r/AusSkincare • u/Less_Grape_9139 • 14h ago
Discussionš Your holy grail skincare for VERY ACNE PRONE skin from chemist warehouse
Recommendations please!!
Iām currently using a cetaphil gentle cleanser and Benzac benzoyl peroxide. Not only is my skincare not really clearing my skin, it is also staining all my clothes and pillow cases š Iām so over it and upset.
I donāt use a moisturiser either because my skin is so sensitive absolutely anything I put on it tends to break it out (I feel like Iāve tried all the QV and cerave products everyone swears by and they donāt work). So on top of the pimples my skin is also dehydrated af.
Whatās your go to products??
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u/SpicyLobter 13h ago edited 13h ago
Let me tell you something, I was basically in your situation a year ago.
It's incredibly frustrating dealing with acne yourself. Yes over the counter can work, but nowhere near the effectiveness of prescription products and professional monitoring. You can keep trying random products on social media, throwing it at your skin, and hoping it works. It doesn't come close to the structured treatment approaches, monitoring, and escalations a doctor can provide you.
I tried battling with my acne for half a year myself, only to make it worse. I did everything I read online, benzoyl, salicylic, cleansers, etc. .
I finally gave in a visited a doctor, for my bacterial acne. She put me on an antibiotic + epiduo, and also gave me the choice of acnatac as well. After a few months on this my skin changed dramatically.
Your treatment may be different. It's incredibly hard to self diagnose the type of acne. Most advice on this sub is for bacterial acne. If your acne is hormonal then benzoyl can actually make it worse and you may benefit from spironolactone. If your acne is fungal then benzoyl will not do anything and guaranteed to make it worse. You would need anti-fungal like ketoconazole in this case. Even tretinoin, the gold standard topical treatment does NOT treat fungal acne. . Most people just have normal bacterial acne which is why online treatments DO work. But when it's failed after many months then it's time to give in.
Why am I pushing this so hard? Because I fell for this trap of trying to self treat myself. I ended up making my acne worse because I also tried using benzoyl when I had a fungal breakout. I have lots of scarring and post-acne marks which could have been lessened if I had gone to a doctor earlier.
Really, just go to a doctor. GP. Or if you don't trust your GP to directly give you treatments, go to a GP to ask for a dermatologist referral (these appointments are around $500 so prepare yourself). Most GPs will offer to set you up with a dermatologist for accutane anyways.
I would heavily encourage you to shop around and look for a skin-oriented doctor. Most GPs can't do acne properly though so you may need to try multiple. I can give you my bulk-billed recc if you happen to live near the south-east of Melbourne.
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u/kate6779 13h ago
Terrible cystic acne suffered for YEARS. Only thing that fixed my skin was accutane and with that I used simple QV moisturiser and cleanser. My only regret was not doing it years earlier!
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u/Candycrushhhh 13h ago
Azaelic acid has been incredible for my skin. Acne scars gone and all.
I love the ordinary 10% one from Priceline but chemist warehouse has a 20% one. It may be a bit strong to start with so best to try the 10 if you have a Priceline near you. Highly, highly recommend.
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u/BluesPoint 12h ago
Iāve just started using Azclear and it is phenomenal. My skin has improved dramatically.
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u/Candycrushhhh 12h ago
Did you have purging at all? Tempted to move to it but my skin has itās small moments with the 10% so worried it wonāt handle it
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u/coppermask šš®š¬ šš¤š¢š§ššš«š ššØš 13h ago edited 12h ago
Iām so sorry about your clothes and pillowcases! Itās so frustrating that more warning isnāt given about that risk. That said, benzoyl peroxide truly is a good ingredient for acne so if youāre willing to give it another chance in a less risky format you could switch to the cleanser (Benzac AC Wash 5%) rather than the leave-on and *only* use it in the shower so that it rinses down the drain. Be sure to use just a small amount and rinse thoroughly. Wash your face first and then follow with washing your hair and body. Start by using it only a few times a week and continue to alternate it with a gentle cleanser like the Cetaphil as it can be drying if itās the only cleanser you use.
The holy grail for acne that is evidence-based and that you can get without a prescription is Differin adapalene 0.1%. Itās available at pharmacies but you might have to ask for it from behind the counter. It takes time to acclimate your skin to it so try to start up using it on this schedule: Night 1: leave on for 5 mins then wash off with gentle cleanser; Night 2: 10 mins then wash off; Night 3: 30 mins then wash off; Night 4: 1 hr then wash off; Night 5: 1.5 hrs then wash off. Night 6: 2 hrs then wash off. After night 6 if your skin is not irritated the next morning, start leaving it on overnight then wash off in the morning. Start leaving it on one or two nights a week for a couple of weeks, then three nights a week for a few weeks, then four and so on until you are able to use it ideally 5-7 nights a week. The dosage is small, just a pea-sized amount for the whole face. Once youāre up to the highest frequency your skin can tolerate, the most important thing is to use it consistently for at least 12 weeks. But the effects will increase over time after that too. The good news is Differin does not bleach or stain fabrics so donāt worry about that. If you decide to use the Benzac AC wash I would not use it in the same routine as the Differin, at least not until you are very well acclimated to it and maybe not at all. You do need to use SPF and be sun-aware when using adapalene. You could try La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50+ Invisible Fluid or Hamilton Everyday Face SPF 50+.
Once youāve got the Differin fully integrated into your routine without irritation, if you still feel like you need more support for your acne you could then add in Azelaic Acid (Azclear 20%, Finacea 15%, Sibzeos 15%). These are all available at pharmacies and in some cases again you might have to ask for them from behind the counter.
It would be great if you could find a supportive moisturiser to support your skin barrier. Especially to help you differentiate acne from the symptoms of a damaged skin barrier. A few ideas to try would be La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, AvĆØne Cicalfate, Embryolisse Lait CrĆØme Sensitive, Aveeno Calm & Restore Re-hydrating Night Cream and/or Oat Gel Moisturiser, Dermaveen Face Hydrating Moisturiser. LA NEIGE Cream Skin is a nice barrier-supporting toner. I havenāt tried it myself but the Thayer's Hydrating Milky Toner is similar, kind of a dupe, available at pharmacies. Good luck, I hope you are able to find a strategy that works for you.
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u/Ok-Education7693 56m ago
This is great info. The only thing I would add is that if Differin is really irritating for you, you can try Azelaic acid for a few weeks/months and then add Differin back in slowly. Azelaic has the added benefit of desensitising your skin, I personally found it really helpful for that.
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u/EmP1032 13h ago
Second this! I can't believe how much money I spent over the years before trying Azaelic acid. I use the 20% one from Chemist warehouse (Azclear Medicated lotion) - i have sensitive skin and when i started I just used a little bit a few times a week and making sure I moisturised after and I was fine. Your skin may purge a bit after starting but mine cleared up quickly.
I also recommend CeraVe Smoothing Cleanser - it has salicylic acid in it. I actually use it all over my body now and my skin always feels like I've just had a spa treatment!
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u/Less_Grape_9139 13h ago
Thank you, can I ask what moisturiser you use? I have tried azelaic acid before but I canāt remember if it was good for me or not. Iāll have to try it again. :)
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u/EmP1032 12h ago
Would really recommend it, I rave about it to all my friends - who would have thought something under $20 at CW would be better than anything else I'd ever tried? My skin was so smooth and soft after starting it that my mum thought I'd had botox or laser lol.
I just use any old moisturiser to be honest - I just buy whatever is on special at a given time, usually CeraVe, Cetaphil, Nivea etc.
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u/Ok-Education7693 13h ago
Finacea, Differin (adaptalene), Avene Cleanance Gel, a gentle Avene moisturiser (Iāve just switched to Medik8 which I prefer, but thatās not at CW), Avene acne prone SPF50+.
I also have a script for Erithromycin, and did a few sessions of BBL which helped a lot.
This routine was recommended by my derm and completely cleared up my skin in about 4 months.
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u/Ok-Education7693 11h ago
Also I should say - like everyone else on here - that it sounds like your barrier is compromised. Stop all actives and harsh products for a few weeks and just use a very gentle cleanser - I like Avene Tolerance but LRP Toleriane is also great. Use a gentle moisturiser.
When you add stuff in after this period only add one active at a time (ie. maybe Finacea first for a few weeks, and then once thatās tolerated add Differin a few times a week but not every night). Give your skin time to adjust.
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u/pugs212 12h ago
I have been trying to cure my acne for years and it felt like every product broke me out.
I recently went back on the pill and I have finally stopped getting 1-3 new pimples everyday. I also started 0.025 retinol.
For products I think the holy grail moisturiser for acne prone skin is the Tower 28 SOS Daily Barrier Recovery Cream. It actually sinks in and no breakouts.
For supporting hydration and my barrier I use the La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 Spray and Aveneās cicalfate at night.
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u/aimeenz8 11h ago
azeliac acid (finecea from chemist direct I think) in the morning and tretenoin at night with La Roche cicaplast on top = skin totally transformed (took a few months though) and no acne now. And evening primrose oil tablets x 2 a day
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u/oyveybby 13h ago
Fellow acne prone girly so I know your pain :( I've been using Neutrogena's water gel moisturiser and deep cleanser for years now with zero issues.
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u/adventurepixie 12h ago
Sounds like damaged skin barrier (I had the same). I stopped using all the regular skincare products (cleansers, moisturisers, etc). Washed my face just with cold water. My doctor prescribed clindamycin and I used that every morning and azaleic acid every evening. Game changer. It does have a bit of a purging period in the beginning but then I started seeing and feeling the changes. At first, my skin stopped feeling so textured. Then it got soft and wasn't dry anymore, I assume it started producing its own oils and it was a balanced production. Then all the spots disappeared. It took about 3 or 4 months of strict routine and I didn't use makeup during this time (I was luckily on maternity leave).
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u/BeeBeeBumbleB 11h ago
I felt like everything broke me out!!! I couldnāt find a single product that I didnāt feel caused more breakouts. My skin was super sensitive and everything made me sting!
So I decided to stop everything. I used water to āwashā my face and my skin improved soooooo much. Then I added a gentle cleanser and sunscreen once my barrier was repaired and things werenāt stinging. I then slowly added azaleic acid a couple of times a week. My skin is the best it has been in years! It is only now several years later I have added a retinol and it is going well (I had previously tried it when my skin was terrible and it went horribly and I stopped it immediately)
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u/GanachePlane3883 8h ago
I struggled with mild to moderate acne for nearly 10 years. Tried what felt like everything (other than accutane) to fix it and spent thousands in the process. I nearly gave up when a TikToker on my FYP posted about a $30 cream you can get over the counter from chemist warehouse - Finacea azelaic acid. I was desperate, and whilst I wouldnāt normally recommend listening to random TikTokās for skincare advice, I had nothing to lose at that point. Started using it in 2024 and have never looked back. Itās the only thing that has given me clear skin without being on antibiotics. Iām not saying itāll work for everyone, but it may be worth looking into or discussing with your GP if you havenāt tried it yet! Good luck, itās such a frustrating and disheartening experience to struggle with your skin, I hope you find something that works for you soon. š«¶
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u/trinketzy 6h ago
Ok so I think you need to go to a dermatologist.
The benzoyl peroxide doesnāt stain - it bleaches. You have to switch to white bed shirts and towels when you use it, and only wash those things together.
Also only put it on at night - daytime use can sensitise the skin.
What strength are you using? You should only put it on the areas impacted - and only the tiniest amount, and moisturiser helps to prevent these sensitivity issues. At the same time, benzoyl peroxide isnāt for everyone.
Without seeing your skin and knowing the issue, and without a medical degree, nobody here can really give sound advice other than see a good derm. Make sure you donāt go to a private clinic that states they sell skincare at the clinic - they sell expensive skincare to help cover costs, and can often recommend that skincare rather than more affordable alternatives. Just because itās expensive, doesnāt mean it works any better. Trust me on this - I speak from experience that became QUITE costly (literally thousands of dollars wasted).
Your derm may recommend Epiduo gel/cream which contains a retinoid called adapalene. Straight adapalene can be purchased OTC but Iād strongly recommend you donāt do this - you really need guidance on application, and the Epiduo cream that imcontains adapalene and is prescription only contains some other helpful ingredients.
Also it seems counterintuitive to put a heavy cream on your face with acne, but acne can sometimes come about from dryness and irritation from that. Even if your skin becomes an oil slick, the deeper layers can still be dry. This is why seeing a derm can help.
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u/Appropriate_Ly 13h ago
Finacea, benzoyl peroxide, accutane.
Anything else for acne is a scam honestly. Iāve never had it stain my clothes, just have specific towels/pillowcases for when you use benzoyl peroxide.
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u/Less_Grape_9139 13h ago
What benzoyl peroxide do you use?
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u/Appropriate_Ly 13h ago
Benzac 10% I use it as spot treatment.
I find the acne washes to drying for me.
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u/RelativeSoftware9554 13h ago
I used to use this twelve years ago and it worked great! The toner was very astringent and drying but hopefully theyāve reformulated.
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u/clickmyback 13h ago
Not a product recommendation, I accidentally figuredm out in my early 20s that dairy breaks me out.
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u/yawn_of_the_dead 13h ago
I have PCOS and am very acne prone. Birth control and epiduo. Epiduo is benzyl peroxide and adapolene, it's on the PBS and less irritating than tret. If your skin is that irritated, I found an oil (I just use food grade sunflower oil atm) and Enya sorbolene.
Neutrogena acne wash helped too
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u/bonniefuxxx 12h ago
Donāt put anything on your skin that has any pore clogging ingredients - run the ingredients through this checker - https://acneclinicnyc.com/pore-clogging-ingredients/
Simple routine that passes the above -
AM
Splash with water
La Roche Sunscreen, or Korean Tocobo Cica sunscreen, or Mecca to save face
PM
La Roche ISO Biome Effaclar cleanser - white tube
Cetaphil Rich Night Cream - in a tub. NOT the pump packs or other ones. None of the other cetaphil or Cerave creams pass the pore clogger test
Your skin barrier sounds damaged. You need moisture. I know it feels counter intuitive, but you need to be gentle. Go two weeks just the above before doing any benzoyl peroxide again. If your acne is cystic, consider hormonal birth control or Accutane
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u/Numerous-Thought5230 12h ago
You can get Differin over the counter now. That's about as good as it gets for topicals
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u/MBitesss 12h ago
You might be stripping your skin dry and ruining your moisture barrier which can make your acne worse. You absolutely need to be using moisturiser.
I second the advice to get prescription tretinoin. I also had luck with:
Stridex wipes in red box (buy from iherb)
Cerave cleanser (cetaphil will be doing a similar job so keep that one. Nothing foaming though. Make sure it's a cream cleanser)
Cetaphil moisturizer
Oil cleanse or oil on top of moisturizer. I used really basic ones like pure olive oil, almond oil, jojoba, grapeseed. No fragrances or additives in your oil. None of these oil blends from brands like go-to or Sunday Riley etc. just one straight up oil from the health food shop.
Cerave moisturiser also broke me out so I feel your pain on that one!
It felt so counterintuitive putting oil on my acne face but the original reddit skincare sub recommended it for me and it was so great. I know exactly how you're feeling and am sending all my thoughts and best wishes your way. You will absolutely be able to fix this. It's just a bit more trial and error to see what your skin likes
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u/TrueMrBaconLover 11h ago
Im pushing thirdy and still got acne. Some handy pointers on the post comments
On a sidenote people sometimes say I look young haha
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u/Agreeable-Chain-1943 11h ago edited 11h ago
Acne is a medical problem and can be fixed. Donāt waste your money like I did for years on all these skincare fixes that people think work.
See your GP for scripts for 4 and 5.
Benzoyl peroxide cleane
I swear by proactiv, Benzac
sucks shit.
Cerave Gentle cleanser - can be used all the time where as proactiv is once daily and when skin not irritated.
Prescription tretinoin
Acne specific birth control like Yaz
Good moisturisers: something thin for day time and something thiccc for PM. I like cicaplast baume. Or use Avene or sudocream
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u/lizcmorris 10h ago
Listen to those saying go to the doctor. You donāt have to suffer when medical intervention is available.
Additionally:
- Take a zinc supplement.
- Apply a zinc based moisturizer (I use Avene Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Skin Barrier Repair Cream Moisturiser. Itās very thick which is strange to get used to. Apply it to damp skin at first). THIS IS HOLY GRAIL and will restore your skin barrier. And youāll use it forever. Great sneaky eye cream, too, so 2 products in 1. Between Chemist Waterhouse, Priceline, and Amazon, itās always on special for around $25.
Zinc is a game changer and something not discussed often enough. I encourage you to research this. My doctor gave me this info.
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u/gammonson 10h ago
BP used to stain my clothes, sheets and everything so I switched to the leave on method (BP before shower for a few minutes). Try it!
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u/Maddi042 10h ago
Tretinoin (check out the sub for it) and Korean skincare. You need barrier protection, minimal (but intentional) actives and value for money.
Gone are the days where we are using stripping facial cleansers, buttloads of benzoyl peroxide and all the āacneā acids.
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u/Jenniwithan_i 10h ago edited 10h ago
This really helps. Whatever products you may be using, this says exactly what it does. Itās pink ( sorry about the messy photos). Barrier protection
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u/LadyPhoe 9h ago
My son had terrible acne and it has almost completely cleared from tretinoin and minocycline. Now he just uses tret to clear up the last of the red spots leftover.
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u/buyabutterdish 8h ago
Adapalene is an over the counter retinoid for acne treatment. It cured my adult onset hormonal acne and now I only use 3 other products including my cleanser.
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u/Still_Computer875 7h ago
Itās not chemist warehouse but dermalogica clear start cleanser was a game changer for me. Itās salicylic acid but itās a lower dose (0.5%) than a lot of cleansers, so I donāt find it as dehydrating as the other 2% formulations like cera ve.
And then get yourself a water/gel cream for a moisturiser. Find a super lightweight sunscreen too. I use Mecca cosmetica which isnāt chemist warehouse but you could try the dry touch la Roche posay. Korean brands have some nice light options too.
Layering lightweight oil free products is how you keep your skin supple and hydrated without clogging your pores.
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u/TeaTimeType 5h ago
As someone who suffered with skin issues I totally agree with the other comments - see a dermatologist. You may even need to see an endocrinologist or gynaecologist (if female). Let the doctors do blood tests (hormonal panel), cultures etc. Find out what type of acne you have and whatās causing it. Then you can treat the root cause and not just try to alleviate the symptoms.Ā
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u/TemporaryElk5202 3h ago
To treat your acne, you should identify what the root cause of your acne is.
Whey and dairy caused my ex to break out in terrible acne. No amount of exfoliation or topical products would help prevent or heal those breakouts, because cleanliness wasn't the issue. Diet was.
There are lots of potential causes of acne. Hormones, fungal overgrowth, sleep deprivation, diet, allergies, hygiene, impaired skin barrier, etc. What treatment will be effective really depends on what the cause is.
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u/Just-Ball-5454 1h ago
I have had acne on and off for 20 years now. Iām late 30ās and I keep it mostly under control with Simple brand moisturiser and face wash. If I start to have a breakout I use Benzac force wash, with Simple moisturiser. And I got tablets from my GP, I take them for 3 days when I notice pimples coming up and then stop and the pimples stop. They are Doxycycline.
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u/pears_htbk 12h ago
Box of Roaccutane. Seriously it's about the only holy grail for acne but you can absolutely get it from the chemmie warehouse with a script from a dermatologist.
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u/peefactory69 Dry Skin | WA 13h ago
if your acne is honestly that bad, look into tretinoin (you'd need to go to your GP and get a script, and they can tell you how to use it etc.) as it's one of few actually scientifically-supported acne remedies. it's drying so you'd definitely need to start slowly and on the lowest strength, but it's the best. the next step if the highest-strength tret isn't working would be accutane (as another commenter has mentioned), it's the same active ingredient as tret (and retinol), vitamin A.
i was also curious, you said your skin is sensitive and anything breaks it out but your skin is dry - was your skin always sensitive or has it become more so as your acne/breakouts got worse? because maybe it'd be worth looking into if it's actually that your skin barrier is a bit damaged? i had awhile where i had constant very dry+sensitive patches of skin, thought it was dermatitis or something, but i did things on this subreddit for skin barrier damage and now they're all gone, so could be worth looking into if your skin is also suddenly dry and sensitive (the la roche posay cicaplast b5+ baume was my hero for this btw!)