I never struggled with acne as a teen but my skin took a big and started struggling with acne in my early 20s when my mental health really started spiraling down the blackhole. I struggled with comedogenes, whiteheads and pustules mostly. These bumps keep recurring in the same spots most of the times, especially around my cheeks, chin and jaw. I started taking skincare more seriously since 2020 and my skin has gotten much better now. These ingredients really helped with my breakout control.
1) Azelaic Acid
2) Tretinoin
3) Niacinamide
4) BHA
5) AHA

Shoot me with your best ingredients that helped with your acne/pimples?

Ingredients that worked best for your acne/whiteheads/pustules

Indian Skincare brands have been really coming on lately with decent formulations and targeted effective products.
Have you tried any Indian Skincare brands?
I've listed the ones I've tried and liked below.

Opinions on Indian Skincare Brands

The only con is that it is NOT vegan friendly since it contains Choleth-24 (derived from lanolin).
Also the full ingredients list is not listed in the packaging, at least the one I received.

The product claims to brighten dark spots within 2 weeks of use - this figure is allegedly based on a consumer panel test of users with various skin types. 
The texture of the serum is watery gel like and lightweight. It gets instantly absorbed by my oily combination skin and makes my skin feel hydrated. It also gives my skin a subtle natural glow after application. I&#39;ve used this for 2 weeks and more and I&#39;ve posted the result in the last slide. You can see for yourself if this has been effective to an extent or not.
Tbh, it was quite a pleasant surprise. It helped with my fresh PIH, but I haven&#39;t seen much effect on pigmentation or older acne spots. But it does help in brightening fresh acne spots faster. Pair it with acne patch + not touching your face or picking on your spots + sunscreen and that should really help you tackle PIH well, esp from new acne or pimples.

The full ingredients list is quite long and has some interesting ingredients

&gt; Very strong for beginners.
&gt; It stung the first few times I applied it but my skin adjusted to it thereafter. So, I wouldn&#39;t recommend this for sensitive skin types.

&gt; Contains PHAs which are new generation AHAs that do not only exfoliate but also act as humectant and help in hydration, thus making it non-drying
&gt; I use it once a week in my PM routine since this is too strong. Once a week I feel is enough to exfoliate my skin with this one.
&gt; It has helped with my pigmentation and dullness. It has helped with brightening my acne spots
&gt; Very cost effective.

The price point. It is too costly for me as a student. That&#39;s the only reason I would not repurchase.

I use it after cleansing, on a damp face and it instantly hydrates up my face like the first session of rain freshens up dry earth, it literally feels the same. My skin feels very supple after use.

The texture is a little watery with a gel like feel to it. It has also helped my skin calm down and heal after chemical exfoliation. But I&#39;ve had to stop using it in the middle when I got irritant contact dermatitis and applying this to my face actually stung. But I continued usage after my condition got better. 

I thoroughly enjoy using this but the price point is a bit too high for me. It retails at 1999 INR for 100 ml which makes it unaffordable for a student like me. Even though I&#39;d love to repurchase this, i cannot and will be looking for a more affordable option that helps me achieve similar results. So, the hunt is on! Let me know your suggestions. Besides that, if you can afford this, it is a good investment to make. 
It is vegan-friendly.

It contains beeswax, which doesn&#39;t make it vegan-friendly. Also as far as I know they&#39;ve discontinued this product. I&#39;d really request Cosrx to reformulate this to be vegan-friendly.

One of the first sleeping masks I&#39;ve tried and it didn&#39;t disappoint me AT ALL.
Contains 0.9% Betaine Salicylate, which gently exfoliates the skin and helps in brightening. It is also highly emollient, almost balmy. I use it as the last step of my PM routine and it helps in sealing in moisture.
It helps me with redness, dryness and I wake up with soft supple skin the next morning.

Can lead to pilling if not layered properly.

Claims to help with pigmentation and evening out skin tone in 5 weeks (which is an exaggeration I feel). 
I&#39;ve been using it for more than a few months now and it has definitely helped with my pigmentation issues. When paired with actives like vitamin C and chemical exfoliation in the routine, together they can really help with the acne scars, especially the fresh ones. 
It has a smooth, gel like consistency and gets absorbed into the skin quite well. I apply it on damp face since it contains Hyaluronic Acid. Then I follow it up with a light moisturizer. It didn&#39;t cause any purging and my skin adapted well to it. My skin type is combination (acne prone) and it didn&#39;t congest my pores. I&#39;d recommend it as an add on if you&#39;re looking for something to help you with pigmentation but this in itself might not be enough to get rid of PIH or PIE. I&#39;d recommend using it along with other active based products like vitamin C and AHAs&#47;BHAs.

nasimung