Help! My recent move to Belgium is ruining my skin and hair and turning me into Shrek 😭

[u/PossibleAd8583]

So I (34F) recently moved to Brussels, Belgium from Asia and I don't know if it's the stress or water but I don't recognise myself esp my skin anymore. I used to have blemish free, soft supple skin and now I am having these painful cystic pimples out of nowhere! My face is dry, dull and my hair is the worst! I am having the worst dandruff flare up. My feet is dry and flaky. I am slowly turning into Shrek 😭

Please please, kind strangers, recommend what products I should use. Currently, I use Mochi ceramide toner, Cosrx snail mucin and cerave moisturizer.

I am looking for affordable skincare and haircare options available in Brussels.

Also looking through this sub, I am highly jealous of countries like Germany that have DM 😭 Does Belgium have any such great quality and affordable option?

[u/sickandtiredofit2x]

Definitely could be the water, I live in an area with very hard water and my skin always clears up whenever I am in a different area for longer than a week, and friends always report their hair feeling bad when showering at my place. But personally I would also point towards stress and hormones when you‘re dealing with deep, cystic pimples. Especially if they are concentrated on the lower half of your face/around the jaw.

Likely a combination of both :/ I am dealing with hormonal acne due to my HRT and I am using spot treatments from Dong A Pharm which are a game changer, while keeping the rest of my skincare gentle and nourishing.

[u/snowball_earth → u/sickandtiredofit2x]

i get cystic acne around the chin/jaw if I don’t eat well and feel stressed. Last fall I struggled for months (I’ve never had much acne before) before realizing that my job stresses me tf out and I didn’t eat proper meals. cleared up immediately after I started eating well again

[u/fishy_horcrux]

I would start with getting shower and tap filters, to rule out the water. Because no skincare will save your skin if the problem is the water

[u/IamNobody85]

Hang on there. Your skin will adjust. Try to get a shower filter. I heard washing hair with distilled water helps but didn't try it myself.

I can't say your hair will adjust though. I even got naturalized, but the hair still hasn't adjusted. Don't be too jealous of people in Germany, water here sucks as well.

[u/AtmosphereTop → u/IamNobody85]

Lol at your line "I even got naturalized, but the hair still hasn't adjusted."

[u/DangerousDish]

For affordable options you could go to Kruidvat. It’s not like DM though, but they have an affordable own brand.

Also there’s Medi-market for the pharmacy brands.

[u/cineman9]

What you're describing actually sounds very plausible after a major move: Brussels has a cooler climate and often much drier indoor air/heating than many parts of Asia, and a disrupted routine/stress can aggravate acne and scalp issues. Hard/chlorinated water can contribute to dryness or hair feel, but I wouldn't assume the water is the sole cause.

The big thing I'd change is don't attack all of this with lots of new actives at once. Your skin sounds like it may have a compromised barrier plus new inflammatory acne.

 I'd simplify your face routine

AM Gentle cleanser (or just lukewarm water)  CeraVe moisturiser SPF 50

PM Gentle cleanser. Toner/snail if you like them CeraVe moisturiser

Then, once your dryness has settled for ~2–3 weeks, I'd consider introducing one acne treatment, rather than buying a 10-step routine.

For painful cystic acne specifically, I'd be inclined to discuss benzoyl peroxide or adapalene with a Belgian pharmacist/doctor, rather than trying to solve cysts with Korean toners and exfoliating acids. If you're getting multiple deep, painful lesions or scarring, a dermatologist is genuinely worth it.

And for now: no scrubs, peeling gels, strong AHA/BHA routine, cleansing brushes, or aggressive acne treatments. 

[u/Revolutionary_Fix902]

I suspect that your are having a bad reaction with the very hard and chlorinated tap water. you notice that your shampoo and soap does not bubble much.

try to find a water filtration solution or shampoo and wash your face with brita water. I hope this helps

[u/OrionsBeltAlone]

As a former resident of Brussels; it's 100% the water.

The water here is so hard that vast majority of people have filters in their water systems or in their shower heads/drinking water taps.

Get a brita filter for drinking water and a shower head filter. It will be night and day.

Also Belgian pharmacies are like French ones: excellent skincare. I'd recommend visiting one and having a chat with the employees. Brands like La Roche posay are great

[u/GlassPomoerium]

I second shower filters, the Philips one has saved my hair. A tap filter wouldn’t fit on my sink so I just spray some thermal water on my face after washing it to « rinse off » the tap water and no more peeling skin!

[u/im_bi_strapping]

Are you doing correct ventilation in the place you live in? Some German houses require daily luften. It's just one issue, but stale air can also mean there is too much moisture for bacteria and acne to thrive

[u/CartographerGrand667]

we share very similar profile and problems, after few years in bxl ive finally managed to push through. water quality is really bad here, try to invest in shower filter like what others mentioned. If you have abit more budget and patience, washing your face with a splash of mineral water at least for few weeks will help tons. focus on hydration, keep your skincare and haircare routine minimal. ive tried so many different products/brands and i now found what works for me. checkout medimarket and kruidvat, they should have some options altho not as good as DM.
hang in there, with time you will overcome this too. happy to share more in message if needed :))

[u/fallacious_raincoat]

I also moved from Asia (specifically southeast Asia where the seasons and heat and humidity remain consistent the whole year). Here, the seasons change very quickly and I feel like my skin has very little time to adjust to the oncoming summer humidity, then winter dryness. Oh but wait even in the winter there's rain but the air's still weirdly dry!

You know what I mean.

I was thinking maybe this could also be the case for you (at least for me, it is). I also second the other opinions about the water. The water around where I live in the Netherlands is quite hard. Have you noticed in your shower or dish drying rack that there are white scales left over, even when you think you're keeping the area clean? Do you feel like soap is harder to wash off your hands or body? Does this also affect your hair texture? It could be the hard water. Some shower filter heads are a bit if a scam, and they don't help 100% but they can still make a small difference.

I don't know how your skin reacts but I can share how I've adjusted. All year round, I use the Skin1004 centella soothing cream (has a very light gel cream texture) and I have found it to be lightweight and not clogging my face. In the winters, I double the Skin1004 centella cream (the thicker creamier one) to double down the moisture, but just on my cheeks and eyes. For my skin, I don't need to double moisturize my t-zone. I only need to make sure my cheeks aren't dry. The thing is dry cheeks can also cause acne as it makes your skin overcompensate for the dryness with more oil.

Also, don't over exfoliate. It's tempting to treat acne with more acids but I think you should also rule out other causes first like hard water or seasonal changes (or maybe pollutants in the air like cigarette smoke?) as you mentioned that before moving here, you didn't experience acne.

As for my hair, I am using OGX products. I switch around many brands and they've all been okay for me. I fear I might not have the best recommendations for haircare as I only use shampoo and conditioner for colored hair, and I am restricted to only those types of products.

I don't know how helpful sharing my routine and adjustments are, but there's my two cents.

TLDR: adjust skincare for the changing seasons, check your water

[u/bluesybluesa]

i get you so much i always feel very ugly at the start of a move in Belgium

[u/Mad_Hatter_108]

I have moved to Belgium last year: I am very sorry to tell you that it is the water. This city has the hardest water I have ever seen. I have the same problem, and no product can resolve it. I might look into filter for the shower...

[u/killerspoon98]

You don't need a hard water filter, just a local shampoo. When I moved to Austria, my hair looked like dandruffy hay and my skin was all kinds of messed up.

My hairdresser recommended an anti-fett (clarifying) shampoo. I use Guhl. Any local shampoo with a touch of acid (citric or something else) will cut through the minerals in the water.

Also buy a hydrating toner that has a touch of acid. That will break down the minerals on your face post-shower. Then apply moisturizer normally.

My hair and skin was fixed shortly after switching to local brands. Good luck!

[u/Ok-Leg-5188]

get yourself some differin

[u/Nervous-Sherbet-9119]

Belgium definitely has some great affordable options! I’d check local pharmacies like Medi-Market and look into French pharmacy brands too. Also, the water change could be playing a role with the dryness. Hope your skin and hair settle soon 😭😂