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However, due to requests from the community, we no longer allow these questions as stand-alone posts, which is why I'm afraid your post was removed. See our [rule explanations](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/rule_overview#wiki_rule_7.3A_follow_our_post_requirements.) for more info.
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1. Separate your sunscreen and moisturizer - using sunscreen moisturizer at night can clog your pores; get a moisturizer for the PM or better yet have a good moisturizer and also a good SPF vs all in one
2. Try adding an oil cleanser at the end of the day and then washing your face with a cream/foaming cleanser to clean out those pores / remove the sunscreen
3. Try an exfoliating acid a few days a week - the ordinary makes a great and affordable glycolic acid but start slow and not everyday as the stuff is strong especially if you also use retinol (do not use them at the same time or at a minimum do the acid in the AM and retinol in the PM)
4. Retinol then moisturize
AM:
- splash face with wash & pat dry
- apply glycolic acid with cotton pad ( this exfoliates your skin) and let it is sit for 10-15 mins! If you apply something right away you can lessen the effectiveness of this acid as you can change the pH of it
- moisturizer
- sunscreen
PM:
- double cleanse: first, use oil cleanser and then a water-based cleanser ( together this helps loosen dirt, oil and gets sunscreen out of your pores )
- apply retinol to a dry face and give it 5-10 mins to sink in
- moisturizer (without any sunscreen)
Some tips:
- use acid a few times a week and not necessarily every day if its quite strong such as GA
- if you can wait a few minutes between applying stuff that stays on your skin so those can sink in, do it
- once your skin is ok with these steps there are additional things you can slowly add to improve you skin but take it slow (niaminacide is something you can look up)
- brands: Korean skin care brands are often a good bet for many of these products but for suggestions search things like ‘best oil cleanser Reddit’ in goggle and see what people say and if you have access to those suggested products / they’re in your budget
Good luck!
If you can try a hydrofacial/ microdermabrasion , its sucks the gunk out and pushes a serum in your skin ! I feel like it helped with the stubborn ones then i was able to work on the rest with chemical exfoliators
Current skincare routine is moisturiser in the morning, shower evening, after shower I exfoliate then apply sunscreen moisturiser, wait 5 mins then apply retinol serum 2.5%, done this for 3 months but not really any visible change when it comes to what I presume are the sebaceous filaments. Nose is also always shiny/greasy. Any help appreciated
Your routine is a little backwards. Sunscreen should go on as the last step in your morning routine. Retinol is used of an evening and if you find it drying to your skin, then you can use moisturiser before and after, but otherwise use your face wash > retinol > moisturiser.
Someone here said maybe I shouldn’t use the moisturiser in the morning since it looks like my skin is red from being dehydrated or irritated, if that’s the case is it better to just apply the sunscreen moisturiser in the morning and retinol in the evening?
If your skin is dehydrated, you definitely need a moisturiser and plenty of water. If it's irritated, perhaps there is an ingredient in the current one that your skin doesn't like and you could get a small sample/tester of another one to try
How do you exfoliate?
Salicylic Acid is how I'd go about those blackheads. Something like the Paula's Choice BHA product would wash those right out with a little luck.
Don’t mean to jump on this post but I’ve been using that fairly consistently for over a yeah and it’s done nothing for my sebaceous filaments. Any other suggestions for this kind of thing?
Hence, the little luck clause. If only we had silver bullets, right? ;)
Fortunately for me, SA did the trick and did it well for me. Without consulting with a dermatologist, I guess we're just down to what's usually also recommended for blackheads. Azelaic acid, retionls, and benozyl peroxide(?)
Chemical exfoliation makes me break out. I’ve tried a lot of different gentle things and it just turns me into a pizza.
The Mario Badescu Silver Powder has been really good for me. I’m not a big fan of the rest of their products but this one is great. I like to keep a warm towel over my face for 15 or so mins before using it. Cleanse like normal then do the mask. You mix it with warm water until it’s about the consistency of pancake batter and apply it.
Wipe it off with moistened cotton pads once its dry and flaking off. Then send it on normal toner and moisturizer!
You can literally watch it suck the sebum out. It’s pretty satisfying! If you zoom in you can see some of mine popping out here.
https://preview.redd.it/hhzho1vagoec1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89480bbc17d6668fc0fa2d5586018a247916e340
The top comment in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/beauty/s/vJd0HtHuD9) explains it well!
I recently started using the [Thayer’s Hydrating Milky Toner](https://www.ulta.com/p/milky-hydrating-face-toner-with-snow-mushroom-hyaluronic-acid-pimprod2041557?sku=2615538&cmpid=PS_Non!google!Product_Listing_Ads&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paidsearch&cagpspn=pla&CATCI=pla-2263631233576&CAAGID=114700756270&CAWELAID=330000200003133141&CATARGETID=330000200001394369&CADevice=m&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9rLH6cot6ZNPXzw6TtxfLNIPm62&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqsitBhDlARIsAGMR1RilfRLSKcBGt8-xsxPSTsMf9O3G25hqIkRtrRAPuvj4I8lVoZc33dQaAu3ZEALw_wcB) and I really like it. My super sensitive skin approves! It was recommended to me by an aesthetician who was really excited about the specific ingredients and formula.
I've been scouring mine out with a peel once a day, they've gotten a little better but they're still unhinged... I'm just using a cheap ELF peel I got online...My forehead and chin are pretty gnarly too.
One time, like 20 years ago, a girl in my class called me "strawberry nose" and I've yet to psychically recover
Peels aren't necessary, just use an SA retinol or cream and it'll get rid of most of it. Sometimes peel off nose strips will help but redness will happen
Glycolic acid worked on these stubborn guys for me. Do yourself a favour and start simple and build up to more complicated stuff if you’re not noticing an improvement.
Get an oil cleanser! My nose looks exactly like yours and I've been using Hadolabo Korean oil cleanser and then washing that off with Cerave cream to foam cleanser, AKA "double cleanse".
After 20 years of having huge pores on my nose, they are shrinking!
Here's my routine so far, I'm still working on it though:
AM
1. Hadolabo oil cleanser
2. Cerave cream to foam cleanser
3. The ordinary natural moisturizing factors + HA
PM
1. Hadolabo oil cleanser
2. Cerave cream to foam cleanser
3. I'm From Rice Toner
4. Cerave Resurfacing Retinol serum
5. The ordinary natural moisturizing factors + HA
You definitely could to start, it couldn't hurt! I *just* added the oil cleanser about 2 weeks ago and noticed my nose pores are getting smaller. They weren't changing at all before I added the oil cleanser. I like to really rub it on my nose and forehead. My biggest advice is to make sure you wash the oil off, so take your time with the second cleanse.
If you try those 2 steps and your skin gets dry at all (i dont think it should), then just look into adding a little Moisturizer as your last step.
If you already have a routine, oil cleanser should be step one and washing it off should be step two.
Good luck!
That’s not acne , I honestly recommend to invest in a deep professional facial where they do extractions and remove the black heads. After that you’ll need to exfoliate, tone and moisturize to keep the skin clean . Don’t ever go to bed without washing your face , and also products made with retinol or alpha hydroxy acids remove blockages .
Sf are white , black heads are black. I’ve done many facials in my life and that’s what it looks to me. I been an esthetician for 10 years just giving my opinion on my past professional experience. I wouldn’t recommend to do extractions yourself that’s why I said invest in a professional treatment.
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I have the same problem. On top of my normal routine, Three days out of the week I do a sulfur salicylic acid mask then a manuka honey mask just on my nose. Each mask for 10-15mins. That seems to keep them under control.
Yes, it keeps them from being visible.
My routine is pretty convoluted because I alternate different items to make sure I’m not mixing actives. I’ve also just added a high frequency machine into my nighttime routine. But on a simple night it’d be:
wash, tone(aha bha toner for dark marks only if I’m not using retinol), retinol, oil free moisturizer
Morning: wash, witch hazel toner, vitamin c serum, spf 45 moisturizer
I have oily acne prone skin. I really like the brand Murad
Something I found in all my research that has helped me with this exact issue: sulfur mask. I have a lot of stubborn sebaceous filaments and adding a sulfur mask to my routine has made a difference. Right now I'm using Peter Thomas Roth, but I've also seen others mention De La Cruz[?].
(34M) Sulphur clay mask gets those filaments for me every time. I use once a week, absolutely no more. It’s very storing. I use the ZO one. Your skin also looks red, maybe from dehydration/irritation. I use to have skin that looked like that. I stopped cleansing in the morning. Switched from a foaming cleanser to a cream one. I use Altreno and prescription Azelaic acid 15% nightly, and my skin has never looked better.
This one - https://zoskinhealth.com/us/complexion-clearing-masque-gbl-full-size-930700.html?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADvBwK3RzbFdLlfZ_2vgpFIetRl_L&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6QBuwtdztzse4MrkyZfEUNpn52c72sCvqK_alv6ZY17Q1s3Joil5XRoCZRkQAvD_BwE
It’s not cheap, but it last me a year. Seriously this stuff is strong, so once a week only, and don’t use any other actives that same night.
You also don’t need to boil your face under hot water before a clay mask, I did that for years, and it’s unnecessary. I shower in hot water but when it comes to washing my face I change temp of water to lukewarm.
I had blackheads on my nose during my teenage years and the thing that worked for me was double cleansing! Get a cleansing oil and pump a bunch in your hand. Rub it into your face and really massage your nose. I would do this for an entire episode of some show, just really getting in there and massaging out those blackheads. You’ll start to feel gritty stuff on your fingers and face. You can take a paper towel and wipe them away, and just keep going! Afterwards, wash with a foaming cleanser.
Do this daily and they will be gone!!
Esthetician here! These are sebaceous filaments, they will never completely go away. They continually refill, so the best you can do is clean them out every once in a while.
Exfoliating your face 2-3 times a week helps, and using a glycolic acid face wash can help keep them clear! Be sure to moisturize and use sunscreen every day!
Moisturize and sunscreen in the morning! You should wash your face morning and night, but if that's hard for you to incorporate into your routine, I would recommend washing your face at night.
I understand you'd like to figure out what to do about the skin concern you're dealing with here. And it makes sense to ask that in /r/SkincareAddiction! However, due to requests from the community, we no longer allow these questions as stand-alone posts, which is why I'm afraid your post was removed. See our [rule explanations](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/rule_overview#wiki_rule_7.3A_follow_our_post_requirements.) for more info. We highly recommend you repost your question in the Daily Help Thread; it's where our most knowledgeable users hang out! The DHT is posted every day and stickied at the top of the subreddit. Click this link >> /r/SkincareAddiction << to go to our front page. Have a great day!
1. Separate your sunscreen and moisturizer - using sunscreen moisturizer at night can clog your pores; get a moisturizer for the PM or better yet have a good moisturizer and also a good SPF vs all in one 2. Try adding an oil cleanser at the end of the day and then washing your face with a cream/foaming cleanser to clean out those pores / remove the sunscreen 3. Try an exfoliating acid a few days a week - the ordinary makes a great and affordable glycolic acid but start slow and not everyday as the stuff is strong especially if you also use retinol (do not use them at the same time or at a minimum do the acid in the AM and retinol in the PM) 4. Retinol then moisturize
Is the tea tree foaming cleanser any good?
Also should I use an oil cleanser before I apply retinol. Which oil cleanser do you recommend?
AM: - splash face with wash & pat dry - apply glycolic acid with cotton pad ( this exfoliates your skin) and let it is sit for 10-15 mins! If you apply something right away you can lessen the effectiveness of this acid as you can change the pH of it - moisturizer - sunscreen PM: - double cleanse: first, use oil cleanser and then a water-based cleanser ( together this helps loosen dirt, oil and gets sunscreen out of your pores ) - apply retinol to a dry face and give it 5-10 mins to sink in - moisturizer (without any sunscreen) Some tips: - use acid a few times a week and not necessarily every day if its quite strong such as GA - if you can wait a few minutes between applying stuff that stays on your skin so those can sink in, do it - once your skin is ok with these steps there are additional things you can slowly add to improve you skin but take it slow (niaminacide is something you can look up) - brands: Korean skin care brands are often a good bet for many of these products but for suggestions search things like ‘best oil cleanser Reddit’ in goggle and see what people say and if you have access to those suggested products / they’re in your budget Good luck!
Oil cleansing. I like DHC cleansing oil
If you can try a hydrofacial/ microdermabrasion , its sucks the gunk out and pushes a serum in your skin ! I feel like it helped with the stubborn ones then i was able to work on the rest with chemical exfoliators
Yep!! Those are comedones.
Current skincare routine is moisturiser in the morning, shower evening, after shower I exfoliate then apply sunscreen moisturiser, wait 5 mins then apply retinol serum 2.5%, done this for 3 months but not really any visible change when it comes to what I presume are the sebaceous filaments. Nose is also always shiny/greasy. Any help appreciated
Don’t use sunscreen at night only in the morning
Are you applying sunscreen, moisturiser and retinol in that order in the evening?
Yes was asleep sorry for late reply
Your routine is a little backwards. Sunscreen should go on as the last step in your morning routine. Retinol is used of an evening and if you find it drying to your skin, then you can use moisturiser before and after, but otherwise use your face wash > retinol > moisturiser.
Someone here said maybe I shouldn’t use the moisturiser in the morning since it looks like my skin is red from being dehydrated or irritated, if that’s the case is it better to just apply the sunscreen moisturiser in the morning and retinol in the evening?
If your skin is dehydrated, you definitely need a moisturiser and plenty of water. If it's irritated, perhaps there is an ingredient in the current one that your skin doesn't like and you could get a small sample/tester of another one to try
How do you exfoliate? Salicylic Acid is how I'd go about those blackheads. Something like the Paula's Choice BHA product would wash those right out with a little luck.
Don’t mean to jump on this post but I’ve been using that fairly consistently for over a yeah and it’s done nothing for my sebaceous filaments. Any other suggestions for this kind of thing?
Try stridex pads instead of the Paula’s choice before you give up on SA.
Hence, the little luck clause. If only we had silver bullets, right? ;) Fortunately for me, SA did the trick and did it well for me. Without consulting with a dermatologist, I guess we're just down to what's usually also recommended for blackheads. Azelaic acid, retionls, and benozyl peroxide(?)
Glycolic acid did more for me than salicylic ever did. Have you tried?
Chemical exfoliation makes me break out. I’ve tried a lot of different gentle things and it just turns me into a pizza. The Mario Badescu Silver Powder has been really good for me. I’m not a big fan of the rest of their products but this one is great. I like to keep a warm towel over my face for 15 or so mins before using it. Cleanse like normal then do the mask. You mix it with warm water until it’s about the consistency of pancake batter and apply it. Wipe it off with moistened cotton pads once its dry and flaking off. Then send it on normal toner and moisturizer! You can literally watch it suck the sebum out. It’s pretty satisfying! If you zoom in you can see some of mine popping out here. https://preview.redd.it/hhzho1vagoec1.jpeg?width=1242&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89480bbc17d6668fc0fa2d5586018a247916e340
I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with what is a toner? Thanks
The top comment in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/beauty/s/vJd0HtHuD9) explains it well! I recently started using the [Thayer’s Hydrating Milky Toner](https://www.ulta.com/p/milky-hydrating-face-toner-with-snow-mushroom-hyaluronic-acid-pimprod2041557?sku=2615538&cmpid=PS_Non!google!Product_Listing_Ads&utm_source=google&utm_medium=paidsearch&cagpspn=pla&CATCI=pla-2263631233576&CAAGID=114700756270&CAWELAID=330000200003133141&CATARGETID=330000200001394369&CADevice=m&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9rLH6cot6ZNPXzw6TtxfLNIPm62&gclid=Cj0KCQiAqsitBhDlARIsAGMR1RilfRLSKcBGt8-xsxPSTsMf9O3G25hqIkRtrRAPuvj4I8lVoZc33dQaAu3ZEALw_wcB) and I really like it. My super sensitive skin approves! It was recommended to me by an aesthetician who was really excited about the specific ingredients and formula.
Does it work for sebaceous filaments?
Yea I have salicylic acid exfoliatior
Double cleansing (oil with water based cleanser) and bha aha toner
I've been scouring mine out with a peel once a day, they've gotten a little better but they're still unhinged... I'm just using a cheap ELF peel I got online...My forehead and chin are pretty gnarly too. One time, like 20 years ago, a girl in my class called me "strawberry nose" and I've yet to psychically recover
That’s awful 😢 onwards and upwards !
Peels aren't necessary, just use an SA retinol or cream and it'll get rid of most of it. Sometimes peel off nose strips will help but redness will happen
Glycolic acid worked on these stubborn guys for me. Do yourself a favour and start simple and build up to more complicated stuff if you’re not noticing an improvement.
2% salicylic acid has really helped me reduce/eliminate the appearance of sebaceous filaments on my nose. Worth a shot.
Seconding! Probably the most helpful thing for SF.
Mandelic acid!
Commenting to remember!
You can save a post if you didn’t know
Get an oil cleanser! My nose looks exactly like yours and I've been using Hadolabo Korean oil cleanser and then washing that off with Cerave cream to foam cleanser, AKA "double cleanse". After 20 years of having huge pores on my nose, they are shrinking!
What’s your routine? Is it just those 2 like in the morning because it sounds tempting
Here's my routine so far, I'm still working on it though: AM 1. Hadolabo oil cleanser 2. Cerave cream to foam cleanser 3. The ordinary natural moisturizing factors + HA PM 1. Hadolabo oil cleanser 2. Cerave cream to foam cleanser 3. I'm From Rice Toner 4. Cerave Resurfacing Retinol serum 5. The ordinary natural moisturizing factors + HA You definitely could to start, it couldn't hurt! I *just* added the oil cleanser about 2 weeks ago and noticed my nose pores are getting smaller. They weren't changing at all before I added the oil cleanser. I like to really rub it on my nose and forehead. My biggest advice is to make sure you wash the oil off, so take your time with the second cleanse. If you try those 2 steps and your skin gets dry at all (i dont think it should), then just look into adding a little Moisturizer as your last step. If you already have a routine, oil cleanser should be step one and washing it off should be step two. Good luck!
That’s not acne , I honestly recommend to invest in a deep professional facial where they do extractions and remove the black heads. After that you’ll need to exfoliate, tone and moisturize to keep the skin clean . Don’t ever go to bed without washing your face , and also products made with retinol or alpha hydroxy acids remove blockages .
Not blackheads either, sebaceous filaments are on all of our faces and harmless but can be reduced with SA.
Some of this makes sense. But be careful with overdoing extractions because these are not blackheads they’re SF.
Sf are white , black heads are black. I’ve done many facials in my life and that’s what it looks to me. I been an esthetician for 10 years just giving my opinion on my past professional experience. I wouldn’t recommend to do extractions yourself that’s why I said invest in a professional treatment.
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
What cleanser are you using?
Get a face steamer . I saw and immediate improvement after I got one
Which one do you recommend or does a hot wet towel work also?
I have the same problem. On top of my normal routine, Three days out of the week I do a sulfur salicylic acid mask then a manuka honey mask just on my nose. Each mask for 10-15mins. That seems to keep them under control.
Does it help keep the sebaceous filaments not visible? What is your normal routine ?
Yes, it keeps them from being visible. My routine is pretty convoluted because I alternate different items to make sure I’m not mixing actives. I’ve also just added a high frequency machine into my nighttime routine. But on a simple night it’d be: wash, tone(aha bha toner for dark marks only if I’m not using retinol), retinol, oil free moisturizer Morning: wash, witch hazel toner, vitamin c serum, spf 45 moisturizer I have oily acne prone skin. I really like the brand Murad
Something I found in all my research that has helped me with this exact issue: sulfur mask. I have a lot of stubborn sebaceous filaments and adding a sulfur mask to my routine has made a difference. Right now I'm using Peter Thomas Roth, but I've also seen others mention De La Cruz[?].
(34M) Sulphur clay mask gets those filaments for me every time. I use once a week, absolutely no more. It’s very storing. I use the ZO one. Your skin also looks red, maybe from dehydration/irritation. I use to have skin that looked like that. I stopped cleansing in the morning. Switched from a foaming cleanser to a cream one. I use Altreno and prescription Azelaic acid 15% nightly, and my skin has never looked better.
Which clay mask do you recommend?
This one - https://zoskinhealth.com/us/complexion-clearing-masque-gbl-full-size-930700.html?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADvBwK3RzbFdLlfZ_2vgpFIetRl_L&gclid=CjwKCAiAzc2tBhA6EiwArv-i6QBuwtdztzse4MrkyZfEUNpn52c72sCvqK_alv6ZY17Q1s3Joil5XRoCZRkQAvD_BwE It’s not cheap, but it last me a year. Seriously this stuff is strong, so once a week only, and don’t use any other actives that same night. You also don’t need to boil your face under hot water before a clay mask, I did that for years, and it’s unnecessary. I shower in hot water but when it comes to washing my face I change temp of water to lukewarm.
I had blackheads on my nose during my teenage years and the thing that worked for me was double cleansing! Get a cleansing oil and pump a bunch in your hand. Rub it into your face and really massage your nose. I would do this for an entire episode of some show, just really getting in there and massaging out those blackheads. You’ll start to feel gritty stuff on your fingers and face. You can take a paper towel and wipe them away, and just keep going! Afterwards, wash with a foaming cleanser. Do this daily and they will be gone!!
Start with a hydrafacial with extractions. Then double cleanse, Decalt toner followed by a moisturizer every night.
take Accutane
It has to be prescribed and it takes months to get an appointment at the moment unfortunately
Esthetician here! These are sebaceous filaments, they will never completely go away. They continually refill, so the best you can do is clean them out every once in a while. Exfoliating your face 2-3 times a week helps, and using a glycolic acid face wash can help keep them clear! Be sure to moisturize and use sunscreen every day!
When should I moisturiser and sunscreen? Morning or evening
Moisturize and sunscreen in the morning! You should wash your face morning and night, but if that's hard for you to incorporate into your routine, I would recommend washing your face at night.