sensitive skin Archives

Top 10 Fungal Acne Safe Moisturizers

Hey, there! It’s been a while. But I had to return after testing out and searching for fungal acne-safe moisturizers for my readers. I think, as a consumer, it is a struggle to find safe products for our “skin condition.” Moisturizers and makeup removers are vain of my existence because I struggle with these a lot. Now, I can say that fungal acne is like a surprise trip. You never genuinely know what triggers YOUR fungal acne. And that depends on your fungal acne’s sensitivity to certain ingredients. All we can do is do our best to keep at least track of certain ingredients that are a BIG NO: esters, lipids, fatty acids, oils (not all), and polysorbates. How can I identify the ingredients that may trigger a fungal acne flare-up? Well, ingredient analyzers are your friend; Sezia, Skinsort, folliculitisscout, and Skincarisma are my favorite ones and are great for educating us on ingredients and the benefits based on skin types. Remember to patch test, track your progress, and enjoy your skin journey and struggles. Now here are my top 10 fungal acne-safe moisturizers and some honorable mentions.

Curel Intensive Moisture Facial Cream

I have repurchased this moisturizer three times. I am about to go to Amazon and repurchase it because I ran out while writing this post. This is my favorite moisturizer because of the formulation of this silky airy nourishing magic cream. This is a moisturizer with vitamin e that is specifically for dry and sensitive skin types. You can wear this during the daytime with SPF or at nighttime. I don’t believe in a day or nighttime moisturizers when facial oils like Happy Honey Oil by Sjoskin or 100% Squalane Oil by The Ordinary (any 100% squalane oil will do from any brand) can be added to a moisturizer to bump up the moisturizer to fit your needs for a more nourishing moisturizer. This doesn’t peel underneath makeup or SPF. It supports the skin barrier with ceramides, squalane, and glycerin and is pH-balanced, fragrance-free, and alcohol-free. Your skin will thank you and will be healthy and glowy.

Malezia 5% Urea Moisturizer*

Malezia is a small skincare brand focused on formulations for individuals with fungal acne (Malessezia Folliculitis). This gel cream has key ingredients to support the skin barrier, especially during a fungal acne breakout. We all know that getting a flare-up can be rough on the skin barrier because of the treatment process and recovery. The star ingredient is urea which is also found in our natural skin as a molecule that is part of our skin’s natural moisturizing factor (NMF). It is an important ingredient for skin hydration and the integrity to treat dry & rough skin conditions. Urea can also help with wound healing by removing dead tissue in certain wounds to speed up the process. I discovered this moisturizer while looking for a fungal acne-safe brand, which means that the whole theme or purpose of the brand was to cater to individuals with fungal acne conditions.

This moisturizer is hydrating and emollient because of the skin-loving ingredients in the formulation. We talked about urea, but did you know that not only does it provide hydrating benefits, but it also locks moisture into the skin? It is a fantastic well-aging (anti-aging) ingredient. Paired with hyaluronic acid and allantoin makes the skin more hydrated and moisturized. Urea locks in moisture, and allantoin soothes the skin. This moisturizer is great for dry, sensitive, and dehydrated skin and also a great moisturizer when your skin barrier is compromised. This moisturizer will change your skincare journey in unique ways. Continue reading Top 10 Fungal Acne Safe Moisturizers

Top 10 Fungal Acne Safe Toners

I figured I should do a list now for all the top 10 fungal acne-safe products and why not start with toners? Toners and essences are the easiest to find for me. I feel as if I struggle with finding serums and moisturizers that are fungal acne safe. By the way, has anyone heard of Kbeauty? It is one of the best discoveries and improved my skincare routine. Don’t be surprised if there are a lot of Kbeauty toners on this list! But, here is my list of the top 10 fungal acne safe toners.

1025 Dokdo Toner by Round Lab

Round Lab’s Dokdo Toner is one of my favorite toners to use. I recently finished another bottle of this watery toner. This is a hydrating toner and exfoliates the skin gently. They infused it with seawater from South Korea, Ulleungo Island. This toner can be used daily with a cotton pad or applied with your hands. If your skin gets irritated easily, this toner will help soothe the irritation with panthenol, allantoin, and betaine. This toner is moisturizing, softening, kills bacteria, and treats wounds. It doesn’t contain any alcohols, fragrances, oils, silicones, or sulfates. It’s a very simple toner and safe to use for sensitive, dry or dehydrated skin. This is reef safe but not cruelty-free or vegan.

Hyaluronic Acid Toner Plus by Isntree

Isntree came out with two types of hyaluronic acid toners: Hyaluronic Acid Toner and Hyaluronic Acid Toner Plus. Both are fungal acne-safe, but I will review the plus one since I haven’t used the other one. I just wanted my readers to know that we can use both.

The Plus Toner is thicker than the regular toner, hence the plus in the title. It is free of alcohols, oils, parabens, silicones, and sulfates. It contains hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica extract, panthenol, and chamomilla recutita flower extract. This is great for sensitive and irritated skin types. I remember using this one around fall, which is the perfect weather to be using it, especially if you have dry skin. I tried it again in the summer and it was just too thick for me to use as a toner because the weather was hotter. During seasons, our skin types may change based on if the weather is cold or hot. My skin gets more combination skin types during the summer with some slight dehydration because I have dehydrated skin. I liked this toner more when I used it in the fall/winter because it sinks into my skin quicker. I felt like I was patting it into my skin more during the summer and I didn’t like how it dried onto my skin because it felt like a sticky film was on it. Again, this is just how it was on my skin so it can vary based on a person’s skin type or when/how you are using it. I did like it better with a cotton pad than just applying it onto the skin with my hands. This is reef safe but not cruelty-free or vegan. Continue reading Top 10 Fungal Acne Safe Toners

My Layers Balancing Milky Cleanser Review

I’m not sure why no one talks about this Indie Skincare brand, Layers. But I have found the most amazing fungal acne-safe prebiotic + probiotic milky cleanser I’ve tried. Since I’ve had fungal acne, using milk or cream cleansers was a setback for my dry, flaky skin. Most of these cleansers had fungal acne-triggering ingredients like:

One day I decided to go on a quest for such fungal acne-safe milk cleansers. I first came across Evan Healy. I tried their Rose Cleansing Milk which wasn’t fungal acne safe. At that time, I believed that wash-off products should be fine to cheat my goal of no more prolonged use of unsafe products: skincare and makeup. But, I guess the burning in my eyes when I used it was a sign to stick to my goal. It got the job done, but it burned my eyes. I tried to focus less on my eyes, but the scent and the cleanser were too strong. I was desperate to look for something better. One day, I looked at my google search and came across Layers Balancing Milky Cleanser. This was when I discovered the fungal acne-safe milk cleanser I needed in my routine.

The Balancing Milky Cleanser has a prebiotic + probiotic blend of yogurt powder and lactobacillus ferment. Ph is balanced and claims it improves skin hydration and removes impurities while preserving good bacteria. The amount of product that you get is 120 mL / 4.1 FL. OZ, and it’s priced at $29. Layers is a clean beauty brand, cruelty-free, and their website has a breakdown of some of the ingredients in this cleanser. The ingredients include:

Continue reading My Layers Balancing Milky Cleanser Review

Dior Backstage Foundation 5N

Dior’s Backstage Face & Body Foundation caught my attention when I searched for fungal acne-safe foundations, and it was recommended. Dior’s foundation includes 40 shades; it is cruelty-free, waterproof, and sweat-resistant. It is ultra-buildable and provides custom coverage. Not sure about the cruelty-free part since Dior is still sold in China; animal testing happens if they are required by law. I had never tried Dior before until I went to a Sephora in Soho, made a beeline to the Dior section, and grabbed the Backstage Face and Body foundation. Right away, with the shade offering, I needed to try it on to see which shade would work. A Sephora associate helped me and recommended shade 5 N and explained that the foundation was very lightweight and natural but also buildable. I immediately loved the feel of the foundation on my skin and how it looked like my skin but better. I purchased it along with the powder in the same shade.

I have been using this for months, and it is my favorite foundation to wear. It is a liquid, lightweight texture. This is a consistency that I look for in a foundation because I think it will be hydrating, dewy, satin, light, and not cakey. It is very buildable, blends effortlessly on the skin, sets itself, and one or two pumps are all I need to get a full face. Now, I only use makeup brushes, but if you use a beauty blender, it will probably be more than 2. I have dry, dehydrated, and sensitive skin. But, an essential part of my skin type is its fungal acne-prone. Therefore, some products can’t be used due to certain ingredients that may trigger them. I have dry skin, patches, and textured skin, and I can see no issues with the formula clinging to them or showing texture. It doesn’t sit on top of my skin; it sets itself and has a satin finish. This could be due to my skincare as I have a skincare routine that already gives me a dewy look. For your information, I do not use primers because I focus on an entire skincare routine to address my skin type, such as texture, dark spots, dry patches, etc. Due to this, the foundation gets along with my skincare and doesn’t ball up.

Dior Foundation without setting powder/spray

It is an excellent foundation for winter and summer because it’s a formula you can add to. An oil or liquid highlighter can be added to the foundation to enhance it. I love to mix the Auric Glow Lust Radiant Luminizer in Goldstone. It goes excellent with Dior’s Backstage Face & Body Powder and Kosas’s Setting Powder. I only set my cheek, nose area, and under my eyes lightly with powder for reference. If I am wearing a mask, I spray the mask with setting spray and then powder the areas the cover would be. I can do without putting, but since I wear glasses, it isn’t avoidable. Sometimes I use a setting spray, Ciate London’s Everyday Vacay Setting Spray, or Smashbox’s Photo Finish Weightless Setting Spray.

Dior Foundation with setting powder/spray

I am curious about the Nar’s Soft Matte Foundation. Are there some similarities between the two? I look forward to a review/comparison, and recent updates can be found on my Instagram. Be sure to follow for any quick product reviews, makeup looks, and empties. I try to make first impressions of foundations and powders, but it depends on whether I am using them correctly or prepping my skin for the product. I try to use it enough to give my review and thoughts entirely. But, I recommend this foundation if you have acne, dark spots, or looking to even out your skin tone. If you prefer a foundation that is easy to travel with on the go, this will be perfect.

Purito From Green Cleansing Oil – RENEWED Review

Trying to find a fungal acne-safe oil cleanser to take off makeup is a struggle. I have been looking for one for a while. I made a 2022 New Years’ Resolution to get rid of fungal acne-causing products/ stop buying them. Recently, I found this ingredient analysis site called “Skinsort” and it has been a lifesaver. This oil cleanser was fungal acne-safe, so I clicked add to cart on amazon.

Purito is a very interesting brand because there are hit-miss products, especially those that are fungal acne safe can be hard to find. This cleansing oil has a med to light consistency (it is a little thick) and it is fragrance, essential oil, and alcohol-free. I use this as a first cleanse and follow up with either a gel or milk cleanser. Double cleansing is something that I do when I have makeup or SPF on. It gets the job done if you are using a towel or a magic eraser, it has great slip. I prefer using it that way because I feel like it cleans my skin enough because it is messy taking off makeup.

If I were just using it to take off SPF, then I would be fine without the magic eraser. It breaks down mascara and full-face makeup very well and it doesn’t sting your eyes, but it does blur my eyes sometimes. I can still tell there is no makeup left on my skin, and it emulsifies pretty well. There are benefiting oils in the formulation like Olive Oil which is great for dry skin. Sunflower Oil, Jojoba Oil that great for sensitive skin, and Sweet Almond Oil and Grape Seed Oil. I have other fungal acne-safe cleansing oils I want to try now, thanks to Skinsort. I’m not sure if I will repurchase, just because there is a lot on the market to try out. Definitely would not recommend this for oily/combo skin types.

More Fungal Acne Safe Cleansing Oils/Balms:

Dermazen Review for Fungal Acne and Seborrheic Dermatitis

I am finally doing a review on these beautiful babies. I think you already know that I love these products. I Have been using these since February 2022 and have continued to use them when needed.

I recently purchased Dermazen’s Zen Skin Trio bundle that comes with the Calming Seborrheic Serum and the Soothing Malassezia Moisturizer. I really needed fungal acne/MF fighting products that also slashed the healing process in half. Most fighting MF products are very drying on the skin and can make things worse due to it being sensitizing to the skin. Having fungal acne is already a lot to the skin and can also cause trauma from it. Sometimes when a flare-up occurs at a certain spot it does lighten up the pigmentation in that area for me. One time I had it on my eyebrow area and it was very noticeable. I really lacked confidence in myself when uploading beauty posts because it was soo noticeable.

One day, Google “Fungal Acne Fighting skincare” and this ad/shopping section popped up on google for Dermazen’s Soothing Malassezia Moisturizer. And I was sold right away because of the following: “Soothe your beautiful, irritated skin — Holistic ingredients designed to calm the flakes, flare-ups, and frustration caused by seborrheic dermatitis.” And I know what you are thinking “this is not for Malassezia Folliculitis” and actually it’s for both MF and Seborrheic dermatitis because they are both forms of yeast infections that occur on the skin and scalp. Also, during this time I actually was dealing with both so I shoot my shot and it WORKED.

The serum has a watery consistency and is very light. The ingredients include Aloe, Xylitol that naturally disrupts the biofilm layer to weaken the fungus, Grapefruit Seed Extract as an antioxidant, and Tea Tree Oil. I could feel that it was working as it was absorbing into my skin. But, I saw better results with my SB on my neck because the patches started to go away. It became smaller and less itchy to the point where it was completely gone. I’ve had that spot for almost a year and finally, I found something that actually worked! I have continued to use this in my hair care routine to keep my SB under control.

The moisturizer was a gel consistency but it was light and moisturizing at the same time. Ingredients include Urea (10%), MCT Oil, Frankincense Oil, Latic Acid (5%), Vitamin B3, and Hyaluronic Acid. I felt a sense of relief in my skin when I put it on. I didn’t need to put on another moisturizer with my dry skin and that alone was amazing. It wasn’t drying or irritating. It slowly got rid of my MF flare and the healing time was amazing. My skin was practically back to normal and quickly with the 2 as a combo worked really well together.

I will have to say I will definitely repurchase and I am a fan and will continue to support this brand! In fact, their recent launch is a shampoo so lookout for a review!