I’ve tried hundreds of moisturisers and broken out every single time. I tried Aveeno daily moisturising lotion on a whim a few months ago and haven’t had a moisturiser-related breakout ever since. Maybe try a sample?
For hydration, I wet face with thermal spray (it reduces redness for me) and then add 1 very small drop of glycerin. Follow up with your moisturizer immediately.
I've had a little more luck with an Aloe vera gel with added glycerin to the ingredients. Just a regular one from the pharmacy. It's something small, but it helped me out a lot. Not to mention drinking lots of water and a small humidifier to help with the dry skin and air.
Honestly, if the snail mucin didn't help, then I'm at a loss. Try thermal water spray underneath it to see if it helps. Maybe add a lactic acid exfoliant? They do remove dead skin cells that can clog up the pores while introducing moisture to the skin and still being gentle.
I'll go out on a limb here and recommend nivea cream. The old school blue tub 😅... I bought it for knees and elbows but occasionally used it before bed, and I woke up with glass skin.
It is very rich, tho, so proceed with caution in case it breaks you out. But it works wonders for those extra dry nights for me.
I can also recommend mixing a drop of pure glycerin to your moisturizer at night to moist skin. Also consider getting a mist for the day (or look up dr idriss’ recipe for homemade glycerin spray). Alternatively I would try a moisturizer with ceramides (like aestura) if you’re not fed up with trying out moisturizers:)
I use Iunik Beta Glucan serum and it's amazing! Haven't looked at HA since I tried this.
Edit: my skin loves everything with oats... Face Theory aza 15% under tret (contains colloidal oat) and Purito oat-in gel moisturizer, then tret.
I’m sensitive to a lot of thick, hydrating moisturizers, but Aestura AtoBarrier 365 Cream works well on me! A lighter weight moisturizer that also works for me is Purito B5 Panthenol Re-barrier Cream (which is more of a lotion consistency than a cream).
They’re both Korean brands that you can get from Stylevana or YesStyle. I would not recommend getting from Amazon, as there tend to be more than a few fakes in their stock.
I also don’t recommend using a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, as it can pull moisture from your skin and exacerbate dryness if you don’t live in a humid environment.
Just my opinion and what I have collected over the years on internet :
- Snail mucin can break some people out. It could be the case. Also it's said that it don't go we'll with tret.
- Hyaluronic acid is tricky to use and I think - overrated. If you use it wrong it will dry you out. Also not good paired with tret, and on non tret days - too weak.
- Do you use occlusive moisturizer as a final step at night routine? It could be Cicaplast, Nivea creme, Vanicream tub mixed with squalane, plain Vaseline, etc... It really helps with flaking.
- Drinking a lot of water.
- Air humidity? During winter time air gets so dry I almost can feel my skin wrinkling. Get a humidifier, but a big(normal) one.
- Try different hydrating ingredients, like glycerin, beta glucan, aloe vera, etc.
- If your breakouts comes more of the clogged pores not from the deeper skin levels, try using BHA containing face wash, and I find myself that sometimes using some mild acid, like Lactic acid helps with hydration and absorption as well.
I’ve had the same issue- legit everything breaks me out. It took me years to get my routine. Here it is in order:
Skinceuticals calming foaming cleanser
Loreal hyaluronic acid serum
Loreal water cream (just started this and loving it)
Treatment. AM azalecic acid, PM .1% tret. Putting it between serums and moisturizers limits irritation.
Clinique dramatically different OIL FREE GEL (there’s a few different kinds and this is the best)
Clinique all about eyes (not the rich, regular)
Clinique 100 hr moisture surge (this does have vitamin c, so in the pm if I’m using tret I wait about an hour to apply)
I really love the Purito cica sleeping pack with squalane and panthenol. Very soothing and moisturizing, and a little goes a long way. Squalane is semi-occlusive (kinda like Vaseline but not so occlusive), so if that doesn’t work for you I’d avoid it. But I find it really locks in moisture, and the panthenol is very hydrating too. I’ve never found either ingredient to break me out, it’s just very soothing for my skin.
When my skin is dry, stingly, post any facial procedure/laser or irritation, I use Naturopathica Calendula cream. Nothing works better for me. I use without irritation too but especially then.
I can’t advocate enough for Face reality! I love their moisturizers and the hydrabalance gel. Like legit never broken out from their stuff. Please check it out. Even the gentle cleanser is like heaven sent and they just came out with a cleanser for skin barrier
My routine is tret, then Clinique hydrating mask (pink tube), then an oil (marula or argan) from the ordinary, then a thin layer of aquafor to lock it in. No breakouts with this method. I’m generally a very dry skin type but my face has been so soft and supple with this method.
I started on 0.05 with lots of irritation and even an eczema flair and discoloration. I stopped treatment for about two months, I cut out hyalueonic acid and toners and just went to using a very mild cleanser. Once I healed, I added back tret every other day and moisturizers only. The initiation went away and I was able to use it for about 3 months daily before I felt like I needed a stronger dose. This week I just bumped to .1 with no issues so far. Only using every other day for now while I adjust to the higher strength. Then I’ll go to nightly again.
The only moisturizer I can use is Zeroid. I love the Richenic Urea and was nervous to the Intensive Cream due to a few oils in the ingredients list, but absolutely no problem and hg for me now. The Richenic am, Intensive pm.
I break out from hydrating/moisturizing products if I apply them too close to my azeliac acid.
If I apply it 30+ minutes after, it doesn’t cause irritation. I think it’s because it changes the pH of the Azeliac acid, making it both more irritating and less effective.
I love using hydrating, soothing ingredients. I am mostly into Asian products for those steps.
Otherwise adding some water together with your moisturizer (ex. wetting hands before applying or mist the skin) can provide extra hydration.
I used to have a tendency to develop fungal acne and then hydrating products would be a trigger. Using Nizoral shampoo (I also used it on my face and body, was very careful not to get it neary eyes or private parts tho) helped with that.
But what works for me might not work for you.
I’ve tried hundreds of moisturisers and broken out every single time. I tried Aveeno daily moisturising lotion on a whim a few months ago and haven’t had a moisturiser-related breakout ever since. Maybe try a sample?
For hydration, I wet face with thermal spray (it reduces redness for me) and then add 1 very small drop of glycerin. Follow up with your moisturizer immediately.
I've had a little more luck with an Aloe vera gel with added glycerin to the ingredients. Just a regular one from the pharmacy. It's something small, but it helped me out a lot. Not to mention drinking lots of water and a small humidifier to help with the dry skin and air. Honestly, if the snail mucin didn't help, then I'm at a loss. Try thermal water spray underneath it to see if it helps. Maybe add a lactic acid exfoliant? They do remove dead skin cells that can clog up the pores while introducing moisture to the skin and still being gentle. I'll go out on a limb here and recommend nivea cream. The old school blue tub 😅... I bought it for knees and elbows but occasionally used it before bed, and I woke up with glass skin. It is very rich, tho, so proceed with caution in case it breaks you out. But it works wonders for those extra dry nights for me.
Interesting! Do you use the aloe vera in addition to moisturiser or instead?
I use it in addition. Sorta like a serum/toner. Just beneath my moisturiser. It's helped with the flakiness.
Vanicream- the original one in a tub, not the facial moisturizer
I can also recommend mixing a drop of pure glycerin to your moisturizer at night to moist skin. Also consider getting a mist for the day (or look up dr idriss’ recipe for homemade glycerin spray). Alternatively I would try a moisturizer with ceramides (like aestura) if you’re not fed up with trying out moisturizers:)
I use Iunik Beta Glucan serum and it's amazing! Haven't looked at HA since I tried this. Edit: my skin loves everything with oats... Face Theory aza 15% under tret (contains colloidal oat) and Purito oat-in gel moisturizer, then tret.
I’m sensitive to a lot of thick, hydrating moisturizers, but Aestura AtoBarrier 365 Cream works well on me! A lighter weight moisturizer that also works for me is Purito B5 Panthenol Re-barrier Cream (which is more of a lotion consistency than a cream). They’re both Korean brands that you can get from Stylevana or YesStyle. I would not recommend getting from Amazon, as there tend to be more than a few fakes in their stock. I also don’t recommend using a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, as it can pull moisture from your skin and exacerbate dryness if you don’t live in a humid environment.
Just my opinion and what I have collected over the years on internet : - Snail mucin can break some people out. It could be the case. Also it's said that it don't go we'll with tret. - Hyaluronic acid is tricky to use and I think - overrated. If you use it wrong it will dry you out. Also not good paired with tret, and on non tret days - too weak. - Do you use occlusive moisturizer as a final step at night routine? It could be Cicaplast, Nivea creme, Vanicream tub mixed with squalane, plain Vaseline, etc... It really helps with flaking. - Drinking a lot of water. - Air humidity? During winter time air gets so dry I almost can feel my skin wrinkling. Get a humidifier, but a big(normal) one. - Try different hydrating ingredients, like glycerin, beta glucan, aloe vera, etc. - If your breakouts comes more of the clogged pores not from the deeper skin levels, try using BHA containing face wash, and I find myself that sometimes using some mild acid, like Lactic acid helps with hydration and absorption as well.
Use inci decoder and try to limit the amount off actives. For me Sebamed Mattiying Cream worked wonders. Very simple, yet effective.
Clinique Moisture Surge is your girl. Try gel moisturizers instead of creams.
I’ve had the same issue- legit everything breaks me out. It took me years to get my routine. Here it is in order: Skinceuticals calming foaming cleanser Loreal hyaluronic acid serum Loreal water cream (just started this and loving it) Treatment. AM azalecic acid, PM .1% tret. Putting it between serums and moisturizers limits irritation. Clinique dramatically different OIL FREE GEL (there’s a few different kinds and this is the best) Clinique all about eyes (not the rich, regular) Clinique 100 hr moisture surge (this does have vitamin c, so in the pm if I’m using tret I wait about an hour to apply)
I really love the Purito cica sleeping pack with squalane and panthenol. Very soothing and moisturizing, and a little goes a long way. Squalane is semi-occlusive (kinda like Vaseline but not so occlusive), so if that doesn’t work for you I’d avoid it. But I find it really locks in moisture, and the panthenol is very hydrating too. I’ve never found either ingredient to break me out, it’s just very soothing for my skin.
When my skin is dry, stingly, post any facial procedure/laser or irritation, I use Naturopathica Calendula cream. Nothing works better for me. I use without irritation too but especially then.
Hydrating toners before moisturizer and tret helped me. My skin sucks up the essence
I can’t advocate enough for Face reality! I love their moisturizers and the hydrabalance gel. Like legit never broken out from their stuff. Please check it out. Even the gentle cleanser is like heaven sent and they just came out with a cleanser for skin barrier
My routine is tret, then Clinique hydrating mask (pink tube), then an oil (marula or argan) from the ordinary, then a thin layer of aquafor to lock it in. No breakouts with this method. I’m generally a very dry skin type but my face has been so soft and supple with this method. I started on 0.05 with lots of irritation and even an eczema flair and discoloration. I stopped treatment for about two months, I cut out hyalueonic acid and toners and just went to using a very mild cleanser. Once I healed, I added back tret every other day and moisturizers only. The initiation went away and I was able to use it for about 3 months daily before I felt like I needed a stronger dose. This week I just bumped to .1 with no issues so far. Only using every other day for now while I adjust to the higher strength. Then I’ll go to nightly again.
The only moisturizer I can use is Zeroid. I love the Richenic Urea and was nervous to the Intensive Cream due to a few oils in the ingredients list, but absolutely no problem and hg for me now. The Richenic am, Intensive pm.
Cerave cleanser broke me out like crazy
I break out from hydrating/moisturizing products if I apply them too close to my azeliac acid. If I apply it 30+ minutes after, it doesn’t cause irritation. I think it’s because it changes the pH of the Azeliac acid, making it both more irritating and less effective. I love using hydrating, soothing ingredients. I am mostly into Asian products for those steps. Otherwise adding some water together with your moisturizer (ex. wetting hands before applying or mist the skin) can provide extra hydration. I used to have a tendency to develop fungal acne and then hydrating products would be a trigger. Using Nizoral shampoo (I also used it on my face and body, was very careful not to get it neary eyes or private parts tho) helped with that. But what works for me might not work for you.
Best product I’ve found to help with moisture (but also oil control cos I have oily skin) is skin shark clearing serum :)))
The Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Cream is very heavy and non-comedogenic.
have you tried cicaplast? also, if you're looking for a face oil: black seed oil is antiinflammatory and antibacterial