So I’ve had a really bad breakout these past few years that left me with tons of dark spots all over my cheeks. Probably from suddenly having to wear face masks all the time.

I’ve tried Vit C serums for a while now but just didn’t seem to work. Been using a 2.5% retinol and alternating with aha bha products with some very slow progress.

I’m worried since it’s almost over a year now and my dark spots aren’t fading :/ 

What are good serums/products to add?

Currently my routine is to alternate the aha bha with retinol and then every Fridays I do TO’s AHA BHA Peel. Also thinking about trying TO’s 5% Retinoid. Does that help?

non-fading dark spots

So I’ve been prescribed a 0.1% Tretinoine for my PM routine. Just wondering are there products that would help dark spots but not conflict with the Tretinoin if used within the same routine? 

I heard that TO’s niacinamide is okay to use with Tretinoin? I want to get the most out of my routine with (hopefully) the least amount of side effects.

Thanks in advance!

Serums for Tretinoin Routine?

A bit too pricey (even with discounts from like Shopee). You’ll need to use multiple patches for one round of cystic acne (well mine are quite deep and big as).

Really helps cystic acne. I suffer from hormonal acne (usually cystic) just before my period, so this is a big help.

It’s an average moisturizer. If you have more of a dry face then you’ll probably need an HA serum to help when using this moisturizer

Super basic and mild ingredients. Fall back moisturizer for when trying new products.

Patched test first for safety. After first week of using it, my face was super soft after. I use Alpha arbutin serum after this as an acid neutralizer. With my skin, it didn’t physically peel obviously (like those chemical peels). Increased my SPF too.

Didn’t do much in terms of helping my dark spots and acne. I still got pimple and cystic acne. Been using it every other day for 3 months. Switched to TO 1% and saw better results

Average prodcut, didn’t break me out or anything

A bit too thick for me, almost an oil-like feel rather than serum

The formulation is really good for acne-prone skin

maui04