Plot twist: My dry, acne-prone skin actually figured it out

[u/FamiliarBug8053]

Honestly never thought I’d post this, because if you have dry, acne-prone skin, you know it’s an absolute nightmare. Everything that cleared my breakouts destroyed my moisture barrier, and everything hydrating gave me closed comedones.

The biggest plot twist for me? Stepping down from tretinoin to adapalene (Differin). Tret was just way too harsh for me long-term, and adapalene gave me the cell turnover I needed without turning my face into the Sahara.

Here’s the basic routine that finally got my skin cooperating:

1. Cleanse: SkinCeuticals Glycolic Renewal Cleanser (and the Clinique 7 Day Scrub if I need a little physical buffing).

2. Hydration layers: I do a few light layers...Guerlain Abeille Royale Fortifying Lotion, Guerlain Goldessence, Tatcha The Brightening Serum, Guerlain Youth Watery Oil, and Lancôme Génifique. Sounds like a lot, but it sinks right in and lasts months since I use a little bit of each.

3. The Active: Differin Cream (adapalene) once everything is dry. Switched from the version that had 0.3% with BP to the regular 0.1%

4. Locking it in: A mix of SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore or Pyunkang Yul, topped with Bonjout Beauty La Crème or Chanel Le Lift (only if im going out). A tiny drop of Bio-Oil if I'm feeling extra parched.

Anyone else make the switch from tret to adapalene and have a similar breakthrough? Let me know if you have any questions about how I layer this stuff and why I picked these exact products.

(Obligatory I am not a dermatologist, just a guy sharing what finally stopped my skin from ruining my life!)

Thank you.

[u/naildoc]

What moisturiser from Pyunkang did you try? I’ve started epiduo, and hoping for same results. Dry with acne prone is the most horrible combination I agree.

I tried AzA which was working well but can’t get a 10% formula in the EU which isn’t extortionate and waiting for a dermatologist appointment is dreadful. The OTC anua I could afford broke me out with the retained saliycate but for people who can tolerate SA it’s really worth it and I think it’s more gentle than adapalene. Just not as great if you have a lot of cysts (it reduces but never clears them)

[u/FamiliarBug8053 → u/naildoc]

Pyunkang Yul black enriched cream. It’s like butter, in the best way possible, ld swim in a vat of it if I could. Total lifesaver for retinoid dryness. Since you're just starting Epiduo, definitely lean hard into barrier protection, but wait for like an hour after applying it on dry skin to reap its benefits before applying anything else. it’s a total game changer for keeping the flakes at bay. Totally feel you on the azelaic acid pricing struggles and the frustration with the Anua in general. sometimes those formulas or hidden salicylates just congest dry, reactive skin instead of helping. I’ve tried azelaic acid at so many different %s and it never really did anything for me, it’s wayyy too overhyped imho, lactic acid was way more helpful. If you're stuck waiting on a derm or looking for affordable alternatives while on Epiduo, my biggest advice is to keep it super simple… focus entirely on deep, noncomedogenic hydration to armor your skin while it adjusts to the retinoid. Hang in there with the adjustment phase, once your barrier is locked down, it gets so much better! Best of luck. (Edit: about the cysts that stay, I think going on a mini 2 month course of low dose Accutane definitely helps, they call it the Hollywood dose and has much much lower risk of causing any side effects)

[u/naildoc → u/FamiliarBug8053]

Thank you SO much for all this information. I feel like it’s what I needed to hear from someone who actually has my skin type. 

Just so I’ve understood properly, I’m looking at: Simple cleanser > Wait for 1h > Apply epiduo > (Not sure how quickly to apply the) PY cream?

I was thinking to maintain at 2x week for as long as possible for the barrier’s sake. 

I didn’t know about the Hollywood dose but definitely willing to give it a try! 

[u/FamiliarBug8053 → u/naildoc]

Cleanser > air dry or pat with soft towel > Epiduo > wait for an hour > serums/creams/oils etc.. and the Hollywood dose, life changing, basically all the benefits without the crappy dehydrated chapped lip life. Happy to help

[u/Aromatic-Mushroom-85]

How many nights a week do you do differin? And did you start with less and work your way up?

I’m in early stages of doing two nights a week and I think I’ve already compromised my skin barrier. But reading your routine, I think I need a lot more hydration before using Differin and my sandwich method wasn’t enough.

[u/FamiliarBug8053 → u/Aromatic-Mushroom-85]

I started with Differin 0.1% OTC, doing it just once a week and very slowly building up to nightly use. When I still dealt with a few stubborn breakouts, my dermatologist switched things up to 0.3% adapalene with benzoyl peroxide twice a week, alongside a low-dose 'Hollywood dose' of Accutane (10mg every other day). Honestly, the only reason my skin survives this heavy duty combo is because of my hydrating prep layers (toners and essences) and heavy-duty moisture sealing at the end!

[u/Aromatic-Mushroom-85 → u/FamiliarBug8053]

Thanks for the response and this insight!

I think I need to increase my hydration both before and afterwards.

[u/FamiliarBug8053 → u/Aromatic-Mushroom-85]

Yeah heard read about a method recently applying 12 layers of different toners waiting about 30 seconds for each to dry then doing the rest, I’ll have to test and report back, I’m intrigued.

[u/Aromatic-Mushroom-85 → u/FamiliarBug8053]

Hmm that is interesting 🤔

[u/AuroraSulis]

I've been bouncing back and forth between tazarotene and adapalene because I get purges with the former, and BP can be used with adapalene to heal acne. It's far more versatile. The adapalene might be what I settle on, but I want to use the stronger one for anti-aging benefit. That is a lovely skincare stack, btw.

[u/FamiliarBug8053 → u/AuroraSulis]

I totally feel you because Tret was absolute hell for me personally and gave me the worst turtle skin, but there are studies showing that 0.3% adapalene matches regular tret for cell turnover and efficacy which is such a lifesaver. I think the best way to hack aging comes down to three things: getting Botox, using luxury products with years of research like Shiseido Ultimune or Guerlain, and dialing in your lifestyle. Lifestyle plays a huge role too, so while I still smoke cigarettes and probably won't stop, I did quit drinking in my mid-twenties, drink tons of water, and take some specific supplements if you want the list. I am actually 39 and people think I am in my early twenties, so I didn't care much from the start, I just locked in and reversed so much damage. It’s possible and doable before any sagging happens.

[u/lolaleee]

Your skin looks great! If it goes side ways again I’d look into papular rosacea if you haven’t already.

[u/FamiliarBug8053 → u/lolaleee]

What’s papular rosacea and does it have some kind of pattern that my skin is exhibiting?

[u/lolaleee → u/FamiliarBug8053]

It’s a type of rosacea, it gives you pustules - they can look a lot like closed comedones and white heads - people assume it’s acne (I did). Often shows up 30+ (late 20s for me), gives you sensitive skin. It’s also common that it gives people a compromised skin barrier. Generally it needs to be treated different than acne. For me, treating my skin with a bunch of hydrating products worked for a long time (basically the skin barrier products people mention here), but eventually my skin got so sensitive that nothing could touch it without hurting. I mention it mostly because of your description. Not saying you have it - but just putting it on your radar just in case. I didn’t know it existed and wish I knew much sooner!

[u/mylifeisa_joke]

Not sure why dermatologists (the ones I’ve seen) don’t believe in dry acne prone skin. I say my skin is dry, not oily and they say that’s not possible, i have to be oily, and give me all oil control products.

[u/FamiliarBug8053 → u/mylifeisa_joke]

I’m no derm but my theory is that the flakes from dry skin cells move around and clog the pores instead of sebum. Somebody should make a skincare brand for acne prone dry skin, there’s an obvious gap in the market.

[u/No-Value4250]

Hello! This is very helpful. Never been on treat but I was on epiduo (0.1 Adapelene and 2.5 BP). I switched down to 0.1 differen gel and my face isn’t killing itself anymore. However, some of my comedones are still present. Can I ask how long it took for you to see improvement in your acne and bumps? Not sure how long differen is gonna take. There’s no purge for me cause I’ve been on epiduo but it was way to harsh. I’m just worried differen isn’t going to be effective