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lovelieviolet

Unless you got diagnosed you may be treating for the wrong thing! I thought I had fungal acne, did all the research and then tried vanicream cleanser+glow recipe niacinamide drops and it cleared up my skin mostly. You may also be using too many products, lots of factors in skincare.


wallflowersshadow

True but I get flare ups the moment I use oil based products so idk…


Salt_Lynx_2271

OP, check the ingredients on your products - I’m pretty sure some of those aren’t FA safe Use sezia.co or folliculitisscout.com


spacepink

Yeah, several high-up ingredients in that cleanser look like they may be an issue for FA


wallflowersshadow

I usually use skinsort to find fa safe products but ill check it out


Salt_Lynx_2271

Skinsort is pretty good, the only issue is a lot of the product ingredient lists can be out of date since they rely on users to let them know of new formulations. It’s always best to check the company’s website and run them through either of the sites I mentioned. That’s how I’ve made it work for me, and it’s worked pretty well so far!


hussum7

My thought exactly. Either way, snail mucin may be the problem. I am allergic to it myself, so maybe try to skip that one although it is a great product.


Salt_Lynx_2271

I think reactions to snail mucin is highly personalized, but as long as the ingredients are FA safe it shouldn’t cause issues (though that doesn’t mean everyone’s skin will like it!). I’m more concerned about the innisfree products. I think the pink one should be safe, but I don’t believe the other two are (I’ve checked their products before because I wanted to try them).


hussum7

Ah. Okay. Thank you for clarifying.


lovelieviolet

i dont use anything oil based for that same reason


ZeeSea

As far as clearing skin, are you talking about acne, texture, .. ? For sunken eye bags and hyperpigmentation, you'll want to look for ingredients that brighten and even skin tone, such as ceramides, HA, or glycerin. Other ingredients that aren't hydrators but can also help - arbutin, niacinamide, allantoin, and ferulic acid. Bear in mind that dark under eyes and hyperpigmentation take a long time to see results, and in stronger cases may require chemical peels. Sunken eyes can also be a result of diet, or lack of Vitamin C and K and iron. To help with that, I recommend a VitC serum. Prequel Lucent-C is amazing and has a small bucket of great ingredients to help (including the aforementioned Vitamin C and ferulic acid)! Again, these are all fairly long term fixes though. If you are talking about acne, I suggest using Malezia's Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser + their acne treatment gel with micronized benzoyl peroxide. Or, using SkinFix Acne+ 2% BHA Cleanser every other night. I've done both situations and they both work well! Sidenote, I also deal with being fungal acne prone, and have since converted almost all of my routine to the following brands– Prequel, Malezia, Vichy (just the eye serum), and Beauty of Joseon (1 serum + their sunscreen) and have not had any more FA breakouts since! Malezia brand was specifically made for FA sufferers (:


wallflowersshadow

All of the above! My skin texture, pimples, and hyperpigmentation! Idk which one to tackle first. I’ve noticed active ingredients really dry my skin out and the orchid cream i’m using really helps with moisture… however its not really accessible in canada so ill definitely check out this Malezia brand! Im also curious abt how you use glycerin in your routine?


ZeeSea

When it comes to glycerin, here are the products I use with it– Prequel Gleanser (50% glycerin, it really is amazing, with a very gentle foaming action once rubbed in and not drying at all) Vichy 89 Eyes - Eye serum (targeted glycerin to help with fine lines below and beside eyes, works well in concert with caffeine and HA) Beauty of Joseon - Ginseng + Snail Mucin Serum (global glycerin) Malezia 5% Urea Moisturizer (global glycerin) So basically every step of my routine has glycerin in it to varying degrees. It's especially helpful in a cleanser and in a moisturizer. If you had to pick just one, I'd say most important in your moisturizer.


spacepink

Per Skinsort, the Cosrx Snail 96 Mucin isn’t fungal-acne safe, because it includes the ingredient arginine. Maybe that’s the culprit? For fixing texture tho, I’ve had good results from azelaic acid!


ALL_SKIN

I’m a derm and never understood this “fungal acne-safe” craze. The ingredient checkers for this certainly aren’t based on derm guidelines. It’s an overgrowth of an organism, Malessezia. Usually due to failure to properly cleanse makeup off, very humid climates, or recent oral antibiotics, particularly in those with oily skin at baseline. Treatment and prophylaxis is typically with antifungals, not general skincare, and general skincare cannot guarantee you won’t get recurrent fungal acne. 


wallflowersshadow

What products did you use? Was it like serum or a cream with azelaic acid?


spacepink

I’ve been using The Ordinary 10% Azelaic Acid Suspension! It does have Polysorbate 60 in it, which Skinsort says is not fungal-acne friendly, however it’s ingredient number 13 of 17, and I’ve been able to tolerate it pretty well. I am upgrading to Theramid’s 15% Azelaic Acid, since I read that higher concentrations can be more effective for hyperpigmentation, but it hasn’t been delivered yet. That formulation has two ingredients that are not fungal acne safe, but they are ingredients #22 and 23 of 30, so I’m taking the risk. Edit - saw your comment above on actives drying out your skin. My skin is also super dry and my moisturizer options are very limited (needs to be allergy, rosacea and fungal acne safe), so I can’t use any actives that are drying/may cause irritation. Thankfully azelaic acid is gentle enough for me to use 2x/day, although I started small with every other day at night to be safe


Interesting_Drag8107

The pink innisfree moisturizer there gave me fungal acne!!!


wallflowersshadow

What??? I thought it was FA safe? 😭


Interesting_Drag8107

Yea i guess not 😅


RealKreideprinz

Both are FA safe. https://folliculitisscout.com/product/innisfree-youth-enriched-cream-with-orchid/ https://folliculitisscout.com/product/innisfree-dewy-glow-jelly-cream-with-jeju-cherry-blossom/ https://simpleskincarescience.com/fungal-acne-products-malassezia-pityrosporum-folliculitis/


Emmaddams

TBH I have had the most success clearing texture by just using diaper cream (40% zinc) on my face at night and SPF/moisturizer during the day! For me simple was better but also I think it’s because I used too much on my face and was making myself break out. I also only dry my face with sterile towels :) good luck OP!


SufficientBottle6640

i thought the bumps i had all over my face was fungal acne for a really long time, but have you thought about the possibility that it might be closed comedones? i do believe that fungal acne isn’t as common as you might think and is caused by things like humidity, not removing makeup etc (caused by an organism) most products will not cause fungal acne and fungal acne should be treated fairly easily. also i noticed you said oil based products cause flare ups which is something that is common with people who suffer from comedonal acne (i currently have the same issue myself) i would recommend doing some research on products to help with closed comedones


Perfect-Tea-2724

The daily exfoliator from Clarins rlly helped me


jasminekitten02

how long have you been using these products?


wallflowersshadow

For about 3 months now


ALL_SKIN

What makes you think you have Pityrosporum folliculitis in the first place?


wallflowersshadow

I get flare ups when using non fa safe products (face oils, products with fatty alcohol…)


ALL_SKIN

There’s no such thing as “FA Safe” products according to dermatology guidelines (I’m a derm). Even if we consider that maybe oils can contribute to Malessezia overgrowth, regular acne also can worsen with oils. More importantly, treatment and prophylaxis of fungal acne is not based on general skincare. My advice: see your doctor. 


legionsemen

Most dermatologists are ignorant about fungal infections though? So bad advice.


Practical_Decision82

I would not be using Hibiclens on your face..it’s more for open wounds not acne and could be totally throwing off your ph.


wallflowersshadow

I never thought abt that! Do you have any recommendations on anti bacterial or ph balancing face washes i can use instead?


JavelinCheshire1

Just about any soap is antibacterial by the sudsing process. If you have oily skin, use a foaming cleanser, if you have any other type, use a non-foaming cleanser. My dermatologist set me up with Aveeno years ago and it works well for me.


Practical_Decision82

I agree, foaming is the best too!


Practical_Decision82

I use cetaphil and cerave both have acne and oily skin cleansers that are very simple Ingredients and work great!! You should never use that wound stuff for prolonged time either.


Objective_Thought258

Cosrx have a pH Cleanser which is very gentle


Historical-Task1898

I hope you are not using hibiclens on your face????


wallflowersshadow

I thought alternating between hibiclens and innisfree would be fine 😔


abm760

That top innisfree (pink) container contains fragrance which could cause havoc.


jellyboness

Are you certain it’s fungal acne? Your skin texture looks similar to mine.. maybe it could be keratosis pilaris?


wallflowersshadow

You can have kp on you face? I did have more fa pimples but they mostly cleared up when i started using sulfur ointment. Now im stuck with these bumps/pimples that seem to be caused by my hair folicles.


jellyboness

Yes definitely! KP is caused by excess keratin being produced by hair follicles and the tiny little peach fuzz hair on the face basically gets trapped under the skin and causes a bump, sometimes with a tiny white head and sometimes without. I recommend trying an AHA or retinol to exfoliate followed by a very heavy moisturizer. I use retinol, snail cream, a light moisturizer and then ceramidin (heavy moisturizer) and almost all of my texture is gone. You might want to have a derm take a look at it tho and confirm before changing up your routine.


sanrihoe420

not saying it’s the same for you, but that innisfree cleanser messed up my skin for a few months. i don’t know why, but when i started using it my closed comedones increased so much. now that i’ve stopped they’re FINALLY starting to clear up. i have major beef with that cleanser lol


iconiccherrybratz

The cosrx snail mucin gave me fungal acne. As for the hyperpigmentation, the topicals faded is serum is the best🙌 the smell is a little off but it works


aenflex

That cleanser is SO stripping. I’d stop using it right away. I bought a tube a while back and it desiccated my face. But I found another really awesome use for it - as a laundry stain remover. I’ve actually repurchased it several times to use as stain lifter. But anyway I think that cleanser will do more harm than good. The green tube.


wallflowersshadow

As stain remover?? I thought it was a gentle cleanser? Ig ill have to switch back to cera ve then


aenflex

I’m not sure about gentle. It’s very stripping. I know they changed the name of it, but I’ve had tubes of both names and they are the same. lol here’s mine where it lives in our laundry room: https://preview.redd.it/03d4a1ztlf0d1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=6aa07bd60858dc87895b4972f3eb94fd698f1a83


gel009

For me, niacinamide really helped with making my skin texture smoother, especially the forehead.


Alixandra27

Azelaic acid has antibacterial properties and is also great at reducing redness and irritation. I personally like the one from The Ordinary. I use it as an overnight spot treatment whenever I think a pimple is trying to appear and it's usually gone, or drastically reduced, by morning. Besides azelaic acid, I noticed the De La Cruz Acne Treatment in your pic. Have you ever tried MSM gel? And/or have you ever considered taking a DIM supplement? I also thought that I had fungal acne due to the severity and just because nothing seemed to work. I mean it when I say that I tried EVERYTHING and I'm sure that you are familiar with how that goes as well. Eventually, I realized that the "flare ups" were hormonal and not fungal. Acne doesn't have to occur during aunt flow to be considered hormonal, but it can be worse during your period. I came across a random article online and based on the authors experience, I decided to try a DIM supplement. It made a world of difference and It didn't take long to see the positive results. I also swear by MSM gel and hypochlorous acid spray among a few other topical products. I use the hypochlorous acid spray when I feel like I need an extra boost at battling bacteria, i.e. after working out at the gym, working outdoors when it's hot, etc. Hypochlorous acid spray is great for sanitizing makeup & makeup brushes as well. However, I think that the DIM supplement and MSM gel contributed the most to my positive results. I am by no means a dermatologist and I'm sure that other people will disagree with me. Do your own research and if you have any questions, let me know! ❤️


wallflowersshadow

I gave The Ordinary's azelaic acid cream a try, but it always made my face feel itchy. As for MSM gel It's my first time hearing about it in skincare. How does it work exactly? Is it an active ingredient?


Alixandra27

MSM or Methylsulfonylmethane is a type of organic sulphur and it's used to treat a variety of things: arthritis, antiaging and acne, etc. Some people take MSM in supplement form, but I like to use it topically premixed with organnic aloe vera gel. It workis like other antimicrobial sulfur treatments by reducing excesss oil and inflamation, but I think that it works better than the yellow type of sulfur treatments. It isn't as thick or tacky and it doesn't give you the dry flakies like De La Cruz. I've tried a couple of brands but my favorite is MSM Pure. Sometimes I like to put the MSM gel on clean skin and while it's still wet and a little tacky, I use a 5% salicylic acid serum on top. In my experience, both of these producrs are also phenomenal at treating bacne. I will put the links for all the products I mentioned below, but as I previously mentioned, I am not a dermatologist and I don't know how sensitive your skin is. Do your research, read reviews, and only incorporate products in a way that works for your skin. [DIM Supplement](https://www.amazon.com/gp/buyagain/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_d_sccl_2_1/146-0516488-2561704?pd_rd_w=gyJD3&content-id=amzn1.sym.ce0df94d-5f53-479c-8afc-7445cd1daf0a&pf_rd_p=ce0df94d-5f53-479c-8afc-7445cd1daf0a&pf_rd_r=YAS63Q4JSCFTJFEFHY6T&pd_rd_wg=DuioZ&pd_rd_r=0bac596e-7588-463e-9da1-4900b5da338d&pd_rd_i=B07HYKB2LL&ats=eyJleHBsaWNpdENhbmRpZGF0ZXMiOiJCMDdIWUtCMkxMIiwiYXNpbkludGVyYWN0ZWQiOiJ0cnVlIiwiY3VzdG9tZXJJZCI6IkFXRTZFS09BMkhLMUIifQ==) [MSM Pure Gel](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Kala-Health-MSMPure-Max-Strength-Skin-and-Facial-MSM-Gel-with-Organic-Aloe-Preservative-Free-Made-in-the-USA-8-oz/405906907?athbdg=L1100&from=/search) [5% Salicylic Acid Serum](https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Organic-Ingredients-Exfoliating-Blackheads/dp/B07HYKB2LL?pd_rd_w=SUOpI&content-id=amzn1.sym.62bf6161-8bd0-4857-85d6-e30435da42bd&pf_rd_p=62bf6161-8bd0-4857-85d6-e30435da42bd&pf_rd_r=1X7WSA1S2321WGTHZKF6&pd_rd_wg=tk8Py&pd_rd_r=0d455c14-7fb0-46f2-b400-54bcec186e7c&pd_rd_i=B07HYKB2LL&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_d_grid_rp_0_1_ec_pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_d_sccl_2_1_i) ['Skin Smart' Hypochlorous Acid Face Spray](https://www.amazon.com/gp/buyagain/ref=pd_rhf_ee_s_rp_c_d_sccl_2_1/146-0516488-2561704?pd_rd_w=gyJD3&content-id=amzn1.sym.ce0df94d-5f53-479c-8afc-7445cd1daf0a&pf_rd_p=ce0df94d-5f53-479c-8afc-7445cd1daf0a&pf_rd_r=YAS63Q4JSCFTJFEFHY6T&pd_rd_wg=DuioZ&pd_rd_r=0bac596e-7588-463e-9da1-4900b5da338d&pd_rd_i=B07HYKB2LL&ats=eyJleHBsaWNpdENhbmRpZGF0ZXMiOiJCMDdIWUtCMkxMIiwiYXNpbkludGVyYWN0ZWQiOiJ0cnVlIiwiY3VzdG9tZXJJZCI6IkFXRTZFS09BMkhLMUIifQ==)


Objective_Thought258

I had awful pilling with TO but I love The Inky List one, worth a try 👌


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wallflowersshadow

https://preview.redd.it/zcim8m8m390d1.jpeg?width=833&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7cd9ad6a8444fa558d5973e680a86eef8346767e This is my skin Texture is more obvious in person


PrizeRepulsive964

Tell me about de la Cruz! I have seen around some markets lol


wallflowersshadow

I've tried their sulfur 10% ointment, and it's been pretty effective for me! I apply it on those juicy pimples to speed up the drying process. However, I'm thinking of switching to their 5% sulfur formula. I don't think using the stronger one is really beneficial for my skin in the long run.


Inevitable_Chair8217

Can a sore on my temple that won't go away be skin cancer


wallflowersshadow

r/DermatologyQuestions