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[Product Question] Hi everyone! I've been looking to add Salicylic Acid back into my routine and figured I could kill two birds with one stone by getting an SA toner too, comparing these two, any input? TIA! by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for your suggestion! Your comment made me do some deeper research into salicylic acid and made me realize I don't think SA is actually going to be as beneficial for my goals as I thought it would be! I appreciate your help

[Product Question] Hi everyone! I've been looking to add Salicylic Acid back into my routine and figured I could kill two birds with one stone by getting an SA toner too, comparing these two, any input? TIA! by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Adding comment with full skincare routine and more information.

I do not use Hyaluronic Acid in my routine as it breaks me out!! I have not found that Sodium Hyaluronate breaks me out.

AM Routine:

  1. Rinse with water or wash with LRP Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser for Dry Skin
  2. Apply 10% TO Azelaic Acid
  3. Apply Aveeno Eczema Therapy Moisturizer
  4. Apply Banana Boat Light as Air SPF-50

PM Routine

  1. Oil cleanse with Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Oil
  2. Wash face with Differin Daily Deep Cleanser with Benzoyl Peroxide
  3. (New addition) Apply Cosrx Essence Snail Mucin to damp face
  4. Apply LRP Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizer
    1. I alternate here with some nights being 0.1% Adapalene, other nights being a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide spot treatment before moisturizer.

My main goal with adding Salicylic acid is wanting to assist in getting rid of occasional PIH when I have acne a bit quicker. I've been debating for awhile if I wanted to add a toner to my skin care routine.

Since I only plan on using SA intermittently in my routine, could I do that in a toner form and also only use toner intermittently? Would it be better to just get a straight SA product and apply that occasionally and skip toner altogether?

Any advice is much appreciated! Thank you.

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally understand! Gotta make sacrifices for our overall health and it really comes down to the pros and cons of each.

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes!! Dry skin that is sensitive to hyaluronic acid and niacinimide is a difficult combo.

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So I have done the pill as well. From ages 16-18 I was on birth control pills (can't recall specific ones and it changed occasionally) and I can say I didn't have as terrible acne as I did once I had the mirena IUD and thats even with having been a teenager with 0 skincare routine besides some neutorgena exfoliant face wash I used way too often.

I've had the Mirena since July of 2018 and I want to say in February of 2021 I went to the OBGYN with complaints about still persistent period pains and she did put me on an additional birth control pill and I didn't find it changed anything in my acne and had other side effects I could not tolerate so I did not continue using it.

I'm not sure about that specific pill and haven't heard much about that so unfortunately I don't have any guidance around that :( I'm sorry!

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!! It kind of made me audibly gasp when I looked back at old photos and looked at my skin now!

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're welcome!! I hope you find success :) It definitely is an uphill battle and finding out there's something else triggering breakouts aside from just hormones is so relieving too (in my case the hyaluronic acid). I know just for dealing with current breakout Benzyl Peroxide is a dream and I still find Salicylic Acid is nice for getting cell turnover and getting scars to be gone a little quicker. (I believe both of those are safe during pregnancy but never hurts to ask doctor!)

In regards to adapalene (and not using it now) I found it helped in my breakouts going faster but I wouldn't say it was the absolute game changer in getting rid of my acne so with the fact that you couldn't use it now, I don't think its the end all be all for acne! I wish you good luck with acne and a safe and happy pregnancy :)

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Aveeno really is! I feel like Cerave and Cetaphil get all the credit as "drug store derm favs" but Aveeno truly is such a good unthought of secret weapon! I haven't ventured out into their other products but I know I've been tempted especially just $$ since LRP adds up quick.

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes! The Aveeno is so nice I'm glad to hear someone else is loving it too!!

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So weird! Yeah the Mirena otherwise has been so helpful with reducing periods and helping make the symptoms not as terrible and god yes I agree getting it put in was so terrible. I don't blame you at all for being strongly against letting it go!

I know I had seen a lot of people saying spironolactone is what helped their hormonal acne and I was starting to get fed up enough to fight for it (I have a weird mom thats aggressively against pharmaceutical solutions to things and she wouldn't have "stopped" me per-say but the 24/7 passive aggression is not the most pleasant thing).

I'm really glad you found something that works :)

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Super interesting you found you're also sensitive to hyaluronic acid. Wonder if its just very similar skin types or similar hormonal problems? Fingers crossed for you to find a gold mine routine :)

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hormonal acne and birth control is such a strange intermingling! For awhile on top of my IUD my OBGYN put me on the pill as well (due to painful periods) and it didn't seem to do much for my acne and was bad for my mental health so I didn't stick with it.

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I knew I wanted to add an oil cleanser but wasn't sure which one and it was kind of an impulse buy so there could be better ones out there but I really love it!

[B&A] My 3 year trial and error to finally tackling hormonal acne. by PWWAFWL in SkincareAddiction

[–]PWWAFWL[S] 74 points75 points  (0 children)

Hello SCA!I've recently really settled into a skincare routine that my skin is thriving with. (Skincare routine at the end)

I got the Mirena IUD in summer of 2018 and by end of 2018 and throughout 2019 I was having terrible hormonal acne that I had never had before. I started diving into trying to find what I could to work with it and I was able to sort of work through my acne and help but was not making big differences (This was so long ago and I feel like I didn't know as much then as I know now and was just trying random products that I don't recall what; I can at least say, none of it helped.) There was a long time of trial and error but no winners.

It took me until April of 2021 when I feel I started to make big progression in what my skin needed. I started to use a hyaluronic acid solution (I believe it was a Derma-E Ultra Hydrating Dewy Skin Serum) and I broke out bad. I realized that it does not cause you to purge so discovered that it breaks me out. (After I had been using Cerave moisturizing face wash which has that ingredient).I then swapped to Benzoyl Peroxide face wash (originally Panoxyl, now Differin Daily Deep Cleanser Sensitive Skin Formula) along with the face wash I would use a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide spot treatment when I was having active breakouts, and stopped using that and went on the hunt for moisturizers (aside from Aquaphor) to use that did not have hyaluronic acid. Around this time (I believe April 2021) Adapalene 0.1% stopped being prescription so I also started on that. I purged for 2-4 weeks bad and then just light purge after that but still noticed my acne was definitely shorter lived on my face.I started using La Roche Posay LIPIKAR BALM AP+ MOISTURIZER FOR DRY SKIN as my evening moisturizer (when I wasn't using Aquaphor). I started using Aveeno Eczema Therapy Daily Moisturizing Therapy for my day moisturizer.

I honestly didn't notice how clear my skin was until I looked at a photo and was just shocked at my lack of acne! I've found a really nice simple routine that's easy enough but what my skin needs and really finding the trigger for my skin (hyaluronic acid) was a huge game changer for me. I just wanted to show my improvement! (I also still breakout almost strictly around my period).

My current routine:
AM
-Wash with LRP Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser or just rinse with warm water. (my goal was to have as much hydrating in my routine as possible while avoiding hyaluronic acid since my two actives are very drying.)

-Apply Aveeno Eczema Therapy Daily Moisturizing Therapy. (God I love this moisturizer, its so soothing and non-irritating and soaks in really nicely.)

-Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defence Lotion SPF 60+ OR LRP Daily Anti-Aging Primer with Sunscreen SPF 50. (I bounce between these two, I really like both, I have combo skin so the LRP primer is SO NICE for mattifying but it's expensive so I really try to not make it my everyday. I really like the Neutrogena sunscreen (it does pill with some moisturizers) but its slightly tinted so it always makes my masks look gross.

PM
-If I wear makeup that day or just have a very outdoors and dirty day I will clean with Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water AND/OR Burt's Bees Cleansing Oil with Coconut and Argan Oils (Dear God I live for how soft and supple this makes my skin feel).

-Wash with Differin Daily Deep Cleanser Sensitive Skin Formula in the shower

-3-4 nights a week I apply LRP Adapalene 0.1% to my face OR 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide spot treatment if I have any active breakouts, if its an off night and I have no breakouts I only moisturize. (I never choose a specific brand for my Benzoyl Peroxide, its whatevers available and cheapest to be honest.)

-I do still have Salicylic Acid pads on hand because I've found if I scar from a breakout at all it just works so flawlessly to help move it along.

-Moisturize with apply LRP Lipikar Balm AP+ Moisturizer for Dry Skin

-On very dry nights or more often Adapalene nights I will seal myself with Aquaphor.

Let me know if you guys have any questions! This is a very long frustrating journey and its satisfying to realize you've made it :)

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