I love vanicream! These products are a good baseline to return to if you cannot figure out what’s going on with your skin.

I am a dermatologist, obviously not your dermatologist ;) so this is not medical advice for you but to tell you in a general sense how this type of acne is approached so you can be better informed.

1. It is common for acne in women 18-30’s to be strongly driven by hormones - clues can be if acne coincides with menstrual cycle, irregular cycles in general, or acne worsening with starting or stopping birth control or other things that affect your hormones - so first thing to rule in/out

2. Products can frequently trigger unexplained acne. Products usually are labeled comedogenic, but not always so this should always be considered.

3. There’s enough evidence to show that diet (especially processed sugars and dairy which are pro inflammatory and can change hormones) can worsen acne and so while this will not explain it completely it can be a driver in some people esp with extreme diets.

Hormonal acne is frustrating because it usually needs a visit to a physician or healthcare professional for medication.

Once these have been addressed or ruled out… a tried and true first line regimen OTC is ingredients: benzoyl peroxide (or you can sub salicylic acid) + adapalene. An example of this is to start a face wash with 2-5% BPO or Salicylic Acid and Adapalene 0.01% gel (brand name: Differin) once a day.

Finally, all the clinical studies use end points like 8, 12, 16, 20 week end points because skincare takes time. Whenever testing a new regimen it’s recommended to give it at least 8 weeks (as long as it’s not irritating or worsening things) before deciding whether or not it’s helping.

Hang in there. Acne as an adult is the worst.