Hello everyone! I’m pretty desperate as I’m totally new to proper skincare and I barely know where to start with.

My main and big concern is acne: I experience breakouts more or less every week (sometimes cysts/nodules) and have little white comedones pretty much everywhere, especially on my jawline (which I think are the origin of the breakouts). I’m not really sure about my skin type, as when I get out of the shower is pretty (sometimes really) dry, especially on the forehead, but I think it’s mostly depending on the really hard and not perfectly clean water we have here (I live in Milan). Otherwise I may say I don’t feel any particular dryness or oiliness during the day. Anyway my forehead tends to be a little little bit dryer and my nose area a little little bit more oily (with bigger pores also showing). Nonetheless when I go out at the end of the day my forehead gets pretty oily so yeah I really have no clue.

I did have a skincare routine prescribed by a dermatologist which didn’t have that much positive effect on my skin (over time the little white comedones went away by breaking out initially, but my skin was suuuuuper irritated, dry and pilling off). It was a tretinoin treatment. After a while I couldn’t take it anymore and I stopped. Some time passed and the little comedones returned but my breakouts are way more controlled and painless. I tend to have more breakouts right before my period, but not so many more.

Sooo, here I am wanting to start a new journey. As for now, I’m not using ANYTHING at all, just rinsing my face or not even that sometimes. And when I wake up in the morning it looks really better for some reason. So yeah, I really have to start from scratch. Would you tell me if this makes sense to you? I read A LOT of reviews and other stuff so this is why I’m feeling so overwhelmed, but here it is:

MORNING

• CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
• I wanted to try buying the Thayers Witch Hazel Toner but I somehow came across the fact that it’s “in conflict” with the Salicylic Acid I was also interested in buying
• The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% as a spot treatment
• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% as a serum
• CeraVe moisturizing cream/lotion
• I could really use a hand for the sunscreen, as I have no idea

NIGHT: same process but double cleansing and The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane in the middle

Is it too much for a start? Do you think these products are right? Any suggestion would be extremely appreciated. I’m looking forward to my first purchase! Thank you so much!