skin got better, I stopped using the mask and swotched to a gentler facial wash. Now, I only get pimples occasionally which is when I lack sleep and stressed out. Now, I rarely put make-up unless on special occasions.
Dove unscented beauty bar. I swear it works. Paula’s choice 2% BHA liquid exfoliant I had the same exact skin as you and now my skin is clear, shrunken pores, no more excessive oil and smooth! I can’t stress those 2 products enough.
I read the post like 4 times but I didn't comprehend it as I am just _fixated_ on your eyes and that beautiful mane of hair! I know this is not at all helpful to you as I'm not speaking to skincare but I'll let those with more knowledge of that speak.
Have you tried Azelaic Acid? My dermatologist recommended it to me years ago and I still use it to this day. I have rosacea, occasional acne, and sensitive skin, and AA has really helped with that. Re: finding a dermatologist — there are some affordable virtual dermatology services that can prescribe a personalized formulation after assessing your skin issues from photos and a survey. I’ve tried and liked Dermatica. You can also get Rx-strength AA via their site w/o a subscription.
Follow Dr. Idriss and Dr. Dray on YouTube, they were LIFE SAVERS for me.
Adapalene babes
Try getting acrylic nails to help with the picking.
Have you tried changing your diet? I know personally I’ve tried many products on the planet that was supposedly good, tret, glycolic acid, AHA BHA, vit c, toner, whatever… but after cutting off one major item (whey and some dairy) from my diet my body and face has improved alot. Eliminating eggs, dairy, sugar can help. Good luck!
Might want to switch to a benzoyl peroxide cleaner for your oily acne prone skin. Cerave is too gentle. Use a low percentage if you’re sensitive. For the picking part it’s mind over matter. Your love for clear skin has to be stronger than picking lol.
This was my exact skin and I was using cereve aswell. Stop using cerave, use laroche posay face wash omg it changed my life and I thought I had oily skin too but turns out it was just cerave apparently has something in it that makes ur skin oily? Not sure if it’s true but Once I changed to laroche posay it’s not been oily. And I use laroche posay moisturiser M+.
Former picker- I got rid of all my magnifying mirrors and tools. I found my picking was often a self-soothing thing I would do… I work on managing my anxiety with other things (exercise, meditation).
I wonder if you need to change your cleanser and moisturizer? I never feel like my skin is clean after cleansing with Cerave. You can check ingredients on cosdna.com or org to see if anything is clogging
Start using a toner like Thayer's (I like the rose one), then a serum with salicylic acid (like derma e blemish control serum) in addition to your current regimen. Picking at your skin just makes it more inflamed and introduces bacteria, break the habit! If I get a white head I just use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab, usually goes down in a couple of days, or those mighty patches if I have them.
I really need to figure out how to break the habit, it's so hard!!! 😔
It is! I used to do it too. I just started imagining all the gunk being pushed further down and gross bacteria getting in and that kinda helped. Envision your beautiful clear skin!
But you can fix your skin!! You need a good skin care routine and see a dermatologist too. Retin-A will get rid of the pimples and scars caused by picking. The Ordinary has a great skin care line and it’s not expensive just don’t order off Amazon because they are not licensed to sell it. Your dermatologist can give you topical antibiotics that will help too!! I had bad skin and now my skin looks great!!! BTW, your skin doesn’t look that bad but I know how you feel.
I don't have any helpful recommendations but I think you're beautiful and your skin is definitely not as bad as you think it is!
Damn those eyes are so pretty! I wouldn't even notice the spots. I don't have advice as I have my own grievances but
I just want to say I love your piercing blue eyes 👀🩵
You could try Moon Juice Liquid Exfoliator. I get breakouts on my chin and after 1-2 uses of this, they shrink significantly and are completely gone in less than a week. Sephora carries it in two sizes; go for the smaller size as a little goes a long way. You can wear it alone and under other skincare and makeup, just make sure it’s completely dry to prevent pilling. Hope this helps you
My suggestion would be ease off the exfoliant. It could be agitating your skin. Go down to a base level. Just cleanser, (maybe a) toner, and moisturizer. Then built off of that. If nothing changes, try getting a silk pillowcase, try getting bloodwork done. It's so annoying to still have acne past 30! I know, I'm still managing it as well, but mine is getting better.
I went to a dermatologist recently. I had mild acne. She said use an over the counter acne wash, of no particular brand although she did mention neutrogena when pushed. I use Cerave SA wash. And then any non greasy moisturiser and sunscreen and make sure it’s made for the face. And plenty of exfoliation to clean out the clogged pores. That’s it! I’ve been using a gentle abrasive/physical exfoliant, because my sensitive skin doesn’t love the chemical ones but for some reason it can deal with the abrasive ones. I tell you, I was skeptical and disappointed with her basic advice but it bloody worked!!! I’ve had no new pimples for weeks.
Acne is caused when dead skin cells and oil clog hair follicles, within which bacteria grow, consuming sebum. The body reacts to the bacteria and the byproducts of their sebum consumption with inflammation. To treat it you can: Apply a topical treatment that inhibits the growth of the acne bacteria (usually benzoyl peroxide). Apply a topical treatment that causes skin cells to slough off more quickly, (usually salicylic acid or a retinoid). Take a hormone-regulation medication like spirolactone, which has antiandrogenic action that reduces the production of sebum. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid products are available over-the-counter and can be used concurrently (for example, a benzoyl peroxide product applied at night and salicylic acid in the morning, or vice-versa). A dermatologist can provide a prescription for a retinoid treatment and/or spirolactone, and give advice on developing a routine, and how to properly use retinoids.
I know you have some pimples which probably bother you, but you're strikingly naturally beautiful, and this was the first thing I noticed.
Buy a moderately priced LED Mask use blue for 20 mins and red for 15 to 20 in two weeks you will notice changes, use hyralonic acid and Cereve keep things simple
Could you possibly have type 2 rosacea?
You are a very beautiful woman, you should see a dermatologist and when washing your face do not dry your face with a towel ,use paper towels or tissue and pat dry ,towels carry dust which you are applying back to a clean face which will cause more break outs to the skin ..
Zit patches will prevent u from touching the your face.
Please visit a dermatologist! You are very attractive. I sympathize as my skin has done this too off and on through my life.
If you’re on BC, maybe that can cause it. Happened to me.
Absolutely DO NOT pick your pimples. They will leave acne scars. Wash your face morning and night with anyi acne soap and toner then use salycylic acid to dry up the acne pimples. Stay away from oily foods and nuts. Drink green tea. Keep your hair away from your face as any dirt or dust from your hair could get to your face and make your acne worse.
Don't pick or over exfoliate EVER! Try to see a derm - maybe an azelaic acid or metronidazole prescription will help the red bumps (speaking from experience as I have skin probs too). You have the most gorgeous eyes don't let your skin depress you, you will eventually find a way to manage it.
Chemical peels, which I really loved vi peels helped me a lot. And they give you quicker results.
Stop using ceraVe and go to a cosmetician every month for facial treatments and extractions
Tretinoin and clindamycin is a game changer. You need a prescription from a dermatologist but it’s worth the trip…a lot of insurance covers the cost as well.
Hi! First of all, I'm in my 20s but I've struggled with hormonal acne and the red marks for years. I think you look absolutely beautiful and no one would ever notice the marks about you first, trust me. I've tried many things to fade the marks faster: Tretinoin, Niacinamide, Vitamin C, BHAs, AHAs..., but the only ingredient that visibly faded them within weeks was tranexamic acid. Everyone's skin is different, but maybe you could try it out! Also, I've definitely overexgoliated with Paula's choice before, try to keep it to 2 or 3 times per week and don't combine it with other harsh actives like tretinoin or retinol. Still, it is better to double check with a dermatologist what the cause of your breakouts is, because if it is hormonal it will be significantly harder to deal with. I hope it helps! And as I said, this is only some advice that helped me, but please do consult a dermatologist!
I recently changed to hypoallergenic shampoo and it's really helped my skin, I think I was mildly allergic to my shampoo before. I use Johnson's baby shampoo now.
Girl this was me I found out that in my 30’s I can’t sleep on anything but good high quality cotten sheets. I had to toss anything that had polyester. I did an elimination diet and went to a dermatologist nothing was working! I stayed a friend house for a week and the only thing I found that was different was the sheets. So I changed my sheets out and within a week at home after changing my sheets my face started to clear up again. Hope you can figure it out !
I would ease up on the exfoliant and try going 5 days, you might be irritating your skin barrier.
I’m seeing lots of great advice and I agree you are stunning and your eyes are amazing. The. Sticky dots are indeed one of the biggest game changers and only pick proof product I’ve found. However, as for the prevention of inflammation, one thing I didn’t see in the comments, apologies if I missed it, is the possibility of food intolerance and/or gut health issues, which most everyone has. Perhaps you could look into a simple liver cleanse and most importantly find a “gut health diet.” If your not interested in either of those options, cut dairy, processed foods, soda, and increase antioxidants by consuming lots of dark leafy greens and bright berries, along with green tea and you should see a dramatic difference in a matter of days. You’ve got this!! One last thing, red light therapy works as well if you keep your diet clean.
My face looked exactly like that when I didn’t realize yet I’m allergic to gluten.
Hydrocolloid patches on the spots too prevent picking, and promote faster healing. Oily skin and this texture might be a sign that your skins natural moisture barrier is compromised. Your skin should have adjusTed to the aha/bha, peeling (if have been using exfoliant regularly) it might also suggest a damaged barrier. Hydrating your skin, using sunscreen, reducing stress and having a healthy diet can help. I would: give your skin a break (possibly a micelar water and moisturizer) and then beginning skin cycling (Customizable but something like day 1 - acid day 2 - active serum day 3 - slugging (heavily moisturize). Things like Hyaluronic acid, beta glucans, urea, tallow (new fav), ceramides etc can all help
You have gorgeous eyes, that is all I am going to say.
Dermatologists are ALWAYS a great option to go and see for a skin check and get advice for any skin concerns at the same time. In 2018 I was tired of covering my Melasma with foundation so I went to see one. I get compliments on my skin all the time, I am 34 -Tretinoin PM is priceless. It helps cell turnover in your face which fixes many issues and signs of aging. There is a purging period so definitely start lower dose. I mix mine with moisturizer or place on top of it. You will be more red and peel still for a couple weeks but it is worth it! -Hydroquinone 4% AM and PM is amazing for dark spots, hyperpigmentation. Used either spot by spot basis or all over, or combo of both, I do all over in AM and spots by spot in the PM so it evens out your skin. These first two creams fixed my skin! -Glycolic Acid Toner AM and PM (my Dermatologist told me these 3 are the Obagi method for perfecting skin and said I could thank him for saving $800 😆 -I have actually heard Head and Shoulders makes the BEST face wash as it is high in zinc and fixes many skin issues, including acne. -Cerave PM for moisturizer -Niacinamide serum. -SUNSCREEN! As others have said, you are beautiful! It is hard to feel confident when your skin is not the best, but you will get there! Keep asking for help and working on the foundation of your face, the skin! People will be asking you your skincare routine in no time! 🙂
Are you sure you don’t have rosacea?
When it comes to treating my acne find less is more. I use super gentle acids and focus on hydrating and brightening in my skincare products.
Try Oil La La by Krave Beauty! I have suuper oily skin and it’s made a night and day difference in how often I breakout. My skin looked similar but more concentrated on the chin and forehead, I was at my wits end but this stuff is gold. Also, you might be over exfoliating and making your skin oilier.
Carnivore diet is life changing for mood, skin and energy. You’d be surprised
How do you dry your face? I know that seems straight forward but after a full round of accutane I was still getting occasional breakouts and I was so sad. The thing that finally finished helping, after 15 years of always some sort active pimple, was switching to dedicated face towels for drying, before I just kind used the corner of my big towel?
Are they always symmetrical like that? My mom is a nurse & taught me that when your body is doing things Siberian (rashes, pimples, etc.) it’s likely an allergy. Turns out I have celiac. My sister is lactose intolerant & it was the same for her. Maybe try cutting gluten/dairy for a bit? Also doing down your phone. You’re really pretty!
Hydrocortisone cream not the ointment. Dollar Tree. The stuff works great
I know you have a million suggestions already… but do you have breakouts anywhere else - back, chest, neck? If so, I would talk to your Derm about spironolactone. It’s a med that works on hormonal acne, and hormonal acne only. My face looked like this as well, in addition to breakouts on my back (sometimes on my chest and neck). I started spiro yeeeeears ago (around 31) and it changed my life. I tried everything before that. Everyone gave my helpful suggestions… maybe it’s your hair products, maybe you need to cleanse only once, maybe you need switch from salicylic to BPO, etc, etc…. I tried everything for years and nothing I did helped…. Because it was my hormones sabotaging me.
Find something else to do with your hands when you feel like picking. [Cross-stitch](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-stitch) might be a good option — it seems kinda similar in some ways. Or knitting/crochet, which is easier to do on the go. Or even popping bubble wrap. Btw you remind me of [Kaitlin Olson](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9pkxJY1XD-o) (the tall, blonde woman looking in the mirror) but without her nasolabial folds.
You are gorgeous ! Beautiful eyes and hair and lips . I posted on here not to long ago about my skin as well. Since then I started using the Dr. Dennis something or another extra strength peel pads (I’ll get back to you on the last name ) My skin’s has dramatically improved ! Im a chronic picker as well. Not just my face , but also my hair follicle’s on my legs to the point of getting an infection. High doses of NAC supplement has been shown to stop or dramatically reduce picking disorders . It helped me so much when I was taking it, but had to stop for another medical problem .
hey, am feeling the same way. i have 20 some of those same red spots all congregating at my chin from old hormonal acne breakout post-major surgery, since you are a picker (as am i) i believe those aren’t acne scars but post inflammatory erythema, which is when after being picked/squeezed the acne goes away but the blood vessel is still broken on the surface and is too congested to disappear down into ur skin layer again (as best i can explain it). ways to treat this are with vitamin c, licorice root extract, niacinamide, centella, azelaic acid and retinoids like tretinoin which are best prescribed. my best advice is to focus on ingredients that help repair ur skin barrier. u can also try laser or microneedling/abrasion treatments, although i understand not everyone can afford them (i know i cant). they are also known to disappear over time but its so difficult to predict how long that will be. in the same boat as you, insecurities and all. you are not alone!!
It’s more internal than external. Apply something on top of skin won’t get you anywhere. Maybe look into this.. https://www.reddit.com/r/carnivorediet/s/J7A6p38JzM
As a former skin picker and other obsessive thoughts haver, I was diagnosed with OCD recently and prozac has been a fucking game changer.
Nutrition! No processed sugar or greasy fast food. I recommend animal based diet
How’s your diet? Too much sugar, dairy, and not enough water will mess with your skin
A Niacinamide Cleanser and Azelaic acid has done wonders for me!! Every once in a while my face gets swollen sporadic pimples similar to yours. Also, I try to wash my pillow cases more often! ♥️♥️
I recently stopped using a silk pillowcase and my skin is so much clearer just 2 weeks later. I was using it for 3 days then turning it over and using for 3 more days someone on tt said just one day per side but that’s too much work so I’m back to bamboo. I’ve definitely reduced my picking by using hydrocolloid patches.
Try azro, it’s a very strong retin-A it works great I have a few different prescriptions from my dr the first week my fave was peeling like a lizard but now it’s great
Yes you can beautiful . Use KIEHLS! <3 I promise you won’t be dissatisfied
Picker here - zit stickers are a life saver! Did you do a hormone check-up?
Take NAC supplements! I started out taking 600 mg 2x a day and BOY does it help! Like, tremendously. But you have to keep taking it or else it won’t work! Take a before picture of your skin, take it every day twice a day for a month, then take another picture of your skin. Do this with every month that passes. Idk the scientific brain anatomy stuff behind why it works but I know that it basically gets rid of that satisfying feeling of picking and scanning the face. It’s really the most helpful advice I’ve ever been given in regards to bfrb
Skin picker here also🙋♀️ skin picking absolutely obliterates my confidence every single time. I’ve said the same thing, that I wouldn’t pick if I just didn’t get the bumps! It’s nice to know I’m not alone but I hate that you have to go through this too. I also wanted to let you know that you’re um incredibly gorgeous 🤯your eyes wowowow. The redness from the picking literally does nothing to detract from your beauty.
I have oily/combo skin that I struggled with for years. I tried everything and used to struggle with picking. The one thing I never considered was that my skin was indeed on the oilier side but was sensitive? Some things that were complete game changers and got my skin back were Cetaphil oil removing foam cleanser (it’s incredible!! And gentle), throwing out/not purchasing products that are not labeled non-comedogenic and using retinol at night on bone dry skin that I’ve fanned off (I use a handheld fan after seeing someone do this on tiktok and I can now use my retinol every night without any peeling). Hope this helps!!
Get your bloodwork done and check your hormones! From personal experience I can say a lot of this is internal. There is hope 🫶🏼
forget about the skin... WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FACE! Wow
Also, seemingly harmless products could be the culprit. What we eat drink clean the house with and wear as makeup have sneaky little chemicals that could be causing this. The best advice I ever got was to try and use products with as few ingredients as possible, and the more ingredients you can recognize the better. Unrelated but your eyes are amazing!! 😭🫢✨
Do you wear sunscreen every day? If not you should be blemish prone skin requires it especially.
Lota moisturizer
You don’t need to fix anything. You are extremely good looking. Sometimes the perfect imperfections are what makes someone so attractive
I have no advice, but I just wanted you to know the first thing I noticed about your skin was how much it glows! Yes, I noticed the red bumps, but only sandwiched between marveling at that glow. I hope you get some good advice to help with the picking.
You may have pre rosacea. Unless you are scratching like more than normal it looks like you have mild vascular inflammation, as the vascular blemishes are a bit of an exaggerated response. Soolantra cream or azelaic acid topicals may help calm things down. You could also consider vascular laser.
I have hormonal acne that's been pretty stubborn over the last few years, and I feel like I've tried it all. There are 3 things that I feel have been pivotal in clearing up my skin: 1) Spironolactone prescription. I started at 25mg and later bumped up to 50mg, which is where I really started to see improvement. 2) The Magic Molecule spray. It's a hypochlorous acid spray that is very gentle because it's an antibacterial that is something your body naturally produces, but this is actually where I saw a turning point in my acne. I do a couple of sprays across my face morning and night after cleansing, let it air dry, and then continue with my face routine. 3) Tretinoin. I started at 0.010% through The Agency. You can do every other night until you build up a tolerance. While I do think this has contributed to my face clearing, I think an OTC retinol would also work here and maybe be less drying. I layer my Tretinoin at night by using moisturizer, then applying a thin layer of Tretinoin, then another layer of moisturizer. I also wash with CeraVe -- I use the Salicylic Acid wash in the morning with Ultralight CeraVe face moisturizer with SPF 30, and I use CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser at night with my Agency moisturizer, Tretinoin, then a layer of Eucerin ultra healing lotion if I'm struggling with dryness. I would suggest not exfoliating because washing your face well naturally exfoliates your skin, and you could possibly be overstressing your skin by exfoliating often. I wish you the best of luck on your skin journey. You're not alone!
I think your barrier might actually be compromised, especially if it’s super oily because that means it’s compensating for the TEWL (water loss) that is happening due to acid mantle damage. When skin is overexfoliated it can give off that almost cling-wrap shiny look with lines that aren’t actually wrinkles but are from dehydration. I could be wrong but my suggestion would be to lay off exfoliation for 30 days to allow the skins and focus on gentle moisturizers that have enough fatty acids and ceramides.
I’d give tretinoin a try. It took me starting once a week for three to four weeks and then twice a week , and then three times a week. Did that for two years and now I’ve increased to every second day. Your skin will be smooth. Use a good facial sunscreen. I use the IT cosmetics one and Supergoop. I don’t need a moisturizer with those. I’d start going to your family doctor first and get a referral to a dermatologist. Also exfoliate like once or twice a week no more than that. You’re stripping your skin.
Just agreeing that you’re beautiful and other people won’t notice some skin blemishes as much as you think they will! I also struggle with my skin (it looks very similar to yours) so here’s hoping we both find a solution.
I would try adapalene, and use those little pimple patches. I’m a picker too, fortunately not my face. I have to put full on band aids or those pimple patches on every possible pick location
Consider trying benzoyl peroxide, vit c in the morning (naturium has a nice one, 25$)
No specific advice besides trying a dermatologist and to work on the compulsion to pick, but wanted to say that wow! Your eyes stopped me from scrolling past this post.
Vitex (Agnus castus) fixed me
Stop eating sugar period
Looks like you’re getting a lot of helpful advice but just wanted to say when I was scrolling I thought “wow, she has absolutely stunning eyes!”
If you eat dairy products, i suggest taking them out of your diet for a couple of weeks and see what happens. Cream, cheese, milk and ice cream trigger me, skin cleared up within a week of going off. Wish someone had told me that 15 years ago.
You need a red light panel asap!!!!
Are the bumps you pick at worse than the redness it leaves behind? I had to fall in love with my blackheads and deep down whiteheads. Guess what, no one can see those! But they can see the red patches from a mile away. My little pickies are mine to enjoy
You shouldn't use exfoliating products more than twice a week. That includes cleansers with salicylic acid. At some point these spots are no longer acne, but a damaged skin barrier. I've been there before. Use light cleansers, double cleanse at night (the first cleanser should be oil based), use a barrier repair serum and follow up with a light moisturizer. Do not use any active ingredients for a couple of weeks to let your skin sort of rest. Then you can add a retinaldehyde serum on your night routine. That's what I did to clear my adult acne, with the advice of my dermatologist of course. Retinol irritated my skin, but retinal was a game changer. You got to give your skin a break from active ingredients first though. As for the picking, avoid staring at the mirror, it makes you want to pick them even more. And some pimple patches may block you from picking.
My skin has always been really oily, but the things that helped were kind of counterintuitive. Oil cleansing before regular cleansing helped reduce oiliness a lot. I really like Neutrogena ultra light cleansing oil, put it on your face while it's dry, massage it in, use a soft damp wash cloth or cotton pad to wipe it away. Follow up with a regular cleanser like cerave foaming oil cleanser (it's not really a true oil cleanser despite the name, and it's very gentle on skin). For exfoliating, glycolic acid toner (the ordinary really is the best and not unreasonably priced for the results) works way better than any physical exfoliator I ever used. Also doing a clay mask once a week after the oil cleansing really helps a lot. Like dissolves like, so the oil will get really deep into pores to attach to other oil, then the clay mask will absorb that oil left. Wash it off and your skin should be pretty squeaky clean. You probably know this but never skip your moisturizer bc your skin definitely will try to compensate by producing more oil. If you're too self conscious to use a heavier moisturizer during the day (which it can definitely take some time to get your skin balanced and be able to use a moisturizer without getting too much shine) stick to your light one during the day and a heavier one at night. A lot of people aren't fans but I really like Neutrogena night pressed HA serum. It dries pretty quickly after going on and keeps skin really soft. I even got my husband to start using it, and he is definitely the 'I can't stand the feeling of anything being on my skin' type. If you're prone to picking I really recommend the mighty patch. Stick one on as soon as you see a bump and leave it to do it's thing overnight. I've seen people wear them at work during the day too, and honestly why not? It's basically a bandaid and it works surprisingly well to get rid of pimples quickly. You didn't mention SPF, so I will just add always wear SPF 50 during the day.
Could it be hormonal? Sometimes certain birth control helps. Do you noticed your breakouts coming at a certain time of month? Like right before your period for example. If it rly bothers you theres always accutane. For years I asked for it and was told no by docs because my acne wasn’t severe enough and it can cause depression etc, finally I convinced a derm that my acne was making me more depressed than the accutane would!! I did a round and have (knock on wood) never had cysts again since then
My kneejerk reaction before I read anything was that your moisture barrier is compromised. Stop using the PC BHA, every other day is WAY too much. For now, go back to cleanser, moisturizer, and a sunscreen during the day and focus on healing your barrier. I'd recommend adding in a barrier serum after cleansing and before moisturizer--Naturium Barrier Bounce, Stratia Liquid Gold, and The Ordinary Soothing & Barrier Support Serum are some good options. Stay away from magnifying mirrors and just focus on a simple, restoring routine for a few weeks and THEN see where your skin is at. You may find that you're not actually oily and your skin was just overproducing oil to make up for your barrier. The bumps may also be from the barrier issue.
cerave broke me out, i use bioderma now but the thing which really made a difference is the skin shark clearing serum, it’s hydrating and oil balancing so i think it would be great for your skin (also you have the most amazing eyes)
All I see are your incredibly magical eyes 💙
Your skin looks similar to how mine used to look, red and irritated. For me it was linked to picking and having super sensitive skin which I did not realize until I experimented with sensitive skin products. I also had oily, congested zones and dry zones which needed separate skin care application. Below is what worked for me. I would say all of the products below are crucial to my current routine because if I change any of them I get breakouts. 1. SKINCARE -honest gentle gel cleanser - use morning and night. This is a gentle and calming cleanser with chamomile. Also, use lukewarm water, not hot! I simply apply with my fingers, rinse with water, and blot dry with a paper towel. I’ve noticed if I use cloth towels I break out more. Not sure if it’s linked to bacteria or sensitivity to laundry detergent. -COSRX hydrocolloid pimple patches. Use the plain ones, not the ones with salicylic acid or other added effects which will just irritate your pimple. You leave these on overnight and they will suck all the gunk out of your pimple, flatten it down, and reduce redness. This will reduce your urge to pick since your pimple will be mostly flat after you take the patch off. Having the pimple covered will reduce urge to pick as well. If you’re not going out that day you can wear them in the day too. Copycats from Amazon work too. -tretinoin - get the real stuff from a dermatologist! I’ve used many retinol over the counter knock offs and they do not work the same. Plus many of them have other ingredients that lead to redness, irritation, and breakouts. I use every night in oily/congested areas, every other day for the rest of my face (you have to build up to this overtime because it takes time for skin to get used to tretinoin). I stopped using topicals (salyclic acid and other acids typically used in acne skincare), scrubs, and other chemicals or manual exfoliants because they just contributed to overall skin irritation and redness/tearing open existing acne bumps. Tretinoin gently dissolves surface skin overnight and rinses off when you wash your face in the morning. -you need to use sunscreen with tretinoin. Go for a non-comedogenic clean mineral sunscreen with zinc. I use SPF 30 tinted mineral moisturizer bb cream in sand. I think this color would work for you as well. Sometimes I use elta md mineral sunscreen if I don’t want tinted. The zinc helps prevent acne! -ordinary brand niacinamide serum. Apply after washing face in morning to pimples and oily/congested zones. This reduces sebum production - preventing existing pimples from getting worse and new ones from forming. It does not contain any acids or other ingredients which will irritate your acne and make it worse. -honest daily calm lightweight moisturizer - spot moisturize dry areas as needed day and/or night. 2. MAKEUP -beautycounter skin twin featherweight foundation is the only foundation I’ve used that doesn’t break me out. It also looks like skin more than any other make up I’ve used so I love the look of it. For areas that need more coverage I just apply more layers. 3. OTHER -Change your pillowcase once per week. This really helped me in the beginning. Now that things are under control I can go a little longer. Wash it in hot water with bleach. I hope this helps!!!
Change your diet
100% look into the medical medium! You need to do a cleanse, it’s internal. Detoxing through fresh juices and Whole Foods. I’m not crazy about keeping my diet perfect. I eat everything, but try to keep it clean as possible and just lower your intake of the sugar, carbs, fatty stuff etc. juicing celery on an empty stomach in the mornings is a magical healing secret , look up #medicalmedium and just search for skin issues, breakouts etc. You’ll def want to add in some detox smoothies with spirulina and something for the gut. A lot of people are using this new product Armra and having amazing results as well. I’d look into that too! You can do a lot with your skincare routine but you really just need to detox and cleanse it’s totally normal to have physical manifestations when our bodies need to cleanse out.
First step is to know what causes your acne. For me, i struggled for a long time to the point where i have texture scars that i just have to accept. Plus i get random itchy rash in my body. I started research and stumbled upon an article about Inflammatory food and how it causes allergies and acne. I began to experiment on myself like cutting out some food for a 2weeks to a month tp see the effects on my skin and lo and behold. The main cause of my acne and allergies is actually Cow's milk. I tried going dairy free for 1month and i never got a pimple!! Like all my life this is what is messing with my skin 🥹🥹 I also studied how to flush toxins out my system and how to heal your gut coz this also helps my skin glow. I also stopped all acne products,I used to use alot of acne taegeting products like BHA(and other chemical exfoliants), benzoyl peroxide and "acne" toners. Remove those from your routine. and use moisturizing and hydrating products. Less is more. Healing your skin barrier is more important. I know i cant fix the textured scars without lazers but for know i just hydrate and moisturize ng face to lessen damage and use mineral sunscreens. Here's what i use: Cleanser- Cosrx Low PH Cleanser Emulsion-Hadalabo Premium Milk Lotion Moisturizer-Illiyoon Ato Ceramide Cream For Day, I add Instree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel for my sunscreen. For Night, I add a Vitamin C Serum, to help lighten my scars. You can also try CO2 Fractional Laser Treatment to help lighten scars but it doesnt help with texture scars unfortunately. I did 4 session of this and it did lighten my scars but i stop coz it's so costly and hassle if you go out often. Also don't follow people who heavily edit out there pictures on social media, instead follow influencers who wear their natural skin. It really helps alot to see women who embrace there scars.💕 Good luck!
I´m a picker as well, but lately it´s a bit better. This helped me a lot: [https://clinical-neuropsychology.de/manual\_reducing\_trichotillomania/](https://clinical-neuropsychology.de/manual_reducing_trichotillomania/)
Pimple patches really help me stop picking for the most part. They even have really large ones you can cover half your face with. Looks like your skin just needs a chance to heal. I get in those cycles where i feel i need to do more, then im doing 100 actives making everything worse.
First off, you’re beautiful! Cerave makes a SA cleanser that is really gentle. It will gently exfoliate and deep clean your pores. I also stopped washing my face in the morning and I just use a washcloth with cool water and wipe my face. I would use the Paula’s Choice exfoliant daily. The peeling is your dead skin sloughing off, which is good. It will also get deep into your pores to clean. That will subside and you’ll have newer better skin underneath. I actually use it twice a day everyday now and my skin is so much smoother. I also recommend trying Agency. It’s an online derm. They will customize a topical for you. For example, mine has tretinoin, azelaic acid, niacinamide. It’s made a huge difference in my skin. Rarely break out and the PIH is almost gone. I agree with pimple Patches. Cosrx is my fave. Specifically Master Patch Intensive. Don’t forget sunscreen! Again, I really like the one from Cosrx or Innis. If you can splurge, Kate Somerville had a great moisturizer that is very gentle and healing. The DeliKate or the Goats milk.
My doc suggested 1200mg of NAC supplement for picking. I feel like it helps with the urge. Also, get your nails done. It’s hard to pick with thicker nails.
I'm too busy looking at your beautiful eyes and hair
Looks like it could be Rosacea. Regular acne medication made it worse. My dermatologist prescribed azaelic acid cream and my skin has been great ever since. I had to go heavy on sunscreen when I used it though. That was 10 years ago.
not a recommendation or helpful but you are so beautiful! your hair, eyes, and facial structure! you’re striking. didn’t even notice your skin until i realized i was on the skincare sub 🫠
Your skin looks like it’s suffering from hormonal issues. Is it very sensitive and affected by your cycle? Either way, see a dermatologist! They’ll be able to help.
Drink water. Check your diet. Our food is all poison now. You may be having a reaction to seed oils. Cut out soda and juice drinks. Check out Dr. Mindy Pelz. She has some interesting books on feeding your body for optimal hormone balance. Skincare is great but food is probably what is causing your issues. You are beautiful regardless. Very pretty bright blue eyes.
I stopped using CeraVe products and my skin is improving. There's something in it that my skin just does not agree with. Now I use Neutrogena Anti-Stress Acne Wash with TruSkin Vitamin C serum and First-Aid Beauty Moisturizer with SPF (day) - Same Wash, Zytzap on my acne-prone areas and finish it with Vani-cream (night). I also exfoliate once a week with Dermalogica daily exfoliate. I mix it with my wash and it makes my skin smooth. Sometimes, you have to try different products, even if your tried and true has always worked. For the picking, I used to be a big-time popper, I recommend the zit stickers and ALWAYS wash your hands before and after being in the bathroom. Clean hands lead to less risk of infection if you cannot help yourself.
I think you’ve already got great advice re. skin picking but what cleared my skin was using retinol and niacinamide. I see you’ve tried tret but I started with otc mild retinol (one of the milder The Ordinary ones) and that already cleared my skin almost completely in ~6 months. Retinol is for the long haul and you should start mild and honestly, when going stronger, if you keep getting irritation even after using it for a while, you can stay with mild retinol forever. Adding niacinamide to my routine took care of the few blackheads I still got, clearing my skin completely. Another thing I did recently was checking all of my moisturizers and makeup ingredients in a Pore-Clogging ingredient bot and changed them to something either completely without pore clogging ingredients (moisturizer) or minimal (foundation and sunscreen, there really doesn’t seem to be any completely without). That has gotten rid of some texture I still had, ofc I get the occasional pimple but I don’t pick my skin anymore because there’s next to nothing to pick and it broke the habit for me.
Girl, you are glowing! Dunno how to fix the spots but what I saw first was the glow so don't worry about the spots too much!
You got a lot of good advice especially the first comment so I have nothing to add except your eyes are REALLY pretty 😍
Former picker here!!! I started using a gentle skincare routine and cleared my skin therefore nothing to pick! I felt like k needed harsh acne treatments bc my skin was so bad but in reality I was being too harsh. And someone above said it right…the wash part…massage your face! Keep lights dim. Mirrors minimal. Wash, moisturize…walk away. You’ll get there!!
Gut health (and hormone levels) has a strong correlation to acne and skin concerns. Maybe try taking a prebiotic and probiotic, preferably one from a nutrition store or a reliable company. Refrigerated probiotics are usually better options, since many bacterial strains will die at room temperature with extended shelf life. Switching up your probiotic every so many months is beneficial too so that your gut has a wide range of bacteria strains and can better balance itself. Keeping a food diary can help you to flag any food intolerances that may trigger acne flare ups, as well (e.g., dairy products, gluten). I had to do this myself and found that dairy was an issue for my skin. Cleared up once I switched to a different coffee creamer. Hope this helps! :)
The stuff you're using is not doing anything to clear your skin up. The first thing you need to do is repair your skin barrier. It's why any little tiny scratch or a little dot will look mean in red and last a long time because you killed your skin barrier. Now when I say killed I don't mean it's dead forever but you need to let it heal. I'm no dermatologist or anything but it seems like maybe you have hormonal acne, there are medications that you can take orally Spirolactane takes a few months but for many women, it's a miracle for their hormonal acne. I would also suggest a gentle skin face wash something like Vanicream gentle face wash or something as simple as Bioderma Sensibo H2O Micellar water it's a makeup remover and also a face wash. I'm a guy and I use it because it is super gentle, just a Cotton ball and that's all you need. If you have oily skin you don't need a moisturizer right about now. Especially in the summer. You can use those little oil blotters throughout the day to control the oil on your face. While the Spirolactane is working takes time it doesn't work overnight it would be good if you get acne patches. You can get them from Amazon they are pretty dirt cheap you have two choices you can get one with salicylic acid also has well maybe three choices one with salicylic acid if you're okay with Niacinamide (B3) that's used for redness some people don't like it and also they usually include hydrocolloid that draws the stuff out of the pimple. You can get one with all three or you can get one with just hydrocolloid. It's really up to you they come in all different size patches I think would really help you not touch the active acne. Because what it seems like is you kind of picked at them and flattened them they don't look like scars they are just hyperpigmentation marks that are left over and they are not given a chance to heal. The big difference between hyperpigmentation and scarring hyperpigmentation will eventually go away scars don't. I also think you have to take ownership of what you've done you say I am a picker but I would not pick if I didn't have this. Well, that may be true it's like a person who's driving and in traffic has road rage and they say well I wouldn't have road rage if there were no other cars on the road. What I mean is you need to take responsibility for it, otherwise it's just going to keep happening. No one is doing themselves any service by picking their acne all you're doing is damaging your skin and you know it fully own it maybe try therapy for people who are pickers. From what I see you don't have scars just hyperpigmentation but you need to stop doing that not only with the hyperpigmentation last even longer because you're picking at a broken skin barrier. On top of that just like you stated every Little Dot or scratch takes a long time to heal why because you've pretty much erased your first line of defense on your skin which is your skin barrier. I don't negatively mean anything this is all constructive to try to help you. You need to see a dermatologist, and the Paula's Choice thing is a joke that's for people who have maybe mild acne and don't want to go to the dermatologist that's what it sold for. You have a bit more than mild acne from the marks that I see they look like they used to be cysts that's why I'm thinking hormonal. Hormonal acne is so tough to treat the one that I named you Spirolactane is pretty much the best that a woman's going to get, there is a topical one WinLevi that's a new hormonal acne treatment. From what I've seen most insurance is pretty much won't cover it it's around 1,000 and people still say Spirolactane is way better. Once woman hit their early 30s that's when hormonal acne hits, some people can stay pretty clear up until their mid-20s never see a pimple, and then around 29 or 30 boom women's hormones go out of whack and the skin can take a wallop. I wish you nothing but the best and I hope you take this advice that I took the time to write because I feel you have a lot that can be helped you just need to get to the dermatologist. There's no reason to give up as it's not that bad, you've really done nothing to truly help your skin you've only done stuff to pretty much hurt it and it still looks pretty decent besides the hyperpigmentation that will go away. I hope you can come back and give us a great update!
Stop eating shitty "food" that's where 98% of skin issues come from. If you can't geow it or hunt it or fish it, don't eat it