Hi everyone! First time poster, 18F.
My skincare journey started at 16 with my mom buying me a simple routine: a gentle cleanser, chemical exfoliant, moisturizer and a sunscreen. I switched my moisturizer a few times, from SVR hydraliane to A-Derma biology rich cream, to eventually Isntree hyaluronic acid aqua gel cream. However one thing stayed the same, SVR micro-peel exfoliant, twice daily. In March of 2024, I developed a pretty bad infection on my forehead. Cleared it with a dermatologist, was prescribed antibiotics for a bit then azelaic acid. Mind you was still using the exfoliant twice daily, and sometimes alternating between the cerave salicylic acid cleanser, and the cerave hydrating cleanser. I went on holiday in June 2024, didn't use aza from July to September. My skin improved during that time.
Then came the tragedy: Q+A physical exfoliating cleanser with niacinamide. Twice a day. Everyday. That lasted from about April 2025 to october/November 2026. Then I started getting deep, painful pimples on the forehead. At that point I completely stopped using anything, started only using a gentle cleanser and night and sometimes aloe Vera gel. I tried re introducing the micro peel on some parts of my face, but alas no success. I have and had a huge picking problem, so I started using Isispharma Azelaic acid 15% twice or once a day depending on the day and sunscreen usage on March 11th. So far, the post acne marks have been improving, but Ive got the sneaky feeling that my barrier is not all the way there for that kind of active. Mind you I did not have any pain from washing with water, redness or rash, just noticed I was getting spots in places I never do. Im not acne prone, I've never had pimples previously to 2024.
Should I just stop everything and wait?