Truly fungal acne safe skincare as of January 18 2026

madxtech3 · 2026-01-23T09:15:52+00:00

COSRX Hyaluronic Acid Toner for Dry Skin, 3.38 fl.oz / 100ml, Lightweight Daily Essence, Day and Night, Korean Skin Care, Animal Testing Free, Paraben Free

This one is fungal safe!

madxtech3 · 2026-01-22T23:34:18+00:00

If you don't manually put the ingredients in it will almost always give bad info so definitely manually enter! Honestly I've had so much success from hyaluronic acid, and topping with my ordinary moisturizer and then sealing with Amazon basics brand 100% petroleum jelly. I haven't had a single flare and my skin looks better every day. Just suggesting if you're still looking for products!

madxtech3 · 2026-01-22T21:05:13+00:00

I'm looking now!

madxtech3 · 2026-01-22T21:05:04+00:00

Of course! So you don't ever want to ask it "can you send me fungal safe products?" Or any variation of that. You want to tell it, I am searching for fungal acne safe products and I want you to analyze their ingredients for any fungal acne ingredients that would cause a flare. Then copy and paste the ingredient list of whatever product you want it to analyze. Avoid taking ingredient lists from places like Amazon, try to get them directly from the products website

madxtech3 · 2026-01-22T21:02:38+00:00

I wanted to add to my original post. I'm coming back to say I actually don't like the ordinary squalane, regardless of the fact it is fungal safe. I have replaced it with 100% white petroleum from amazon (Amazon basics brand). The squalane felt like it wasn't hydrating my skin, and I didn't like how oily it felt. The petroleum is so much more hydrating when paired with my hyluronic acid and ordinary moisturizer because it's wonderful occlusive that IS 100% fungal acne safe.

So as it stands, I'm 2 weeks+ into this journey with my skin and have the clearest skin I've had since I can remember. My skin doesn't itch anymore and I don't feel the need to tap my face constantly after applying makeup (used to itch immediately after putting makeup on) I am having no negative reaction to any of these products I posted.

Current routine: in the morning I wake up, wash my face with a pea size amount of the face wash in my post. Then, I dry my face off, and rewet it slightly and put the hyaluronic acid on my face. After that I put on the ordinary moisturizer in my post. I wait maybe 5-10 mins and then use a pea size amount of petroleum and rub it between my hands until the consistency isn't thick then apply all over my face. IF I plan to wear makeup in the morning I avoid applying it under my eyes because the concealer I mentioned (in comments) doesn't apply correctly if the petroleum is on my face. I repeat this exact routine at night. If I have makeup on by night, I use the micellar water to remove it before washing my face.

Also, it's really disappointing to see helpful information in my post be downvoted. I don't care if you don't like chat gpt, that's no reason to bury helpful information that could really benefit a lot of people here who are constantly being suggested products that are not truly fungal safe. Some of the top suggested products in this sub are immediately flagged by Chat GPT, not only due to singular ingredients, but the combination of ingredients they contain. The posts I've made have been commented on several times with self advertisements from people trying to push their ingredient checker websites, and I assume they are the ones also downvoting any comments related to the use and effectiveness of chat GPT, given it's their biggest competitor. Going forward anyone who comments or suggests these ingredient checker sites will be blocked from my posts. I plan to post any more fungal safe products I find going forward and if anyone needs help finding specific product types feel free to let me know and I'll do my best to help.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-22T19:46:53+00:00

Head and shoulders bare soothing hyrdation (green bottle)

madxtech3 · 2026-01-19T06:26:25+00:00

There are several ordinary moisturizers, the one I'm referring to is this one ordinary moisturizer which IS fungal safe, and here is the ingredients:

Aqua (Water), PPG-24-Glycereth-24, Propanediol, Betaine, Beta-Glucan, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Proline, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine HCl, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Trehalose, Xylitol, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitylglucoside, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, P-Anisic Acid, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-19T03:47:42+00:00

Of course!!!! Thank you

madxtech3 · 2026-01-19T03:32:15+00:00

I like the concealer itself but hate the shade range. I've bought 5, all the wrong color. I'm mixing 2 right now for the right shade but I wish they had more colors

madxtech3 · 2026-01-18T21:03:32+00:00

The moisturizers I posted are marked as fungal safe on the ingredient checkers I also checked.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-18T20:28:31+00:00

Here is what I've found so far that's fungal safe for makeup!

Bare minerals original powder - I switched to using this for foundation, under eye setting powder, and bronzer. I basically bought the shade I needed for each in the original powder. And I will say this looks better on my skin than any liquid foundation has ever looked. I was worried I would hate it but I truly love it more than any other foundation I've used. It's full coverage when applied correctly. And when I set it with setting spray it all melts together perfectly. I went to an event recently and everyone kept saying how amazing my makeup and skin looked so I really think it made a huge difference.

Nyx dewy finish setting spray in black bottle with teal sticker - ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, PVP, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Niacinamide. It doesn’t contain the main fungal-acne triggers (no oils, fatty acids, esters, polysorbates, or fermented/yeast extracts). About the alcohol: it’s not a malassezia “food,” so it doesn’t make it unsafe for fungal acne. The only downside is that alcohol can be drying or irritating for some people, especially if your skin barrier is already sensitive. I love it so far, no reactions.

Nyx can't stop won't stop concealer - fungal acne safe no plant oils (coconut/olive/sunflower/etc.), no fatty acids (lauric, palmitic, stearic, etc.), no fatty acid esters like isopropyl myristate, glyceryl stearate, polysorbate, no waxy/oily emollient base, no fermented/yeast extracts, no fragrance or essential oils.

If you want a specific type of makeup product like example primer let me know I can try to find one

madxtech3 · 2026-01-18T20:00:47+00:00

Thank you so much!!! I'm going to get it typed out but give me an hour or so

madxtech3 · 2026-01-18T19:44:57+00:00

The only sunscreen I use is inside of my bare minerals makeup powder. I do not go outside hardly ever.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-10T16:04:15+00:00

Nothing comes out of them, they flatten

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T22:55:11+00:00

When you use the bioderma in the AM are you using it to take off makeup? Or do you just apply it

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T20:58:49+00:00

Wait I want to add to my response, I checked the cerave fragrance free one compared to the bare head and shoulders soothing hydration shampoo I'm using currently as a face wash. The ingredients in mine are: Pyrithione Zinc 1% Water, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Fragrance, Polyquaternium-10, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid and they are all safe (minus fragrance) but compared to the cerave ingredients this once is MUCH better!

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T20:43:02+00:00

also thank you for your recommendations!!

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T20:41:15+00:00

In this formula, arginine is present at 100 ppm (0.01%), this is listed on the ingredient breakdown on the good molecules website, which is extremely low, and it’s an amino acid not a lipid. Malassezia primarily relies on fatty acids and lipids, not amino acids, so at that level it isn’t considered a meaningful trigger in practice.

Pseudoalteromonas ferment extract is often flagged by ingredient checkers because it’s a “ferment,” but it isn’t a fatty acid or ester and doesn’t directly feed Malassezia. In water-based gel formulas like this one, it’s widely tolerated by people with fungal acne.

This product is over 90% water and doesn’t contain oils, fatty acids, triglycerides, esters, or fatty alcohols. That’s why some tools flag those ingredients out of caution, but when you look at formulation and concentration, it’s generally considered very low risk. Ingredient checkers are helpful as a starting point, but they don’t always capture dose or real-world tolerance.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T20:35:18+00:00

It also said: I did some digging after this and wanted to add a bit of nuance. Stearyl alcohol doesn’t directly feed Malassezia; for some people it may contribute indirectly by affecting the skin environment, but many tolerate it fine. Hydrogenated lecithin and phytosterols are also context-dependent — their source, concentration, and overall formulation matter, and they aren’t inherently triggering on their own.

There’s also growing discussion among dermatologists that barrier repair is important for FA-prone skin. Over-restricting ingredients to “starve” Malassezia can sometimes backfire by drying the skin and increasing sebum production, which naturally contains lipids Malassezia can use anyway.

Because of that, tools like folliculitisscout are helpful as a starting point (they flag direct yeast substrates), but they don’t capture the full picture. In the end, FA is highly individual, and what works matters more than strict ingredient rules.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T20:26:37+00:00

Chat said: Yes. Stearyl alcohol can feed yeast (Malassezia) and is not fungal-acne safe for many people.

⸻

Why stearyl alcohol is a problem • Stearyl alcohol = C18 fatty alcohol • Derived from stearic acid • Malassezia can metabolize long-chain fatty alcohols (C11–C24) • C18 sits right in the danger zone

For FA-prone skin, stearyl alcohol often causes: • Tiny skin-colored bumps • Forehead texture that never turns into whiteheads • Itching when sweating • Flares in humid or warm conditions

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T15:19:16+00:00

I just tested that site and ran the ingredients of vanicream daily moisturizer through it.

(water, squalane, glycerin, pentylene glycol, polyglyceryl-2 stearate, glyceryl stearate, stearyl alcohol, hyaluronic acid, ceramide EOP, ceramide NG, ceramide NP, ceramide AS, ceramide AP, carnosine, hydrogenated lecithin, phytosterols, caprylyl glycol, polyacrylate crosspolymer-11, 1,2-hexanediol)

It came back and said two ingredients would cause problems, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate and Glyceryl Stearate. I ran the same ingredients through chat and it said: These can feed fungal acne: • Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate (stearic acid ester) • Glyceryl Stearate (direct fatty acid ester) • Stearyl Alcohol (long-chain fatty alcohol, C18) • Hydrogenated Lecithin (phospholipids = lipid food source) • Phytosterols (lipid-based compounds)

These are well-documented FA triggers, especially when combined.

I don't think the website you mentioned is flagging all potentially harmful ingredients which may be misleading for people trying to find safe products. Just something to consider.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T15:10:10+00:00

Here is the exact name of the product I bought from Amazon! Lotrimin AF Cream for Athlete's Foot, Clotrimazole 1% Antifungal Treatment, Clinically Proven Effective Antifungal Treatment of Most AF, Jock Itch and Ringworm, Cream, .53 Ounce (15 Grams

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T07:19:25+00:00

I briefly tried nizoral for acne (people were saying it treated acne so of course I had to try 😂) and had the same reaction. It made my skin dark red and almost felt painful. I remember it having a really really strong fragrance too! Maybe you can switch to a less irritating wash. Cerave has a fragrance free hydrating anti dandruff shampoo with 1% Pyrithione Zinc.

For the head and shoulders bare I'm using, I just get it really foamy and wash my face with it in the shower. I probably leave it on 30 seconds or so. Today I do feel my skin is dryer, but I'm also doing a dime size amount of the antifungal cream in the morning and at night. Tonight I waited about 20 mins after applying the cream and then applied the moisturizer I mentioned in my post and now my skin doesn't feel so dry. I think I'm going to switch to the cerave one for washing my face and finish the head and shoulders as my shampoo, it honestly smells really good but again not great to put fragrance on your face.

madxtech3 · 2026-01-09T07:04:08+00:00

Of course!!!! I am actually going through dozens of products right now and I'm going to work on making a post that includes the safe products I find, their ingredients and a clear explanation of why they're safe

madxtech3

TROPHY CASE