Hydrating Foaming Facial Cleanser

I would say start over on your skincare routine. Start with the VERY basics. Gentle face wash (I love Cerave hydrating foaming facial cleanser for normal to dry skin) Moisturizer (I love the first aid beauty ultra repair cream) An under eye cream Go from there. Use that for a week or two then add in ONE more product at a time to see how your skin responds to it. I find overloading your skincare routine actually can do the opposite of what you want to achieve. We’ve been influenced to think we need some super complex routine. First addition for your skin I would add in would be retinol. It will help with acne, acne scars, and aging. See if your derm will prescribe it rather than buying one at the store. Add it in VERY slowly. Start 1x per week then work up to 2x per week. Also make sure the products you’re adding to your basic routine are being used properly. You don’t need to mechanically or chemically exfoliate your skin every day. A few other things to consider- vitamins/supplements (do some research or ask derm for suggestions) and cutting out or minimizing dairy consumption.

No clue if this is the answer but your products here seem to contain niacinamide, and a lot of people have issues with it making their skin worse. Personally, I’d switch to an oil control face wash (my acne improved when I switched to Cerave foaming facial wash for normal to oily skin) followed by 4% benzoyl peroxide (or 10% if your skin can handle it) twice a day. If I were you I’d also switch to a gentle moisturizer, I like La Roche Posay double toleriane. Vitamin C can also cause issues, so I’d eliminate that. I’m sorry you’re going through this! It’s really tough on mental health. If changing your products doesn’t help, def time to ask a derm about accutane!

I use cerave foaming cleanser on my under arms because if it can remove make up it can remove deodorant. I find if you don't properly remove deodorant then it just forms like a gel on your skin and keep trapping more odour. I then alternate glycolic acid toner and BP cream wash, and then a good ANTI PERSPIRANT. (Dove Unscented because scented can also make odours worse.) Your clothes could also be trapping odours in them. Oxyclean helps to remove it, avoid fabric softener because it traps smells in. And natural fabrics like cotton and wool do not smell. I went on a three day camping trip with zero shower access and did not smell at all when I got home. I used micellar wipes/washcloth with warmed water, and just reapply glycolic acid and anti-P at night before bed.

I also use Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser. It does a horrible job at removing makeup. For eye makeup, nothing works better than the Lancome eye makeup remover, the blue one.  I would do a double cleanse to remove face makeup. First go in with an oil based cleanser. I use the Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, but there are so many of others. Use non-wet hands (they don't have to be completely dry, just not covered in water) to massage the cleanser onto dry skin. Don't wet your skin beforehand.  Then follow up with the Cerave cleanser or another gentle cleanser. I have recently discovered the Ordinary Glycolipid Cleanser. It's as gentle as the Cerave one but works better in my experience. 

I use the Cerave oil to foam cleanser for dry skin daily, and I follow that up with the Cerave hydrating toner for dry skin and a hyaluronic acid cream. I do try and use SPF when i remember as well.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful message—it really means a lot. I completely get what you’re saying, and I couldn’t agree more. It was honestly so disheartening to finally get that derm appointment after waiting so long, only to feel completely brushed off. But yeah... it is what it is, I guess. Like you, I’ve found that simplifying my routine has helped a lot. I’ve been sticking with a Cerave cleanser & SPF, and moisturizer, plus pimple patches or a spot treatment when needed. My skin's not flawless but I’ve come to accept that “perfect” skin isn’t really realistic unless you’re using heavy filters or getting cosmetic procedures. Right now, I’m trying to focus on progress over perfection—which is tough, especially when I fall into the cycle of picking and feel like I’m back to square one. But hearing your story and the peace you've found with your skin honestly gives me hope. It’s such a comforting reminder that healthy skin doesn’t have to mean flawless skin. Sending prayers to you for such a kind and detailed response. Thank you again.