Having Trouble Finding a Good Regimine

[DreamsOfBurning]

Help friends!  I'm 33, have combination skin, prone to acne around the jaw line, tan skin, any blemish always turns into a dark spot for months, hormonal acne, and stress affects my skin a lot.  I need a good brightening moisturizer that helps with oil production and reducing scars.  Any recommendations? 🙂  Preferably with the Clean label.  Thanks in advance!

[jhe9488]

If you are concerned about acne, as well as reducing scars and pigmentation, I would recommend seeing a dermatologist and starting a retinoid. It would treat all of the above. Or if you want to ease your way in, you can try a cosmeceutical retinol first. I don’t have any specific product recommendations in that arena since I went straight to prescription but there are plenty of YouTube videos/blog posts of specific retinol products. There is definitely a settling on period where your skin will look like a mess for 6 weeks, but retinoids will make your skin drier, prevent acne breakouts, smooth out your skin, and reduce the appearance of old scars. There are lots of moisturizers with actives that may help with acne and oil production, but they probably will not make a difference to scarring, especially if it’s a textural issue.