help! “fab”- is it good skincare?

[julieee4]

i’ve been reading reviews on different skin care. i have tried cerave, cetaphil, panoxyl, differen, and tatcha. i have tried to not buy super expensive skin care because im not sure what will work, and i don’t want to waste money. i have see “first aid beauty” have pretty good feedback in their reviews. anyone struggling with acne tried them??

for reference (i’ve seen people do this idk if it matters) i am american, 16 yrs old, have a porcelain skin tone, and red rosacea acne. 

[WinglessOne]

@julieee4  I'm curious: what issues have you had with the brands you mentioned trying? I'm just wondering if there's a particular problem you keep running into with skincare products—and it might be something FAB (or any other brand) can't resolve, at least not quickly. 

I think First Aid Beauty is a good brand but, as with any skincare brand, I can't use all their products. Certain products contain ingredients my skin hates. That's why my skincare routine's a mix of products by various brands. I've used a few FAB products in the past with no issues. 

[julieee4]

my problem is that i have dry skin, so using not so gentle things like panoxyl and differen dries me out terribly, and works for a while then makes it worse.

[WinglessOne]

@julieee4  By “makes it worse,” do you mean those 2 products seem to cause even more acne? Differin contains a retinoid called adapalene. Retinoids can cause purging (sudden new acne), and adapalene's famous for that. A purge isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though: think of it as the retinoid evicting crud from your pores. Purging usually lasts only a month or so. Retinoids are also famously drying, depending on your skin tolerance and the retinoid strength. I know it can be hard to stick with something like Differin, but you might see good results if you give it enough time to do its job. 

Sounds like you’d benefit from a hydrating serum that’ll draw moisture into your skin and hold it there. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Hydrating Serum is a good option: it contains humectant ingredients (2 forms of hyaluronic acid and sodium PCA) plus several good skin soothers (colloidal oats, green tea, licorice root, allantoin, aloe vera). Always apply this serum to damp (but not soaking wet) skin. Apply a good moisturizer soon after this serum; don’t wait for your skin to completely dry down before applying moisturizer. You want your moisturizer to seal in hydration, not dryness. 

If you still have the Panoxyl cleanser, you can probably still use it—just not every day. Use it maybe once or twice a week (never twice on the same day). On the other days, use a gentle hydrating cleanser. For my reactive/inflammation-prone and mostly-dry combo skin, I use the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser Bar each night on my face and body in the shower. I don’t use a cleanser in the morning unless I need to*; otherwise, I just gently wipe my face with a wet plush microfiber cloth (like a Makeup Eraser). Anyway, you could try First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser or a less expensive yet very effective option… you mentioned CeraVe and Cetaphil, but I’m not sure if you’ve tried their hydrating cleansers or a different type of product. Your most-of-the-week cleanser (aside from Panoxyl) doesn’t need to contain any acne-fighting active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid/BHA. It just needs to not leave your skin feeling dry, stripped, or “squeaky clean.” 

*If I do need an AM cleaner, it’s always something extra gentle and non-lathering (either Paula’s Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser, The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL, or Paula's Choice Omega + Complex Cleansing Balm 3.5 oz/ 104 mL). And sometimes I apply AM cleanser only where I need it, like around my eyes. (My eyes water a lot and I sometimes wake up with salty crust in my tear troughs.) Then I just gently wipe the rest of my face with a wet plush microfiber cloth, without using more cleanser. 

[greeneyedgirl107]

@julieee4 I always rec the FAB brand.  I use First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser 5 oz/ 150 mL First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate 1 oz/ 30 mL First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Eye Cream with Triple Hyaluronic Acid 0.5 oz/ 15 mL First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair® Hydrating Serum I've found it to be gentle.  

[txcatx]

@julieee4 I love FAB products for my sensitive, combination skin. I find that their products are gentle, but effective, and my favorites are the cleanser and moisturizer. I also have some acne, and I use treatments from my dermatologist to clear my flare ups, but FAB products don't clog my pores or make things worse.

[Titian06]

@julieee4 - FAB is a good brand!  I've been using it on and off for years.  If you have a local Sephora or Sephora in Kohl's or JCPenny's, ask for samples of the cleanser and moisturizer.   You could also see if there are any sample kits available (I didn't think to look before writing this).  You can check the product page on Sephora or FAB's direct website. 💖💖💖

[aliyaaa19]

Fab products really working for my acne prone/dry/sensitive skin. I am using Fab cleanser and fab moisturizer. Try to get sample or trial size just to check/try the products. Good luck.