Rec | GOING TO THE DERMATOLOGIST

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also kind of hate this, but as an almost-25-year-old woman with constant cystic acne it makes me feel like i’m taking care of myself as best i can. instead of dropping money on tiktok ”korean” skincare that makes you have “glass skin” i can talk to a literal doctor. although i’m starting to think the idea of “clear skin” is perhaps unattainable for me, i can at least try until i’m too tired to care. i’ve been trying for over ten years now…no end in sight.

@realgirl

3d ago

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@chronicwebuser

thing that helped with my cystic acne: tretinoin (went to the dermatologist for this good on ya for going!!), drinking a lot of water, get good sleep, exercise! i also wanna try the little red light zapper wand for lil flare ups here n there

2d ago

@mossyelfie

The whole “glass skin” thing is just another way to body shame and sell us shit 😤

3d ago

Related Recs

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More minimal skincare

Okay, so I fell into the tik tok trap of trying to look like a teenager for as long as possible, and I told my dermatologist to prescribe me retinol. I used it, like three nights a week, and then got so obsessed with the false belief I had in my head that it was making me like a doll, I was using it almost night...yikes. But THEN, I went to a facialist and the second I walked in she was like ….”you’re using retinol, aren’t you?” and she told me it was irritating my skin and that I should stop immediately. She told me to stop with all the serums, the at home peels, the 200$ lotion, and instead wash my face with Klorane’s micellar blue cornflower water…random lol. And to use Avene’s Cicalfate+ cream by pressing it, not rubbing it, into my face over and over again. I’ve never had a more minimal skincare regime in my life, of course I still use SPF every morning, but stripping back on all the glamorous goops has seriously improved my skin texture and my overall vibe. Also, I’m saving so much money because I’m literally addicted to buying skincare, and now I feel like I’m not allowed to, and I have a weird religious school instilled thing where I don’t really do things i’m “not allowed” to do lol. More on that in my next album.

@grace-ives

Dec 20, 2022

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Skincare routine

This one's for the girlies (and anyone else who's into skincare) - as an elder, I wish I had committed to using retin-a (tretinoin) sooner. some things I like about tret are: 1 - not having to pay attention to the million new products out there, I have become immune to marketing (I still get to try new moisturizers, HAs, and Vit C serums) 2 - it makes you remember to wear your sunscreen daily, I'd be terrible about that otherwise 3 - no more fine lines (if you don't have any, using will delay you getting them) 4 - you can now order it online from most places without having to spend money on a derm 5 - a tube will last longer than most products from sephora and costs as much/less - more bang for your buck 6 - supposed to be good for acne, I cannot report on that, but others swear by it i've generally had good skin and get the "you're how old? noooo" but I wish I had committed in my early 30s to build the habit and do more preventative maintenance. yes the purge/peeling sucks, but once you get on the other side supple babyface glass skin awaits you.

@mitra

Feb 4, 2024

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hormonal acne is just an internal issue.

I have always had a fear of destroying my skin by applying stuff on it that i don't really need. Inherited hormonal acne and you'd think the fear would go away.Most of the people i know my age who have suffered skin issues particularly acne always end up on a skin experimental journey of sorts. I admit i did fall victim to tret and clozole-B. Solely because of the promise of clear skin.No clear understanding of what i was putting on my skin. Even then something felt off about it. Now determined to care for my skin, i have done some research and still continue to. This is what i have found so far. My type of acne is hormonal. My forehead for the most part is clear. My cheeks, jawline and chin suffers the most. I also previously thought that i had oily skin. Turns out i just have combination skin. An oily T-zone and dry to normal cheeks. My skin barrier suffered some damage from the use of actives, lack of moisturizer and not wearing sunscreen. To aid my skin barrier in the healing process i need to simplify my skin care routine and thoroughly understand products and their ingredients. I settled for a moisturizing cleanser that doesn't contain alcohol( it dries out the skin), a good moisturizer that contains ceramides and a sunscreen. I use a chemical sunscreen. La Roche possay works for me because it is light weight and doesn't leave a white cast on top of having good coverage. I plan on having weekly or bi weekly steaming sessions. Maybe later incorporate sheet masks. I got an alcohol free toner for hydration. I only wash my face at night, do my skin care way before bed to minimize leaving all the product on my pillow. I apply just sunscreen in the morning and re apply when i get off work. My skin seems to be loving this. I should mention that i started using this products one by one so that i can tell which one doesn't work. This is too long. I'll update later.