The Regenerist Retinol 24 and the Micro Sculpting Cream. But I want to try the Ultra Rich one. It was like $48 on Amazon but I think that maybe if I go to an actual drugstore it will be less. Plus coupons and stuff.
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I have a sheet mask on and it smells incredible and it’s cooling and divine
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What’s annoying to me is that I can do absolutely nothing to my face except rinse with water, or I can put multiple products on it, or literally anything in between, and it always looks pretty much the same. Red, blotchy, itchy, wrinkly. I am not sure how to know whether to continue with a product if I don’t look any better. Maybe if I don’t look worse, and the price is right, that’s my criteria?
Starting to think it’s probably something I’m eating but I do not have the bandwidth to do an elimination diet in a pandemic for something that is pure vanity. If I were having actual health issues, sure, I’d have to, but just so that my skin doesn’t offend people? Meh.
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I think you need time - a lot longer than a few weeks - of consistently doing it daily. Maybe doing a photo of your face on the same day of your cycle every month to see if theres a difference over 6 months? (I will do it with you on discord if you want!)
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Yes, I tend to see zero improvement or more zits (which I understand is called “purging” and is normal… though I’m not quite sure how to tell the difference between purging and “this product makes me break out more for real.” Time, I guess? I did not know this was a normal thing to expect.)
One great thing is that I’m WFH and for 90 percent of our meetings cameras are optional so if my face turns into a pizza no one will see it except me and Boyfriend. Before, if I ended up with a faceful of zits, I’d stop using whatever it was because I didn’t want to run around work like that. Would also cover it up with foundation/concealer, which can’t have helped, but I was so embarrassed to face people like that. But now it doesn’t matter! If my skin freaks out, no one will see! Pandemic win! 
I’m on the pill that only gives you a period every 3 months so I don’t know about the cycle thing.
What’s sad is that as bad as I look now, it was SO much worse pre-pill.
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It really sounds like your moisture barrier needs the most love right now. Maybe you can focus just on hydration for a while. So keep it really simple with sunscreen (whichever doesn’t make you break out), cetaphil’s gentle cleanser, and a really great moisturizer that’s fragrance free and designed for sensitive skin. I would also recommend some sheet masks. Only wash at night and moisturize in the morning and at night.
Just focus on the hydration for a while and see how your skin changes, even if it’s not 100% improved. That would be my rec. Usually when your moisture improves the itchiness lessens - mine is SO much better right now!
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I think it depends on the person and their skin issues, but if your skin continues to breakout/purge for more than 6 weeks, its either irritation OR you need a derm, which might mean more intensive treatment. There’s a beauty blogger I follow who had Very Bad acne that didn’t really get better until they went on accutane (they also said they think it would have gotten there after prolonged retinoid use but who tf knows).
Purging “should” also only be caused by exfoliants or products that speed skin turnover like retinoids. If a moisturizer or facewash or something is causing breakouts, abandon ship!
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Skin is so, so complicated too. My Very Bad cystic acne didn’t improve until I got (diagnosis of and) treatment for SIBO. So it gets tricky too when skin stuff is just the obvious presentation for underlying health shiz. Now it’s just some hormonal acne, but more than anything the scarring. But luckily none of the deep, super painful and itchy cysts anymore.
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ugh, yes, it’s all Super Complicated! Thank you for pointing out that it’s not just a get a derm thing. I’m so so so so glad I don’t get cysts anymore knock on wood they are the woooooorst
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Agree to cystic being the wooooorst. When people refer to acne as strictly vanity, I frankly get angry. It can be legit painful. (Not to mention dismissing “just vanity” when it can wreck your entire sense of self is a whole other thing).
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Yes thanks for chiming in with more holistic perspectives! I am definitely not a specialist; @TrisPrior so sorry if it felt like I was glossing over all the hard work you’ve already done.
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Yes! exactly!! also! It’s a skin infection! That! Is! Serious! Even if it won’t kill you, even if it’s not cystic, having chronically infected skin is way more than ~~ vanity ~~ and means something isn’t working correctly and needs help! And even my non cystic pimples got tender and painful!
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Hi y’all, I wanna join this discussion in hopes of finding some way to improve my terrible skin. I’ve struggled with acne since I was a pre-teen and I still get daily breakouts, it’s maddening. On top of that I have super oily skin that’s hella sensitive so I have a hard time getting even the simplest methods to work.
Definitely caused a lot of self esteem issues and I refuse to leave my house without make-up. I just want to feel like I can go to the grocery store without judgement you know?
Anyways, I wanted to say thank you to everyone posting here, I feel less alone in my struggles. 
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I JUST put on this lovely sheet mask and now my child waking up 
Stay asleep sweet child, I require this moisture on my face!!!
Pretty sure attempting to pick up a two year old while wearing a sheet mask is the stuff of trauma.
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Someone was really into eye cream. How should I start this journey?
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It was me! Hi! Here’s a slightly creepy picture of my eye for your entertainment lol. I turned 51 today and really don’t have many wrinkles. I look tired and my makeup is worn off though, so please excuse that. I give credit for having a decent looking eye area to using eye cream 2x a day every day for probably 20 years now. That said… I don’t know that I actually have recommendations other than “use something around your eyes!” because I’ve used the same product for years and it’s discontinued now. I’m sorry that’s not very helpful. Post 91 has a pic of what I use, it contains the word “miraculous”, so maybe that’s the answer! 
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You are beautiful! Thanks, I’ll go find something cheap !
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NGL, the skin around your eyes is smoother than mine at 31 
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You should find an eye cream your skin won’t hate! Apparently I’m just gonna preach eye cream now. 
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