Before you wow my before-after journey, let me tell you the truth.
‼️Adapalene & Azelaic Acid is a prescription medication in Indonesia, so consult to your dermatologist‼️
I’ve been using prescription strength retinoid every night (or every other night) since 2018. So my skin is well adapted to it. But I still experienced break out even with Adapalene in my night routine. Acne is multifactorial, and I still try some new products. My skin is pretty sensitive & easilly get clogged. By far, 0.1% Adapalene cream works best on my skin, it gives me noticable result with minimum irritation (compares to tretinoin). I’ve added 20% Azelaic Acid to my morning routine since September 8th 2023. So it’s actually been 1,5 months! It’s quite challenging at the beginning to adapt with Azelaic Acid. It gives a tingling itchy sensation on the early days. I’m not sure whether I experienced a horrible purge with Azelaic Acid or it got worse because anything else, but there you see my worst skin on October 12th (check out my “skin update” HL for more details). I don’t consume any antibiotics or roacutanne or any hormonal pills. I only consume my regular supplements (vitamin D3, vitamin C, omega 3, zinc picolinate) plus extra glutathione.
There are some things that also boost the healing process :
1. I don’t use any makeup, so my skin can breathe and I don’t have to double cleanse (you’ll break your skin barrier a bit everytime you double cleanse)
2. I only use moisturizer on the dry spot occasionally (chin & jaw area), not all over the face (because my skin is getting oilier lately due to crazy hot weather in Bali & Jakarta😭)
3. I only use sunscreen on my forehead (on my safe zone that didn’t breakout as much) and avoid sun exposure as much as I can. So again, there’s no need to double cleanse as much
4. Currently in China (it’s been 6 days) with beautiful breezy cold weather
5. Avoid my acne triggering food as usual : eggs, dairy products, added sugar
6. Rinse my face with mineral water after washing my face
7. Not trying any new products and keep everything minimal
this is what works on my skin, but every skin is different