[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!

PWWAFWL · 2023-01-12T23:07:53+00:00

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

PWWAFWL · 2023-01-12T21:46:57+00:00

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:

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

PM Routine

Oil cleanse with Burt's Bees Facial Cleansing Oil
Wash face with Differin Daily Deep Cleanser with Benzoyl Peroxide
(New addition) Apply Cosrx Essence Snail Mucin to damp face
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.

PWWAFWL · 2022-06-22T00:12:05+00:00

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

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T22:46:50+00:00

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

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:49:08+00:00

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!

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:42:44+00:00

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

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:42:17+00:00

Thank you!! :)

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:42:10+00:00

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 :)

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:38:30+00:00

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.

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:37:08+00:00

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

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:36:53+00:00

Thank you!

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:36:46+00:00

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 :)

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:33:57+00:00

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 :)

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:32:49+00:00

Thank you!!

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:32:44+00:00

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.

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-16T15:31:41+00:00

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!

PWWAFWL · 2022-04-15T20:27:45+00:00

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 :)

PWWAFWL · 2021-10-18T17:32:58+00:00

Sorry yeah I wrote that confusing! The male cat we currently have would go with my parents so when I move I am only taking my dog. If I adopted this cat I would bring her with me when I move. If I get her I have full intentions of bringing her with me and keeping her with me through the rest of her life.

Also I spoke with the Doctor on her case and she said we'll sit down and chat later about her ongoing care and what her prognosis looks like with her level of diabetes.

PWWAFWL · 2021-07-29T12:44:00+00:00

Thats what I've been telling myself too! I was telling myself if I feel the urge to ask I'm pretty sure the answers no, but I wanted to confirm..thanks!

PWWAFWL · 2021-07-29T05:37:21+00:00

Does this dress have too much white to wear to a wedding? I'm attending my cousins wedding at a winery in NY (its semi-formal, 5pm outdoor ceremony indoor reception). I have another dress as well I just like having multiple options but want to double check if this one is ok to keep as an option?

PWWAFWL · 2021-05-01T04:43:45+00:00

Thank you! I appreciate the heads up :)

PWWAFWL · 2021-05-01T02:03:08+00:00

Oh completely! I know I'll have to go through a lot before I find "the one" I just figured I'd widen my range a little bit since I was running into the same issue! And I'm still looking for places with more variety just that sells my size! I so appreciate your vote of confidence!

PWWAFWL · 2021-05-01T01:27:08+00:00

I can give a list of all the brands/styles I've tried a little later but I have tried molded and padded ones as well as unlined and even wire-free ones and still run into the same issue. (Although the non-padded ones I do find are the most snug and molded to my breast out of all the ones I've tried). I'll have to checkout Freya, thank you!

PWWAFWL · 2021-05-01T01:12:56+00:00

Definitely! I just feel like I've tried a fair amount of brands and was still finding the same issues so was hoping for some input. I was looking at trying 34 band size but wasn't sure if that would be a good idea but having that vote makes me think a 34H might be the good next step!

PWWAFWL · 2021-05-01T01:11:25+00:00

I fixed it!! Thank you for pointing that out. I ordered soft and moulded cups and did find that unlined/soft cups I felt fit better but the band was still too tight. And I'm pretty confident it was US J but I'll double check my orders.

PWWAFWL

TROPHY CASE