/skin/ - Skincare General

Lately I've been getting pimple-like bumps on my neck, except they aren't pimples. They usually don't look red or otherwise, but they are hard underneath the skin, can't be popped, and last sometimes up to two weeks or more. I've put tea tree oil and salicylic on them but it doesn't seem to do anything. Any idea what these bumps are? I'd post a pic but they don't show up well because they're never inflamed.

I decided to switch off of Cetaphil's Daily facewash to Cerave, and ordered the foaming cleanser. I accidentally ordered the hydrating cleanser though, which is for dry to normal skin.

Should I return it for the foaming? How does it compare to the daily facewash from cetaphil? The cetaphil lotion + facewash was fine on my skin. My face definitely is just "normal," little dry in parts, tad oily in others, but nothing extreme. I've heard this cleanser gives a lot of people breakouts.

Blackanon here. What's a sunscreen that works well for dark,sensitive skin?

I found out that the "black people don't need sunscreen" is just a myth,so I went out to buy some. Unfortunately it seems that the sunscreen leaves a white cast on my skin since it's dark. I did some research and found that chemical sunscreens don't leave a white cast but contain harmful chemicals.

Pic related to thread, bought this recently and it works well for my skin. Not too drying either.

What's the deal with masks--namely, why choose one over another? I've been trying to compare charcoal and sulfur masks, but both seem effective at treating acne. Where should I even start if I have sensitive, oily, and mild acne-prone skin? And how often should I use these masks?

What harmful chemicals? Sounds like the same pseudoscience BS that has been spouted about sunscreens for a long time. Physical sunscreens definitely are going to have too much of a white cast for you though. I'm pretty damn pale and still look like I put clown makeup on if I use a physical sunscreen.

The idea that black people don't need sunscreen is mostly a myth. Of course melanin offers natural sun protection, but it's still a good idea to use a sunscreen for the extra protection and to prevent (still lesser) amounts of early aging. And if you are not dark skinned you are going to have an even harder time as less melanin give you less of a natural SPF.

Ez user, just get any decent moisturizer and apply it regularly.

This, I have the same problem and the skin between my eyebrows gets dry and flaky too. You gotta moisturize.

These guides seem all over the place, I dont have acne, but I have a greasy nose and some discoloration on my face.

Should I just buy that aztec clay you guys always rave about?

What are the best (and safe products) for skin lightening? Any recommendations?

What's your current routine?

Want to add that I used to use Kojic acid but stopped because I feared that it would widen my pore size. Is there a way I can use it but avoid that?

It's the most effective thing I've used in evening my skin tone.

I shave and moisturize and my skin looks nice for 8 hours then I get all greasy again, what am I supposed to do?
If I use less moisturizer my skin is too dry the first couple of hours.

Try getting more moisture. If your skin is dry, or gets dry later in the day, it will try to overcompensate by producing more oil. Also make sure your cleanser isn't drying, that can have the same effect.

enjoy your fucked up skin from applying salicylic acid in the morning without a lotion or sunscreen with spf protectio

whats ur winter routien guys? I always end up moisturizing too much, but then still drying out by the end of the day.

dont overdo it. i find that i'm not sweating as much in the winter unless i go to the gym. don't take super hot showers, that tends to dry out your skin more.

keep your skincare routine the same, but make it more moderate, and make other aspects of your life better. less fast food, more physical activity, do your laundry more frequently, etc etc.

Any recommendations?

>>tfw Amazon UK doesn't sell red Stridex any more
this
does anyone know a good alternative?

Anyone know a reason for getting cystic acne at the zones in the pic? I drank a lot of soda for a few days and got a horrible cystic breakout there. I get breakouts at this zone in waves.

ordered this a few days back
if youre from new zealand i highly recommend using amazon.jp over amazon, it literally arrives 2 weeks faster with the cheapest shipping chosen
does anybody want an update on how these products turn out for my PIH + mild acne?

i get this too senpai. aside from the usual reasons like bad diet and stress, i don't know a specific reason for those spots. just moisturize and cut out dairy.

if stridex makes my face breakout what does that mean? what active ingredients of it should i stay away from for other products?

like i can have perfectly clear skin, but feel oily so i'll use stridex at night and then wakeup with like 5 pimples in spots that i used stridex on.

That's only AHA's, BHA's are fine.

bentonite clay is good for sensitive combo skin. the aztec healing brand is a good one to start with. i use it 2 or 3 times a week and it really cleans my skin up

I have fucked up Slav genetics, and my face gets red very easily. 90% I look in the mirror my face is some shape of pink. Is there any way I can control this?

My only suggestion would be to avoid things that make you easily red or pinkish.

Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol, don't shave too much to avoid irritation, use a good cleanser like Cetaphil.

If you like tans, you could always get a tan too -- safely of course.

I've got no answer for you, but I'm just curious as to why you decided to switch off the cetaphil cleanser?

Do you guys drool when you sleep?

Nothing. Want to start.

wtf is aha/bha?

I believe I have blackheads on my nose, is there any good way to get rid of them without buying products specifically for it, I don't want 'people' to know im getting facial stuff. Don't argue pls lol

hows my routine?
Morning
>wash face with warm water
>apply cetaphil cleanser
>apply skin lightening cream
>apply a moisturizing sunscreen spf+50

Night
>shower and apply cleanser
>apply benzac
>apply skin lightening cream
>apply cetaphil moisturizing cream

I still get a little bit of acne and have a few acne scars. I'v never used masks before and I was wondering if I should start using salicylic acid. Should I buy the aztec secret mask? and where do i get salicylic acid.

How do you take care of body acne, I get it really bad on my back chest and shoulders :(

if you sleep on your stomach or side, that is why. You will have substantially worse acne in parts of your face that are touching a dirty pillow every night.

wash your bed sheets more frequently.

Thanks to the antibiotic doxycycline I got a cystic strain dominant on my face giving me heavy scarring. Does anyone know what the best product would be to solve this or a general system?

Newbie here. How all y'all using clay?

My pores around my nose and cheeks have always seemed really big and gross from kinda close. I've been doing a routine for about a couple months now and haven't seen significant improvement.

Am I doing something wrong? Am I trying to fix something that might actually be normal?

My routine is cleanser, toner and sunscreen in the mornings, and cleanser, toner moisturizer at night. I have bentonite clay that I use about once a week.

Accidentally bought 'Oily Skin Cleanser' instead of 'Gentle'

Did I fuck up?

Cerave seems to have just overall better ingredients in their product like a bunch of ceramides, while Cetaphil only has the basics iirc. Since all of my face wash leaked out of my bottle and I did not notice since I stopped washing my face, just felt like a good time to switch and give the other a shot.

Also as a bonus is the fact that Cetaphil tests on animals while Cerave doesn't. I'm not some vegan out in the streets screaming free the animals or anything, but since more and more companies are switching away from this, it does strike me as a bit peculiar.

Unfortunately I bought the hydrating cleanser instead of the foaming so I am a bit worried how each compared to my normal. Guess I could just try it but eh

thanks bruvs

Everyone has large pores on the nose and right next to the nose. Nothing can shrink them permanently but if they are clean they'll be less visible I guess.

>myth
It's not a myth, that's the entire evolutionary point of having dark skin, so where's the point in discrediting that blatant advantage. Never used sunscreen in my life and the only reason why I see other blacks use it, if ever, is to not get a permatan.

>The idea that black people don't need sunscreen is mostly a myth
>Of course melanin offers natural sun protection
Then it's obviously not a myth, despite
>but it's still a good idea to use sunscreen

How do I get these black heads out of my nose?

what skin lightening cream do you use and why?
Will this help reddish complexion?

You can't
It's genetic

I had it to the point where moisturizer alone didn't help, if it doesn't get better I always scrubbed my face with a wet washcloth about as hot as I could handle in the shower before moisturizing. Godspeed user, flaky face skin is awful

Hey guys. I suffered from acne all my life despite showering twice a day. I've tried everything and it wouldn't go away. But 3 days ago, I had a thought. If ance caused by grease, then if wash my face every hour, then there won't be any grease.

I've been washing my face every hour now for 3 days and I've never seen such great results. My skin feels tight when I move my face and the old black head skin on my nose is peeling off, and the non-spot skin underneath is there and my face is getting shiny. After 23 years, I'm finally making it bros!

Good god man, your skin must be very dry.
That won't work in the long run, all that dry skin will clog the pores and cause acne.

Really? What the fuck do I do then? Not eashing causes acne, washing causes acne....

Currently using jack black facial cleanser (2 in 1 cleanse + astringent) and moisturizer (2 in 1 moist + sunscreen) anything I should add? Is this fine? Basically babies first skin care routine. Apply once at morning and once at night.

How exactly do I tell if my skin is sensitive/not sensitive or oily/not oily? I don't really have anything to compare to.

My skin gets greasy as fuck after not showering for like 5-6 hours and I am not sure why.

The only things I do to my skin are wash it in the shower, use stridex to keep acne at bay, and exfoliate every other day.
I have a pretty healthy diet all around except that I have some amount of soda everyday because its my vice.

I would have guessed the soda was the problem but I have cut it out for 2 months before in an attempt to fix it and it did almost nothing.

Help?

You should prob be drinking more water and maybe eat more fruit/ cut fats if your diet is the problem. I have to wash my face twice a day with african black soap and witch hazel toner.

how the FUCK do you get rid of comedones that are completely beneath the skin?
It feels like they'll stay there forever if I don't do something, but squeezing them won't solve the problem.

If you experience redness, itchiness, or flaking it could be sensitive, and if you see a lot of shininess (like after using a blotting sheet or visible oil after testing on the back of your hand) it's oily. Imo it's harder to tell if one is actually sensitive because it could depend on the season or if they are only sensitive to certain ingredients in products.

If you aren't sure by now you might just have normal skin.

Usually I'm clean shaven but recently I've been letting my facial hair grow out. Around the nose and mouth there aren't any issues, but on the cheeks there are a considerable amount of white bumps where the hair is struggling to break the skin. I've been using this bump control stuff that's suppose to help clear it up but I haven't seen any real improvements, just has been making my face more dry. What else can I try?

Try exfoliating if you dont already.

How do I treat puffy eyebags?

that sounds incredibly fucking retarded but if its working more power to you
as a general rule of thumb you shouldnt wash your face more than 2x a day because it will dry out and irritate your skin, doing more harm than good
i think you should just take accutane and/or doxy

I have been twice a day. Are these a problem that will remedy itself on its own overtime?

You shouldn't exfoliate that often. 2-3 times a week max.

My routine is
>dermalogica gel cleanser
>dermalogica rice exfoliant
>dermalogica multi-active toner
>dermalogica intensive moisture balance moisturizer

Any other dermalogica products I should look at? I've been considering the night serum and the thermal exfoliant

BHA toner will help

anyone have a shaving cream/gel recc? never used either when shaving have no problems when I do without it. don't have dry or oily skin so I guess it's just normal. also no acne. need something that'll moisturize I think and not dry me out. I'm thinking no alcohol?

pic semi related

bump
please help

It would probably be more drying than the gentle cleanser. If your skin is too dry you can always use a moisturizer.

You can use an Alpha Hydroxy Acid. It helps your skin cells turnover at a faster rate, you can also couple it with a Beta Hydroxy Acid as well for better results but it might be too harsh on your skin if you use both at the same time. So it might be better for you to just use one or you could alternate between them. BHA's help remove dirt/oil/bacteria from your skin which is what's in your pores.

Also find out what the source of the problem is, because once you stop using it, what will happen? Will it come back?

I have slight bumps on my forehead still, but they've greatly improved to what I had before, I just use a BHA right now since it's summer where I live using an AHA will make my skin more photosensitive and damage my skin unless I wear a sunscreen, which you should do if you are applying AHA's to your skin.

My favourite choice of a BHA is Stridex in the red box, it's affordable and available (mostly, where I live I have to import it, if you're in the US should be easy). The acid used is Salicylic Acid, and is best at a percentage of 2%

Don't have a favourite AHA, but the one I use is Alpha Hydrox, I think they changed the name of their brand a while back. For starting out you want something at a low percentage, 7-8% is ideal, then you can work your way up to 10-12%. I put mine on in the evening because of the photosensitivity i mentioned before, you'd want to use a sunscreen in the daytime, and continue to use it a week after you stopped applying an AHA.

You are literally me.
And guess what? My dermatologist diagnosed me with seborrheic dermatitis.

REMEMBER
A full, healthy skincare routine consists of the following for daily use:
A cleanser
A toner
A serum
A moisturizer

And the following for use once or twice a week:
A (Dead Sea mud) mask
An exfoliating scrub or exfoliator

whats the difference between an exfoliator and a cleanser
what are toners actually for and what makes a good one
and something something tips for buying a deep sea mud mask
thanks so much

an exfoliator removes dead skin
a cleanser is for washing your face
a moisturizer keeps your skin moist

all of the other products are snake oil that do nothing, mud does nothing, toners/serums are hocus pocus placebos

My face is always red. No acne or whatever, just always red spots.

Routine is just cleanse and moisturise every morning and evening. Exfoliate every other day.

I already use Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% and appear to be getting results from that.
Is it safe to add BHA to my regimen?

aha - alpha hydroxy acid
bha - beta hydroxy acid

aha loosens up dead skin, letting cells fall away faster

bha "degunks" pores

aha makes you super sun sensitive, and AFAIK bha not so much, although if you give 2 shits about your skin you should wear sunscreen regardless of weather conditions or treatments you are using

absolutely. make sure you're not applying the BP all over your face, i fucked up with that. use it as spot treatment, shits pretty harsh and reddening, yo.

How do i rid of ugly spots under my skin

25 y/o male here.

I had acne from the ages of 17-22 and cleared it up with a long course of antibiotics (oxytetracycline) and other BP creams.

However I quit smoking 7 months ago and in the past 5 months-ish its come back, I'm back on antibiotics and BP but how long does anyone think this will last? its not as bad as before but I'd have thought 'quit zits' only lasted 2-3 months.

cetaphil is the devil dont tell me i didnt warn u

what did I tell you lad, should have gone to r/skincareaddiction

>heat up pores in shower
>use cleanser
>use tea tree oil exfoliator
>then after shower when face is dry I use tea tree oil, 3 drops ca and then over to moisturizer

this keeps my face about 8.5/10

is drinking lots of tea as good as drinking water besides the teeth staining

Right, 22y/o UK guy here who does very little to care for his skin.

I've only just taken notice the skin on my forehead really flakes up after I've had a shower, and its probably about time I get some care products to possibly sort that out and just generally look after myself better.

I was thinking I needed some sort of exfoliator but I have nothing else regardless. Could someone recommend some reasonably priced care products from the UK that could start me off?

how true is the sunscreen meme? Is it really a good moisturizer? If I apply it nightly it will get rid of wrinkles? Why wouldnt you just use regular moisturizer instead?

it's actually better assuming there's no sugar in it. Tea isn't like super healthy or anything but it does have antioxidants in it, and occasionally small amounts of caffeine.

why?

why would you use sunscreen at night?

I read that it's a great moisturizer, actually better than most.

they aren't blackheads, they're sebaceous filaments