Help! Bumps and texture

[Misarahdee]

This is my first post so please forgive me if I have left anything out. My skin has been giving me such a hard time in the last year and seems to progressively get worse. I get these white bumps (not sure if they are comedones or milia), acne, some bumps that are black on top (not sure if these are blackheads) around my nose and forehead area. I never used to have acne or any skin issues really. I don’t wear makeup anymore because it makes it look worse. I’ve tried the following: Cleansers: Murad AHA BHA cleanser Ceravethe hydrating cleanser Amore Pacific Treatment Enzyme Acure brightening cleansing gel Acure brightening cleansing scrub Masks/Peels: The Ordinary AHA BHA peeling mask Dr Dennis Gross Universal Daily Peel Indian healing clay Toners & Serums: The Ordinary Lactic Acid the Ordinary Niacinamide The Ordinary Glycolic acid toner Thayers Witch Hazer toner Drunk Elephant Vitamin C serum Drunk Elephant hydration serum I’m desperate to figure this out and eliminate my texture. Anyone else experience this? Any routine or product recommends?

[WinglessOne]

@Misarahdee  If you haven’t yet, I recommend seeing a dermatologist or your primary care physician about this. Sounds like you’ve already thrown a lot of stuff at your skin with no improvement (though to be fair, it can take 4+ weeks to see any changes after introducing a new skincare product). You might have a skin condition that mimics acne, or a type of acne that needs a more targeted regimen. I think your best bet is getting a diagnosis and personalized treatment recommendations from a doctor. 

[Manwitch]

Try using soft, cloths for daily cleansing (bamboo baby cloths on Amazon). after applying cleanser with hands, wet the clotje under running water, massage it in, rinse it regularly, and wipe off all the cleanser. use a clean one every day. cleanses way better and exfoliates. Try double cleansing (oil based cleanser followed by water based one). this is really popular these days. AHA/BHA Peeling Solution 1-2 times a week after cleansing, before toner. on the other nights, try alternating the Glycolic Acid Toner and Lactic Acid solution (the exfoliation is more effective when alternated). Try Niacinamide daily in the mornings for sebum balancing and congested pores and blemishes after cleansing and toner. Salicylic Acid solution daily on blemishes. since you are using exfoliating acids at night, this might be best in the morning. try both laying after niacinamide and layering before niacinamide). Avoid all the oil and cream based products. for moisturizing, try using Hyaluronic Acid instead. it's water based, super hydrating. can be used in place of an official moisturizer for oily skin types but needs spf to lock it in during the day (a lightz oil-absorbing moisturizer with SPF). try also using Vitamin D Suspension (w/ HA Spheres) right after an exfoliating acid (glycolic acid toner, facial peel, etc) at night it stings after using a strong acid but it is tolerable and will help dry out those clogged pores, plus brighten skin tone and even out texture. focus on using only light, water-based, and oil-absorbing products though. and avoid oil based serums and thick, creamy moisturizers.

[Gracie1126]

I recommend a facial extraction to remove all the black and white heads. They won’t go away if you just use the products. Have you tried double cleasing method? If you have not, its a good way to avoid your pores logged. First w a cleansing oil, then cleanser with Foreo ( Murad anti aging cleanser, the body shop tea tree cleanser), do not exfolite your skin.

[facecare911]

Hi, I had a horrible fight with this for almost 3 years it was horrific and the acne kept getting worse the more I tried to find the right products. I finally said f it and got benzoyl peroxide spotless from Rodan and fields. Then slowly added differin 3x a week and chemical exfoliation 2x a week. Morning I use vitamin c serum. Moisturize with cheap cerave moisturizing lotion. Use essences to hydrate the skin and a hydrating serum. Also I use Renée rouleaus triple berry peel 1x a week and her rapid response detox mask 3x a week. (Expensive but saved my skin and self esteem). Read her blogs too. Took 4 months to start even seeing results. Be patient and start slow. Benzoyl peroxide and differin clear skin but they are slow starters. And it got worse before better. I wish you all the best . Kick this in the butt now and you shouldn’t have to go through the scars and emotional pain I had to. I empathize with all bumps and acne sufferers .

[EsinaJ]

@Misarahdee Do these bumps ever come to a head? If not, google Fungal Acne. The ingredients in your products may be causing it! -- I went through this last year with clean foundations and only figured out it was FA a few months ago. 👉 Simpleskincarescience's Malassezia post has a long list of items to avoid and to use to clear it! Was a great help to me.

[yaz127]

I had a lot of milia on my cheeks and the sides of my face as well as ,my forehead and I tried so many products.  In fact i have a whole drawer of skincare that unfortunately breaks me out and made things worse. My holy grail has been Prism by Herbivore, even though it is pricy, I found it did work over time and most of my texture flattened, I also use their retinol in combination to help even more with the texture.  As for cleanser I use a drugstore option, Cerave hydrating wash.  Another tip is to simplify your routine as too many products can be freaking your skin out.