Skincare routine advice

[Skylagirl]

Hi everybody! I'm currently using Neutrogena acne wash, artnaturals vitamin c serum,artnaturals hyaluronic serum, and The Ordinary niacinamide serum in the morning. At night I use the same face wash,artnaturals retinol serum, Mario Bardescu drying lotion, and acne patches. Sometimes I use the Neutrogena clear pore face mask. I also take birth control pills. I still have acne, and they always make dark scars. Anything I can do, or any routine suggestions? Thanks!

[CattyT3]

Have you tried using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser? A tried and true ingredient for acne treatment, this is something that only needs to sit on your skin for maximum 3-5 minutes and CAN BLEACH CLOTHING so be extra careful when washing and wiping it off. Also give it a bit of time between applying and putting on antioxidant ingredients like retinol and vit C since this uses oxygen to kill the acne bacteria.
Cerave just recently came out with a really creamy 4% one that I gave to someone with constant acne and oily skin and plenty of dark marks from them, and they love it. Usually something like Panoxyl is notoriously drying and can lead to further irritation if you're not careful, but this creamy cleanser is amazing on the skin (my dry hands were not complaining when getting a feel for this cleanser). 
Naturium also has a 4% one with nice nourishing ingredients as well, but I think it has some micro exfoliant particles in it, so it will be a pure decision of texture preference for you on that one.

There are also sulphur topical treatments that are getting more popular now too, good for both acne and helping calm irritation. Naturium has one and I have been hearing about a pharmacy product that is supposed to be very smelly but excellent for results, De La Cruz 10% Sulfur Ointment.

Lastly, salicylic acid (many times called BHA in product names/ ingredient list callouts) is the most commonly used and popular acne fighting ingredient. easiest way to get a feel for it on your skin is trying a cleanser with it, but you can find BHA in any product nowadays - toners, face creams, serums and all.

I just picked up the Skinfix Acne+ 2% BHA + Azelaic Acid + Niacinamide + AHA Cleanser 5 oz/ 148 mL to try out when I finish up with the Vichy Normaderm PhytoAction Cleansing Gel with 0.5% BHA as my skin loves azelaic acid for helping with calming my skin irritation, and this is a good ingredient that as a wash off will help fight acne as well, as @WinglessOne has mentioned below. And leading on from their advice, sunscreen for protecting your skin while it needs to heal and you are looking to diminish hyperpigmentation is absolutely key, otherwise you'll just be opening up your skin to being more photosensitive and getting worse damage in the long run.

> The main thing to make sure is no matter what you try, listen to your skin and make sure you aren't going so intensive with the cleansing and drying out that you are damaging your skin barrier and in turn encouraging more acne to keep thriving. I can confirm that gentle but targeted care is the key to tackling even the most seemingly robust of skins : )

[Kriss56]

A very unpleasant situation. A person counts on something, but here it is not at all what was promised.

[WinglessOne]

Hi @Skylagirl ! A few questions:

1. What moisturizer do you use? I didn't see one listed in your routine.
2. Would you say your skin is usually oily, dry, a combo of both (example: oily t-zone but dry everywhere else), or neither too dry or oily (aka "normal")? 
3. Which acne patches do you use? Do they contain salicylic acid or any other acne-fighting ingredient, or are they just hydrocolloid patches? 
4. Do you use an SPF 30 or higher sunscreen each day your skin's exposed to sunlight—no matter how overcast the weather is—all year long? 

For acne scars, azelaic acid is a good ingredient to try. It attacks acne-causing bacteria, so it can help address active acne. It also treats post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), aka dark marks left behind by acne. You could try The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream 1 oz/ 30 mL or Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster. You can also get a 20% azelaic acid prescription from a dermatologist or other doctor, but 10% is effective. Oh, and you can use azelaic acid with retinol: they don't counteract each other. 

[Skylagirl]

I use Chok Chok Green Tea moisturize, forgot to list it! I'd say my skins more normal, or combination - not sure. I use the CosRX patches for my acne patches, and I keep wanting to get a SPF but I'm worried it'll make me break out even more. I have the product you listed but I'm not sure how to use it - do I do it in the morning, at night etc 

[WinglessOne]

@Skylagirl  Thanks for the answers! Sorry for the late reply. FYI, be sure to tag folks (@Username) so they'll know you replied. 🙂 

Please do use a sunscreen! It may take some trial and error to figure out which type of sunscreen works best for your skin, but it's worse to go without sun protection. Plus, there's no point trying to treat hyperpigmentation (like the dark marks left by acne) if you're not also going to stop the sun from creating more hyperpigmentation. And I notice 2 of the your skincare products (TonyMoly Chok Chok Green Tea Moisturizer and ArtNaturals Hyaluronic Acid serum) contain citrus oils, which can make your skin very sensitive to sunlight and more prone to sun damage—so if you're going to keep using them, you definitely need sunscreen whenever your skin's exposed to the sun. 

My current favorite chemical sunscreen, Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Invisible Broad Spectrum SPF 40 PA +++ 1.7 oz/ 50 mL , never clogs my pores or causes acne on my face. Neither does my favorite mineral/physical sunscreen, Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Sheer Mineral Sun Spray SPF 50 4 oz . 

How to use azelaic acid: you can use it morning or night, or even both if you want. I recommend starting with once a day to see how your skin handles it, then maybe moving up to twice a day if you feel you need to. I usually use mine in the morning because azelaic acid is a good antioxidant source. My skin's still getting used to is, so for now I apply it only to the areas of my face where I have acne. Eventually I'll use it on my entire face. 

I apply it after cleanser and hydrating toner/essence, then apply the rest of my morning routine. If you want, you can try using it toward the end of your routine, perhaps right before your moisturizer. It might make your skin itchy; I'm always itchy for a few minutes after applying azelaic acid. But it doesn't cause me any red inflammation, swelling, or stinging/burning, thank goodness. 

[stephanielve]

Id highly recommend the Murad acne wash if you wear makeup make sure to double cleanse with an oil based balm to remove everything. Stay away from makeup remover wipes. Also get a moisterizer with Niacinamide theres a lot of them out there and the Dennis Gross peel pads ( 2min facials) prob the best investment. 

[Skylagirl]

do you have any moisturizer suggestions? right now i use the chok chok green tea one