Is there any yellow stuff in them? might be small papules. looks like very light acne.

4 minutes ago, Michelle waldron said:

Is there any yellow stuff in them? might be small papules. looks like very light acne.

I find they never come to a head, theyre always just constantly there and more visible in bad lighting. I get a few occasional breakouts like on my chin at the moment but they usually come to a head quickly and heal. I feel like my BHA does nothing for them as well. Theyre so stubborn! Thank you for commenting.

Well I'd up the dose of salosylic acid your taking to 10% or you could take oral antibiotics tetralycline for a while or the pill.

1 minute ago, Michelle waldron said:

Well I'd up the dose of salosylic acid your taking to 10% or you could take oral antibiotics tetralycline for a while or the pill.

Thank you for your helpful suggestions. I might have a look into stronger Salicylic Acid and possibly ask my dr about a course of antibiotics when I see her

Hell no, 10% is way too drying for skin your face. If your talking about chemical peels you need to go to a derm to do that and boy will your face be peeling like crazy you probably wont be able to go for a week.
They are closed comedones caused by thr products your using. Neutrogena face wash with BHA does nothing its just words to attract customers. NO BHA OR AHA will work on a product that leaves your face in 10 seconds you need a bha thats a leave on like Paulas Choice. The neutrogena hydro gel your using has bad reviews and it doesnt work as a moisturizer Ive tried. I say just keep it simple with a non comedogenic cleanser and moisturizer. I dont see why you had to add in neutrogena if you were clear before. If your clear stay simple and dont trybadding prodycts because it could mess the pH balance of your face.

13 hours ago, VulneraryRain said:

Hell no, 10% is way too drying for skin your face. If your talking about chemical peels you need to go to a derm to do that and boy will your face be peeling like crazy you probably wont be able to go for a week.
They are closed comedones caused by thr products your using. Neutrogena face wash with BHA does nothing its just words to attract customers. NO BHA OR AHA will work on a product that leaves your face in 10 seconds you need a bha thats a leave on like Paulas Choice. The neutrogena hydro gel your using has bad reviews and it doesnt work as a moisturizer Ive tried. I say just keep it simple with a non comedogenic cleanser and moisturizer. I dont see why you had to add in neutrogena if you were clear before. If your clear stay simple and dont trybadding prodycts because it could mess the pH balance of your face.

Thanks for your comment. What type of bad reviews has the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream received? I like the product and from what Ive heard, it works great. I added the BHA in because of these bumps, which Ive had for years. I let it sit on my skin for about a minute before washing off. Those products are meant to provide quick contact chemical exfoliation to the face. Also Paulas Choice is not available to me in my country. I think my routine is fairly simple already. Ill see my dr soon enough for her recommendation.

BHA/AHA only works if left on skin for hours, the neutrogena product is just a quick exfoliator not a chemical thats all. The pH of that product is around 4 which means the BHA lost its activity it needs a pH of 3-3.8 for it to work. Just like any topical it has to be left of skin overnight etc not in a matter of minutes. Second if it has fragrance which mostly all neutrohena products do it irritate already active acne.Im sure your doctor will presrcibe you tretinoin gel, but you do you and good luck with the derm.

[Edited link out]
Read the reviews.

On 9/7/2018 at 8:13 AM, VulneraryRain said:

BHA/AHA only works if left on skin for hours, the neutrogena product is just a quick exfoliator not a chemical thats all. The pH of that product is around 4 which means the BHA lost its activity it needs a pH of 3-3.8 for it to work. Just like any topical it has to be left of skin overnight etc not in a matter of minutes. Second if it has fragrance which mostly all neutrohena products do it irritate already active acne.Im sure your doctor will presrcibe you tretinoin gel, but you do you and good luck with the derm.

[Edited link out]

Maybe thats why mine are still around after so many years! Yes the wash does have fragrance so its possibly irritating. I might bin it. I do have Nip + Fab Glycolic and Salicylic Acid Extreme Night Pads that are swipe on so they do their magic overnight. Perhaps thats a better option for me. Those reviews are interesting, but I use the gel-cream which is fragrance free. Not sure if its vastly different but interesting nonetheless. Problem is Ive had this texture since way before I started using this moisturiser. Oh well thanks anyway, I see my dr tomorrow so yes hopefully some Tretinoin may help clear the issues up once an for all.

Whats your thoughts on the Simple miceller wash?

In regards to what you had posted, its really hard to say what could be causing this. Products containing glycolic acid may help you but you will have to give it time. Do you think your sunscreen could contribute to your skin texture?

Unfortunately, I find some sunscreens (chemical sunscreens especially) can really aggravate my skin.
Side note: Some sunscreen (especially mineral based sunscreens) can be really difficult to remove. Sometimes its best to pre cleanse with either an oil or balm before following up with your face cleanser. This also applies if you wear makeup.

12 hours ago, Faroutbrusslesprout said:

What™s your thoughts on the Simple miceller wash? 

In regards to what you had posted, it™s really hard to say what could be causing this. Products containing glycolic acid may help you but you will have to give it time. Do you think your sunscreen could contribute to your skin texture? 

Unfortunately, I find some sunscreens (chemical sunscreens especially) can really aggravate my skin.
Side note: Some sunscreen (especially mineral based sunscreens) can be really difficult to remove. Sometimes it™s best to pre cleanse with either an oil or balm before following up with your face cleanser. This also applies if you wear makeup. 

I agree, it's really tricky! Considering the past year I've really been focused on creating a skincare routine that's simple, using fragrance-free products that won't irritate my skin, it's hard to say. I have even gone complete cold turkey with makeup going on 3 months now. But one thing remains, I was in the Dr's office about this about 2 years ago and my routine was no where near what it is now.

I can say that this texture has somewhat diminished with the use of Advantan 0.1% but is aggravated or flares up and never completely subsided over 2 years. My Dr initially thought this was allergic contact Dermatitis because I did have some itching associated with it. Now, not so much.

I've currently been using the Simple Micellar Gel Wash for about 2 months now, previously used the Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser, prior to that Garnier's Micellar Water with the pink lid (this has fragrance) and ordinary bar soap.

I quite like the Simple cleanser as it's fragrance-free and it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight at all, but definitely considered it could be a culprit.

So far I've considered
-All my current skincare routine products
-My BC pill
-Not removing sunscreen completely, maybe? I just use a cleanser but as you suggested perhaps I need to go in with a Micellar water first then cleanse.
-Rosacea (grandmother had it)
-Fungal Acne (prior itchiness)
-Seborrheic Dermatitis (I get the most itchiest inner ear canals, spots of flaky skin on my ear, constant pinkish tone to my skin
-Comedonal acne
-My laundry detergent (however this hasn't changed in 5+ years)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and answer my question, I appreciate it  Can't wait to see my Dr I'm hoping I can finally achieve, with time, smoother skin.

Maybe you should look into using a product containing azelaic acid. It can be used to treat rosacea and acne. Its effective but more gentle compared to benzoyl peroxide

20 hours ago, Faroutbrusslesprout said:

Maybe you should look into using a product containing azelaic acid. It can be used to treat rosacea and acne. It™s effective but more gentle compared to benzoyl peroxide 

I use a 20% Azelaic cream in the evening, sometimes in the morning if I remember too  Thanks

My skin is exactly the same as yours and i can honestly say that its hard work. The only things i have found that are working since my problem began are using a clarisonic a couple of times a week. Cetaphil gentle cleanser morning and night and a retinol cream once every couple of days. Its been over a year now and i have noticed a huge reduction in the bumps.

Your routine does look simple, so it could be the products. I would suggest eliminating/adding one type of product at a time so you can see what is working. When you experiment with too many variables at once, you don't really know which one is working. There may very well be a combo that works, but if you experiment haphazardly, you'll either get subpar results or may end up using more products than you really need.

On 9/20/2018 at 5:59 PM, clareabella said:

My skin is exactly the same as yours and i can honestly say that its hard work. The only things i have found that are working since my problem began are using a clarisonic a couple of times a week. Cetaphil gentle cleanser morning and night and a retinol cream once every couple of days. Its been over a year now and i have noticed a huge reduction in the bumps. 

Oh really? Gosh I feel like I'm the only one with a face like this, at least when looking online. It sends me bonkers but it's 'good' to know I'm not alone.

I'm interested to know, have you seen a Derm before? My GP will work with me the best she can at the moment but will refer me to see one if we can't clear the issues.

I'm glad you have experienced a positive result with your routine! My GP has prescribed Doxycycline 50mg which I've been on for 2 weeks...

I've also completely gone back to the cleanser and moisturise products I used for years (Neutrogena) and now I'm beginning to think I'm having some reaction to the chemical sunscreen I'm using.

Thank you for your response

On 9/21/2018 at 2:08 AM, Silavana said:

Your routine does look simple, so it could be the products. I would suggest eliminating/adding one type of product at a time so you can see what is working. When you experiment with too many variables at once, you don't really know which one is working. There may very well be a combo that works, but if you experiment haphazardly, you'll either get subpar results or may end up using more products than you really need. 

Hi there, thank you for your time in responding!

I am currently doing the eliminating/adding product at the moment but gosh it's a slow process. I need to be patient but thanks for your information it's much appreciated

Yes, it can be tedious, but so worth it in the end. Good luck.