What do I do about this?

[kriven]

Hi everyone! I have never posted anything on here before but I am in dire need of help and I thought maybe someone would know what I can do to fix this issue. I take care of my skin really well and I have always done excellent research and made sure to try everything I can in my teenage years to keep my skin at par. I am 21 now and I have always been acne prone so around my periods, these little white bumps or milia ( not sure what it is) pop up. RECENTLY, I have even been wearing less makeup as I’m in quarantine and even been exposed to less pollution and now, this issue has escalated and has been a constant issue. These bumps aren’t going away no matter what I do. Does anyone have any products they can recommend if you have experienced this issue or know exactly what this even is? Thank you so much in advance! Hoping that someone understands what is going on and can explain or help

[laurbooty]

I have had break outs like this and to me it looks like malasezzia (fungal acne). There is a blog that provides TONS of info on this, along with products that are safe to use / can help improve fungal acne. It’s called Simple Skincare Science and it has helped me so much. Certain ingredients commonly found in many products will exacerbate the fungal acne so I recommend using products recommended on the blog. I use VaniCream cleanser, for example. Hope this helps, good luck!

[Lana4321]

Hi Kriven! I used to get these annyong things on my forehead and my facialist (which I saw regularly) explained to me what they were. So as gross as it sounds, its a typw of fungus, which your body creates and it could be a result of certain foods you consumer. 1. Yeast is huge, anything that has yeast can cause these like bread, beer, kombucha. Sugar, especially natural sugars you can find in fruit (bananas are suler high). Eggs are massive, i notice that when i ate eggs everyday i would develop these. Finally, Dairy, of course we all know to much of that can cause breakouts. Just check your diet and make sure youre not having these types of foods in a large quantity. I spread my consumption out throught the week. Like i wouldnt eat eggs everyday or have a kombucha everyday. If i have kombucha once a week i see no break out and I limit my dairy consumption too. One mask that seriously will change your life (you will see it after 2-3 uses) is a sulfur based mask. sulfure goes into your pores and takes this stuff out. One that I particularly love which helped me is the Kate Somerville - Eradikate Mask Foam-Activated Mask. Give it a try it really helped me

[Vane94]

Hi Kriven,

I am so sorry that you have to deal with this! I gave a similar answer to someone else who was experiencing this issue so this is almost a copy paste LOL!

Off the bat, i think you should give your skin a break from all the chemical peels and masks because the interaction of all those ingredients can be causing you more skin irritation!

I am 25 years old and have very oily and acne prone skin. I found that when I switched to water based creams (and avoiding oil based and silicone based creams), I was getting less breakouts. I also look for lightweight moisturizers such as TATCHA - The Water Cream because i find that heavier/thicker creams break me out do not allow my skin to breath. As others have suggested, I think a cream with retinol or retinol alternative may help but if your skin is sensitive be careful because some people experience burning and additional skin irritation! My favourite retinol cream is: The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane, Signs of Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL OR The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane, Signs of Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL (one is less intense than the other). My favourite retinol alternative is: OLEHENRIKSEN - Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum. When i first used retinol, i used it once every 4-5 days to make sure i wasn't having a bad reaction and now i use a retinol cream once every second day WITH THE ORDINARY - Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5.  

Another cause for your breakouts could be an allergy, the development of an intolerance or a food causing inflammation. I found that when I ate too much bread and pasta, I would get cramps and have these little pimples appear all over my cheeks the next day. So I decided to reduce my intake of foods that have gluten. I also found that when I cut my intake of red meats and dairy, I had less skin irritations and inflammation (I am not vegan nor vegetarian, I still have chicken and beef from time to time but I found that when I reduced my intake of the foods mentioned above, i felt much better and so did my skin). Also, for some reason when i ate too much tomato or foods that contained tomato in it i would get a horrible rash (so maybe foods high in acid can also be causing inflammation). I also started drinking more herbal teas and if i have a coffee, I drink it black. 

My doctor also told me that another reason for breakouts can be due to a hormone imbalance. Indeed, you may have breakouts because you are stressed. And other than stress, your sugar intake may be another cause for your breakouts! We all know sugar is bad for you and while it does not directly cause breakouts, it can cause a fluctuation in your hormone levels. As I mentioned above, hormone imbalance or a fluctuation in hormones may cause breakouts. I invite you to read this article if you want to know more on the effects of sugar: https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2017/01/20/does-eating-sugar-really-cause-acne/#68b48a495af4

I hope one of these tips help you! 

[kriven]

Wow thank you for such a detailed reply! I know you said you had replied to someone else before but I really appreciate your input so much. I also know that I get hives but we have not been able to diagnose anything even after years of trying to identify it. I know that sometimes when I break out into hives, my face also get very sensitive. I definitely need to figure out how to eat according to my body needs and reactions but I can never really put my finger on what’s bothering it.

[Vane94]

My pleasure! Since you are unsure of what is causing hives, i would try not consuming a potential food that gives you hives for like 5-10 days to see if that is the food causing the reaction. What i learned with myself is that most of the times the reactions we see on our skin (inflammation, hives, breakouts) may be due to what we consume/ingest (although sometimes it is something we put on our skin)! so just be on the lookout and hopefully you can find your solution soon! 🙂 

[SophiaGothistry]

Hi, there! I think it’s important to first recognize that your skin concern will take time to fully treat. If you are not already, begin using a chemical exfoliant in cleanser form (more gentle and less drying in a wash off than a leave on). I really enjoy the Peter Thomas Roth 3% Glycolic Cleanser. You could also try the Glycolic Moisturizer by them as well. I have heard amazing things about the First Aid Beauty Peel Pads, but I’m too sensitive to use a pad. The chemical exfoliant in all of these will dissolve the sebum that holds dead skin cells together and will gradually work through the buildup that is in milia. If you want to try a leave on, I would recommend the Drunk Elephant TLC Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, you could use that underneath your moisturizer so it works overnight. Keep in mind a leave on will be more drying, so moisturize well and listen to your skin! — there are many things you could try to fix your concern, but I would suggest trying these options first because they are less sensitizing than other options and have a good chance of efficacy for you.

[kriven]

Hey Sophia! Thank you so much for the glycolic recommendations. I think chemical exfoliants are something I should definitely consider! I know using the peels always help my skin a lot so this might too.

[ShawnPRO]

Hi Kriven,

Have you tried any glycolic peel pads? I had a similar concern (Milia) but mostly concentrated on my cheek area. I was recommended the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads and it worked for me! Milia are skin flakes that are trapped in pockets of the skin surface. Because the pads addresses the dead skin off the surface, it helps improve the texture. The second part of the 2-step pads is for brightness and nourishment. I linked it below so you can check it out!

DR. DENNIS GROSS SKINCARE - Alpha Beta® Universal Daily Peel

[kriven]

Hey Shawn! Now I have not! I think I may go ahead and try the small pack of these pads and see if it helps! Thank you so very much for sharing how it worked for you!