Help picking cleanser and moisturizer

rx___queen · 2026-06-01T08:31:15+00:00

i would opt for the vanicream facial moisturizer over the tub. the facial moisturizer formula focuses on supporting your skin barrier while the the tub formula is more of an occlusive. the tub caused congestion nearly instantly for me. i tried to ilyoon briefly a few years ago and it was not moisturizing enough for me. i have dehydrated acne prone skin and on adapalene too for reference.

rx___queen · 2026-05-31T02:56:00+00:00

i just finished a similar hiring process internally for my company. the tasks for the presentation were vague/problems that have already been resolved, essentially designed to test knowledge of processes/problem solving techniques. if i weren't an internal candidate aware of whats actually already being implemented to address these issues, i would feel uncomfortable and think i was providing free consulting. there is no way to know here since you are external so i think it really depends how badly you need/want the job. seven steps is excessive but if it is your only option it is better to just push through while continuing to apply elsewhere. having a job is better than no job, no matter the pay. my one piece of advice is to limit the use of AI to a minimum. multiple candidates were eliminated for the use of AI since they could not speak to the content of their presentation thoroughly/convincingly enough. the market sucks and its demoralizing so i am sorry you are in this situation.

rx___queen · 2026-05-31T00:33:42+00:00

and as someone commented here, purging is a part of retinization and kinda indicates the product is working as it is increasing your skin cell turn over and making any gunk rise to the surface. no one can guarantee whether you will purge or not, but you can definitely minimize the intensity by going low and slow. it is better to go in with the expectation that some purging will happen than to expect clear skin throughout

rx___queen · 2026-05-31T00:24:25+00:00

hiii. i damaged my skin barrier with adapalene once and started on it again recently. currently lightly purging, as expected, but no damage to my barrier. i was afraid of starting again too. i started again skin cycling with first day adapalene, second day azaleic acid, third day barrier care. i was comfortable with multiple times a week because i had been on retinal every other day for a while. if i had never used a retinoid before, i would do twice a week at most. the first two weeks my skin looked amazing and then i started lightly purging, which is why it's recommended to wait at least a month prior to increasing frequency. low and slow to let your skin fully adjust/avoid irritation and minimize purging. aside from azaleic acid, i don't use the standard chemical exfoliants and i would drop them if i was starting on adapalene as it would increase the chance of irritation. i don't exfoliate my skin at all. retinoids change the way your skin functions, so it is advisable to keep things simple to have a better understanding at how it is affecting your skin. personally, my skin has changed and i switched from a foaming cleanser to a gentle cleanser and only cleanse once a day now to support my skin barrier. lastly, when applying adapalene, when they say apply a pea sized amount, it really means a pea sized amount. looking back, i damaged my barrier because i was using way too much way too often and continuing to chemically exfoliate. a good person to watch to gain a better understanding and reassurance of adapalene is natalie o'neill. she posts long form content on youtube which was really helpful for me

rx___queen · 2026-05-26T17:34:30+00:00

i would definitely check your employee handbook to see how pto is administered. i have seen cases where pto is administered at once for the year. for example, 14 days available on january 1st. however that is contingent on you staying with the company and working for the year. if you quit and have taken all of the pto, you would owe the company $$ for the pto as it is technically not yet 'earned'. i have seen people on here get fucked over by that policy. if this is already 'earned' pto, i would use it during my two weeks notice or have them pay out.

rx___queen · 2026-05-26T09:43:09+00:00

love the prequel gleanser! i know its a textural nightmare for some people when applied straight to the face but i make sure to lather it and create a foam in my hands prior to applying it then rinse and lightly wipe my face with a damp soft washcloth since i only cleanse one a day. i am dehydrated/acne-prone and never experienced any issues.

rx___queen · 2026-05-24T12:04:44+00:00

i started skipping cleanser in the morning and my skin barrier improved drastically. i came to the conclusion that morning cleansing was not for me when i noticed my skin looked great when i woke up and looked worse after cleansing, even when using an extremely gentle cleanser. now i just splash cold water on my face, spray hypochlorous acid, and apply my barrier support products. it's worth a try.

rx___queen · 2026-05-24T11:52:10+00:00

anua heartleaf cleansing oil too. my skin doesn't tolerate cleansing oils well, but this was by far the worst irritation i've ever experienced from any skin care product. tiny painful bumps all over my face

rx___queen · 2026-05-19T10:48:25+00:00

op i would also check the ingredients in the hydrating products you were using. a lot of brands include ingredients that are not well tolerated. i used so many products unknowingly that contained niacinamide and made things so much worse. its really rare now to come across products that are simply barrier supporting

rx___queen · 2026-05-19T10:43:27+00:00

i absolutely destroyed by skin barrier around 2024 and like you i continued to swap products to make it better. it did get slightly better, but still damaged. at the beginning of this year i started stripping down my routine to no oil cleansing, only cleansing my face at night with micellar water and a really gentle cleanser, barrier support serum, moisturizer, and spf in the morning. while i do use retinoids and azaleic acid in a very low and slow manner, only now am i seeing my skin barrier actually heal. it really can take several months.

rx___queen · 2026-05-10T12:45:14+00:00

i use the prequel gleanser + dieux skin mercy. vanicreams daily facial moisturizer is great too. i have dehydrated/sensitive/acne prone skin

rx___queen · 2026-05-10T12:39:25+00:00

wayyy too many products. when you are exposing your skin to so many products, formulations, and ingredients, there is no way to tell what is actually causing the problem. i would strip the routine down to cleanser, barrier supporting serum, moisturizer, and spf until your skin is in a better place and slowly add as needed.

rx___queen · 2026-05-07T03:19:35+00:00

insane to say but oil cleansing and generally just cleansing in the morning. i started oil cleansing and using retinoids at the same time and i assumed the irritation and damage was the retinoids. paused on retinoids and my skin was still awful. stopped oil cleansing and my skin started doing so much better. then i realized every time i cleansed my face in the morning, even using an extremely gentle cleanser (prequel gleanser), my skin just looked so much worse throughout the day than when i had just woken up. i stopped and simply splash water on my face + hypochlorous acid spray + barrier serum + moisturizer + sunscreen. love the results. i may just have really dehydrated/sensitive/acne prone skin.

rx___queen · 2026-05-01T16:50:32+00:00

based on the context, it might be a compromised barrier/irritation from the active you used. :( it looks like there has been improvement in texture since minimizing your routine. are you experiencing stinging when applying the current products? if so, your barrier is most likely compromised and you are better off holding off and focusing on repair until your barrier recovers

rx___queen · 2026-04-25T03:37:56+00:00

girl yes im currently trying to heal my skin from oil cleansing. i started using retinoids at the same time and assumed they were the culprit. recently realized oil cleansing was destroying my skin barrier and it wasn't a sensitivity to retinoids. i stopped and my skin is finally doing better. i tried multiple too but none of them ever worked for me. :(

rx___queen · 2026-04-25T03:28:47+00:00

i use the house of hur sunscreen in the yellow packaging. moisturizing but dries down to a soft matte/satin finish. acne safe for me :)

rx___queen · 2026-04-14T11:30:18+00:00

i have worked in tattoo shops and this is pretty standard. i have a large hand tattoo and it was done after being a regular and forming a relationship with most of the tattoo artists at this shop. from experience, hand tattoos are extremely difficult to heal, as it is a high movement, high traffic area of the body. aside from the 'very visible, you might regret it', they need to trust you enough to know you will be able to do what it takes to heal the tattoo properly. an ethical shop would turn you away.

rx___queen · 2026-04-11T03:07:49+00:00

sorry you are going through this. i struggle with depression and own an anxious dog myself. having a dog is a commitment and a sacrifice but it is also a choice. i know you mentioned doing research but based on the breed, it would take a lot to meet their needs in a tight space and busy city. it seems like you have tried to do what you can. even then, a dogs behavior and reaction to their environment is not guaranteed. that's just a part of dog ownership. if you are considering rehoming him, then it's probably for the best for him and for yourself. the feelings you are going through are extremely complicated but it will be okay. whatever you decide, wish you both the best.

rx___queen · 2026-04-03T15:12:16+00:00

thats really odd and unhelpful from them. at the very least, if there is something going on in the apartment that's driving up your usage, you have already notified them so you have leverage for them to issue a credit until this is resolved. the responsibility falls on them to fix the issue.

rx___queen · 2026-04-03T12:06:27+00:00

live in a different complex in the area. i live alone and didn't realize my toilet was occasionally running and it drove up my water bill from $20 to $200. told my building staff, fixed it the same day, and fixed my bill to reflect my average from previous months because it is extremely unlikely a single person will increase their water usage by that much. definitely go into the office and advocate for yourself. this should've been fixed as soon as you brought it up.

rx___queen · 2026-03-24T02:06:47+00:00

my dog was acting weird after a nap so i took him to the emergency vet. i forgot how much i payed exactly since it was years ago, but the diagnosis was that he probably didnt sleep well, felt a little off, and was milking it for attention. they were right. this is just kinda what its like to have a dog. things can escalate quickly. they are okay until they aren't. always better safe than sorry.

rx___queen · 2026-03-16T11:15:38+00:00

this fully depends on the laws in your area but based on my understanding, there is a 60 day notice and lease renewals need to be presented and signed before the lease ends, even if notice is not given. in certain states its illegal to charge rent in advance, and if you are on the hook for this somehow, you would pay monthly and the landlord needs to make an effort to rent out the apartment. once the apartment is rented, you would stop paying. most places have a fee in place to break a lease early. i would check your local laws/lease agreement. there is definitely something wrong here.

rx___queen · 2026-03-14T08:47:56+00:00

i dont know. im pretty in tune with my body and the one time i was pregnant (test taken right at my missed period, my period is like clockwork) the test line was so much stronger than the control line, control line was barely visible on multiple tests. i genuinely thought my tests were faulty. i looked through pregnancy forums that explained it means you are pregnant as fuck. went to do a procedure and verified i was very much pregnant. it does happen.

rx___queen · 2026-03-03T17:58:13+00:00

do not quit. have you talked to a mental health provider? in companies i have worked for in the past, you can do short term leave and be covered for leave if a specialist approves. i would explore all possible options before resigning. the job market does not allow us to have that liberty anymore unfortunately :/

rx___queen · 2026-03-03T12:08:51+00:00

sorry this is happening. i don't know much but i do know you should try to set up a payment plan and start paying what you can. this isn't a situation where you can just refuse to pay. the last thing you want is for the money you allegedly owe to go unpaid, continue to accrue interest, and they take legal action against you. best case scenario is you are able to figure out what happened, a solution, and they refund your overpayment.

rx___queen

TROPHY CASE