hyperpigmentation acne scarring and dark spots on a budget that actually work!

[Tinamarie2889]

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I have been struggling with acne scars

/hyperpigmentation/ skin discoloration or uneven tone & uneven texture on my face for years about 13 & it's really put a damper on my everyday life and makes me feel unattractive & i am very insecure I hate having to always wear makeup to feel somewhat good about myself though you can still see the scars through my makeup and I really want to do something about it but I'm working with a limited budget and I need some help for some recommendations of products that actually work that I could get on a budget like at most $50 because i have a $25 gift card please any suggestions are welcome and very much appreciated thank you for your time & suggestions in advance and if there's any suggestions on Foundations & concealers or anything that'll help hide acne scars /hyperpigmentation /dark spots & uneven texture while I'm in the process of trying to get rid of them that would be appreciated too.

[missjeanie]

This may sound like counterintuitive advice for someone looking for a budget solution... but... hear me out. I would suggest going into a med-spa to have a free consultation.  You may be surprised at their pricing, I know I was.  I've had IPL to have sunspots removed and it worked in a dramatic fashion for about 80$ Canadian. I didn't shop around for pricing but I know that other friends have gotten it done for a lot less.  I used to use a bunch of different creams, lotions and potions trying to get rid of them, but I know I spent so much more money on all them trying to find something that worked when the med-spa had it gone in a week.  Anywhere I've seen has advertised free consultations so it couldn't hurt to try, some even offer payment plans. The med-spa I go to even does specials from time to time (lots this time of year). 

I'd be going the laser route (if a professional recommends it) and investing your gift card in a good sunscreen to help prevent any new hyperpigmentation. 

Probably not exactly what you were looking for @Tinamarie2889 , but maybe worth a thought. 

[quspork]

@Tinamarie2889 What's your current skincare routine?

[Tinamarie2889]

Thank you for replying and helping me on my skincare journey i really appreciate you very much.😘💋😁

I'm using Neutrogena all-in-one acne control daily scrub it's got salicylic acid 2% and then I was using the creme shop charcoal and lemonade sheet mask it says the charcoal draws out toxins to purify and clear skin and the lemonade has antibacterial properties to combat acne and blackheads while diminishing scars and spots it says but the sheet mask only came with 5 in the pack so those are gone as of tonight i used last one I was also using Proactiv Mark correcting pads  but those are gone  because it only came with 15 and I used it in the morning and at night so that was gone within a week  and the last one I used this morning so I figured I'd better mention that it's formulated with glycolic acid as well I'm also using a retinol Advanced brightening serum from skincare Cosmetics from Sally's Beauty Supply and other than that the mistake that I made that I'm no longer doing obviously was mixing water and baking soda and putting that on my acne scars cuz a bunch of people swear by it from what I read online and that was definitely not a good choice because it irritated my skin made it red and very sensitive because of the abrasiveness of the baking soda😬🤦🙅 but I've tried several products sold at walmart the past couple months & none of them have worked one of the other ones that I've tried is Pond's clarant B3 dark spot correcting cream and it says even skin tone in 2 to 4 weeks and I tried it for 6 weeks but it didn't even slightly lighten any of my spots on my face or shoulders & I know that you're not supposed to mix certain products with certain products and I'm not sure if this is something that I shouldn't be mixing with one of my other products so I didn't want to risk making my skin worse or cause any adverse reactions so i discontinued the ponds clarant B3 when I started the other products that I mentioned above thats all i have used oh of course besides sunscreen I've been using daily because there was a sunburn alert on at least the proactive product that I used and I know that if you don't use some type of sunscreen it'll make your dark spots darker so I always use sunscreen.  I think I'm going to go ahead and add a picture of me with absolutely no makeup on just so that you can see what I'm trying to conquer or what not though I am very ashamed of my scars and my face and embarrassed to do so I think that it will help you better if you knew what I was working with.

[quspork]

Ok, @Tinamarie2889 thanks for all that info. It looks like you have been using a lot of harsh treatments and that may be contributing to the issue. I may have missed it, but it doesn't look like you're using a moisturizer since stopping the Ponds?

A couple of thoughts. I'd dial back your current routine and focus on making it more gentle and hydrating. Cleanser- treatment- moisturizer- sunscreen. It's not necessarily that some of the products are bad by themselves, but used in conjunction that often, they can mess with your skin's moisture barrier and lead to irritation, redness, etc. I'd focus on getting a gentle cream or gel cleanser that isn't medicated with chemical exfoliators, and a gentle moisturizer that also isn't focused on treatment. Leave that to the serum step as a workhorse for your routine.

Also, I love sheet masks, but I wouldn't recommend using clarifying ones like the charcoal/lemon daily- that can contribute to stripping your skin. You may even want to add in some hydration to help recover from the previous products- a hydrating toner or serum, or hydrating masks. Once you do that, you can incorporate a 20% ascorbic acid (vitamin C) serum. Ascorbic acid is often very helpful with discolorations and dark spots, usually it's just a matter of finding the right formula for your skin. Keep in mind that it can take a couple of months to see real improvements with discolorations unfortunately, so patience is key, even with the right routine. 

[melissamarrama]

Try putting a color corrector before your foundation/concealer and that should do the trick. Also, the ordinary niacinamide serum works really well in reducing acne/acne scars. It left my skin super soft and acne free except for the occasional spot during that time of the month. 🙂

Here are some really helpful youtube videos about color correcting that linked really affordable options in their descriptions:  

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[Tinamarie2889]

Thank you so much for your suggestions and video links this was all very helpful and i appreciate it.