To think that at nearly 35 I shouldn't be riddled with acne...

[MumTeacherofMany]

Just that really. I turn 35 next month and currently have a crater chin and old acne scarring and little white heads popping up constantly. I have a fairly good skincare routine and making a conscious effort to drink more water. I do wear makeup daily because without... well it gors without saying. I use micellar water each evening and cleanse. Please what am I missing?! I know first world problems and that but it is REALLY getting me down, I feel like hiding away.

Do you have any actives in your routine? BHA, retinol, tret, etc? What's your routine except the micellar water (I hope you follow that with a cleanser)?

I so hear you. It sucks.

Another vote from me for La Roche Posay. Recommended to me by a dermatologist in France and really works. The Effaclar Duo product in particular is absolutely magic.

You may have hormonal issues - is it worth getting that checked out?

Acne can be caused by so many issues. I have quite thick skin so I find chemical peel products help, as they help prevent blocked pores. Some people have very sensitive skin and acne can be caused by irritation so that would be really bad for them. I would definitely save up to see a dermatologist if you can, so you know what direction to head in.

I also have extraction/ deep clean facials every 2-3 months which makes a huge difference. They get out all the gung from my pores before it can turn into spots!

I also find double cleansing helps a lot. An oil hot cloth cleanser (use a clean cloth every time - you can get them cheap on Amazon) and then a foaming cleanser to remove any residue of that and any last bits of grot. Micellar water will not cut it.

Finally if you use make up brushes, wash them twice a week to avoid wiping too much bacteria and dirt over your skin.

Do you have a lot of sugar in your diet?
Sugar in sweets like Haribo, Pic n Mix, chocolate, sugar in your tea/coffee, non-sugar-free drinks, fruit juices, alcohol etc can cause inflammation and excess sebum which leads to acne.

Very helpful post OP. I'm 34 and get awful deep cystic acne on my chin, specifically the sides. I have acne scarring too and I hate it. I actually liked face mask life as it covered it up!

Mine is definitely hormonal. I know when I'm ovulating and when my period is coming based off my skin. Too nervous to try roaccutane with a history of mental health issues. Might try the pill based off of this thread.

Niacinamide from the ordinary it will get worse before it’s gets better but it works. Once you have it under control you can replace this with tea tree oil. Completely got rid of my hormonal acne.

Read up on megadosing vitamin B5 (also called pantothenic acid). I did it for a while and it was the only thing that helped. It just sort of stopped oil production. Literally from the day I started taking it I had no new spots.

I can't quite remember the dosage, something like 1.2g per kg of your weight. So I was 60kg so took 7.2 grams per day, ok I'm out by a factor of 10 there. Or 100? Clearly not a mathematician! I bought it in powder form from a protein powder website. I gradually then reduced the dosage to just 1-2g per day. I mixed it in squash. It doesn't taste very nice but worth it for the results!

I've always had bad skin. It's hormone related, so the only thing that helps me is being on the pill (Yasmin, for reference, is the one that worked for me). My skin was absolutely perfect when I was on it.

I had horrible acne in my late 20s and was using products designed for oily/acne-prone skin: salicylic acids, glycolic acid, etc etc.

The irony is, they were destroying my microbiome/skin barrier and stripping my "oily, acne-prone" skin of the oil is desperately needed. My skin would break out as a result.

I cut it all out and bought CervaVe hydrating cleanser and the AM /PM moisturiser. Very gentle with a focus on ceramides/ reinforcing the skin barrier.

After moisturising at night I would then apply a layer of vaseline to my face. This practice is known as "slugging".

Within days my skin started clearing up. In my case my acne was cured by focusing on topical hydration.

would any of you knowledgeable people know if anything listed above helps rosacea? Been trying to find a solution for years 😩

I had rosacea; I was hesitant about using a liquid exfoliator but I tried Paula's Choice BHA liquid exfoliator, it's been nothing short of a miracle for me. Uou can get it in different strengths so start with a low one. I'm using 10% and it's fine, I don't use it every day, especially not in the winter when my skin is drier. Use every couple of days. I cleanse first with a gentle creamy cleanser, then a gentle toner to remove traces of the cleanser. Then the BHA exfoliant if I'm using it, then the second product that's really helped my rosacea; Azelaic Acid cream. It's been brilliant; stopped my skin getting irritated & breaking out. Leave it on for a few minutes before applying moisturiser. I use La Roche Posay for sensitive skin. Always use sunblock afterwards.

Check out Dr Sam Bunting dermatologist videos on YouTube.

I struggled with awful skin for 20 years. It’s clear now 95% of the time I put this down to significant weight loss and a really regimented routine of cleansing. I’ve used Dermatica and it was brilliant, I also use Duac gel from GP when it flares up. I will add my diet is crap, I can’t say it makes a difference it just seemed to be the weight itself…hormones and all that jazz.

Sorry my post should read 2% BHA liquid exfoliator!

I have had rosacea for 30 years and it's not until I started with Dermatica that it has been resolved. I have normal skin now, no more pustules, redness and constant swelling. I wish I had found it years ago!
You can try the first month for £2.90 and then £10 off the next month, let me know if you would like my referral code.
You can delay the treatment if you don't use it all in time, I have a tube every 6 weeks or so.
The GP had been treating me for acne but it never go on top of it, helped a little but not cleared.

So many helpful replies, thankyou!

So I currently take off makeup with miscellar water and use a Bodyshop tea tree wash. I exfoliate twice a week and use The Ordinary 30% red peel stuff once a week. I do love the ordinary stuff, it definitely brightens my complexion. So it seems LRP is the way forward. (I have tried Cerave & 47 skin) Diet is OK. I do ear a fair amount of fruit & veg, I don't overally have fizzy drinks. I do drink about 3 coffees a day with a sugar in each one, I am partial to a choccy bar in my pack lunch too! I have been screening shotting suggestions! I really don't have many pennies to spend so these replies have been really helpful. It totally could be hormonal related, I am an extremely UNhornonal person surprisingly as I am on the Yasmin contraceptive pill

@Isabelle70 yes please send me the referral code! Worth a shot!!

I have had acne my whole life and I’m now 39. It is no longer as bad as it was circa my early to mid teens thanks to roaccutane but it is still there. Doctors always told me I would out grow it - not true sadly! I have mostly come to accept it now. I have found those star spot patches work well but otherwise nothing I put on or do to my skin makes any difference. I think for me it is hormone related sadly but that’s the only causation I can identify. It is miserable OP so I feel for you.

Edited as I am 39 not 49 🤦🏼‍♀️

Mine was hormonal too. I was offered Roaccutane by the dermatologist but was reluctant to take it for the same reasons as you. He prescribed Spironolactone instead which worked wonders for me.

I am dubious about the pill because I had completely clear skin as a teenager and the acne didn’t start until soon after I started taking the pill so the two are always linked in my mind. Of course I might have got the acne anyway even if I hadn’t been on the pill, and it’s a good 15 years since I’ve taken a contraceptive pill so they’re probably better now than they used to be.

Re acne scarring: tretinoin has really helped with this for me. If you’d looked at me five years ago, you would have known I’d had acne (even though the acne itself had gone by then) because the scarring was extensive. Now I think you’d struggle to see it at all. Partly just the passage of time that’s allowed the skin to recover I guess, but I do think the tretinoin has made a real difference too. (I get mine from Dermatica).

For those of you younger than me (probably most of you 😂) who are still suffering acne despite trying medications and regimes… have faith- the menopause has got rid of mine once and for all!

@MumTeacherofMany here you go, thank you.

Try personalised skincare for just £2.90, plus £10 off your next month.

Head to www.dermatica.co.uk and checkout with code 3LW935
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It has been such a dramatic change for me. I like that it's so easy, my tube is on my bedside unit and I put it on as I go to bed so I always remember. It's a good texture too, not greasy or heavy.

It sounds silly, but it’d be worth ruling out a reaction to dermodex mites. There’s a Facebook group called ROSACEA RESCUE where people share photos and what’s worked for them. The advice their sorted my acne (which wasn’t too bad, but had rumbled on for decades.)

also try and get The Ordinary products. They are cheap and really work.

also, we swear by sudocrem in this house, basically going to bed with a sudocrem mask over any red bits on face. Not a cure, but REALLY calming. Good luck.

@Dumbo18 , please see my post above. Please do join the Facebook group. It cured my type (spotty). The ordinary Niacinamide and a methodemomide (or something?) cream from the dr helped redness- not a cure, but helped.

DD got Epiduo on prescription. It has definitely improved her skin.

LRP did nothing for my mild acne. The only thing that cleared it up was a Skin & Me subscription. The first month is usually less than £5 and you can cancel or pause anytime. My prescription with skin and me started with tretinoin, clindamycin (a topical antibiotic & azelaic acid. Dermatica is similar but starts the tretinoin off stronger and they didn't offer me the topical antibiotic.

I am 37 and had the worst acne until I discovered LRP!

I now use their Rosalic gel make up remover, then the effaclar foaming wash. Effaclar toner and then the touraline moisturiser over the ordinary serum.
currnetly all 30% off on LookFantastic too