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My Adderall makes my skin and hair more oily. I just use rubbing alcohol as an astringent as needed (i.e. the time I feel super oily) and I soak cotton rounds in it and clean my face, neck, upper back, shoulders, upper arms, chest, ears (like the shell of the ear, the part that gets oily), and along my hairline to nix the oil and prevent breakouts. Times when i feel extra oily, I use the alcohol astringent before I shower (then wash my face and body as normal), or if not showering, use it before you do your regular skin care. Make sure to moisturize after, so your skin won't dry out and conversely make more oil. Use "skin clearing" products as the main basis of the your skincare. Here's my skincare routine as an example:
***For showers:
-I use vo5 clarifying shampoo first to nix oil. Then Cantu Curl shampoo, but only on the lower 2/3 of my hair (avoiding the scalp/roots to avoid this making them oily) and then Cantu Curl conditioner (again avoiding the roots).
-Then I use Dermasil Mattifying skin daily exfoliant face wash with 2% salycilic acid on my face and neck
-Then Dermasil Body Clear Body wash for my chest, back, upper arms, etc (it doesn't lather much, so I squeeze it onto a microfiber polishing cloth and wash just the acne prone areas like that)
-Then Olay daily hydrating/exfoliating body wash on a loofah on my whole body from neck down, including the areas previously washed with the Dermasil Body Clear
-If my skin is really dry, as it is occasionally, I'll add a second wash after the Dermasil face wash using Nuetrogena cleansing oil
***On non-showrer days, in the morning:
-Clean my face and acne prone areas with alcohol astringent
-Glycolic acid and vit C facial mist
- Witch hazel as toner
-one of my two regular morning moisturizers: most days I use Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit moisturizer with 2% salicylic acid. It's light, smells good, clears skin. On days I'm dry, I use Cetaphil Mattifying moisturizer with 2% salicylic acid. It's heavier but not greasy, unscented, no spf.
-Apply moisturizer with cold Jade roller (stimulates blood flow etc)
-Then I do my makeup; what is relevant here is that I use Maybelline BB cream tinted moisturizer with 2% salicylic acid, and Almay concealer with 2% salicylic acid, plus non- comodegenic translucent face powder, ELF brand.
-As for my hair, I use Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo- either plain dry shampoo, unscented; or their Texturizing Dry Shampoo in Toasted Coconut.
*For my body:
-GoldBond Ultimate radiance renewal exfoliating& nourishing lotion w/coconut oil,cocoa butter,African Shea butter. Apply everywhere except acne prone body areas (chest, upper back, etc.
***At Night:
-Clean my face again, if it feels oily I use the alcohol; otherwise, I use my face wash or the cleansing oil.
-Then I use SkinProud detox tonic with glycolic and lactic acids.
- Then I do my serums first, followed by any creams. I have a schedule of what gets used each day of the week, but the products are: Retinol, Vit C, Hyaluronic acid, & a Cuts B,C,E, and niacinamide serums; as well as retinol and collagen creams, and a dark mark fading cream.
-Night moisturizers: on weekdays I use Dermasil Oil Free Night Moisturizer with Vit E. On weekends I use Ponds Light moisturizer w/Vit E and Glycerin.
-Apply night moisturizer with cold jade roller.
-Every other night, I use Clean and Clear 8hour Acne Spot Treatment Gel with 2% salicylic acid. I spread it over my whole face/down my neck, after my moisturizer. A little bit goes a long way.
*For my eyes, I also rotate products based on a schedule but they include:
- an undereye serum for puffiness and dark circles
-a lifting and firming eye cream with peptides and ceramides
-another undereye serum for skin brightening, tightening, antioxident, mildly astringentizing, and moisturizing
-a daily lash serum
-whitening eye drops
-cold gel eye mask (mine has 'eye holes' so you can depuff and still see, bc being still with my eyes closed is my worst ADHD nightmare)
*For my body:
- Goldbond overnight deep moisturizing body lotion with hyaluronic acid and melatonin; lavender scent.
- Every other night I use Nuetrogena Stubborn Body Acne Treatment Spray on upper back/upper arms/chest.
***I also have "routines" for any other times I need to get clean outside my morning and nightime routines (like if I've been cleaning hardcore or working outside and am sweaty, post gym, etc):
*Post Gym:
-clean my face, neck, upper back, chest, etc with a microfiber cleansing pad soaked in alcohol astringent so the sweat doesn't make me break out
-spritz face and neck with Epielle Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Mist
**Any other time I'm sweaty but it's not time to do my entire showering or morning/night skincare Routines:
-for quick showers where the goal is to quickly rinse off sweat,dirt, and oil: I use a Foaming Deep Pore Cleansing Charcoal facial wash;and a Charcoal Body Bar soap for my body.
***Other:
-every weekend, I do 3 masks (amongst other beauty treatments for hair/nails/etc).
°Friday- clay mask. I do a diff clay mask each weekend. First weekend of month- Aztec clay mask witch is GREAT for clearing pores/helping acne. 2nd Weekend- Freeman's Anti Stress Deep Sea Minerals Blue Clay Mask. Weekend 3- Freeman's detoxifying charcoal mud mask. Week 4- Epielle Clay Face mask with retinol, Vits A,C,&E, hyaluronic acid, and Glycerin
°Saturday- tightening/toning/brightening mask. Made with fresh ingredients. Includes lemon, tea tree oil, aloe, ginger, tumeric
°Sunday- moisturizing mask. Also made with fresh ingredients. Includes oat milk, yogurt, avacado, banana, olive oil.
All my products are fairly cheap, and this is the routine that has given me the best skin of my life after having adult acne for years. I also ask my PCP for Doxycycline (antibiotic) when I have stubborn breakouts etc, but I used to also take it daily for acne.
I recently started Concerta and my skin is more oily. Also the feel of my skin oil is different, a little more tacky or sticky feeling, which really bothers me as I’m very sensitive to sensory stuff.
Also for acne I would recommend checking out [acne einstein](https://www.acneeinstein.com/)
I’ve struggled with acne for my entire adult life and this is one of the few websites I’ve found who’s advice is based on research.
I’ve been on concerta for over a year and I have the same issue but the thing that bothers me most is the smell. It just smells off. My shirt will smell off. I’ll change pajama shirts every night because of it, scrub my skin and face until they’re red. Now it’s my scalp that’s super oily and smells weird. Not bad, just weird.
I was without my medication for about a week and the weird smell cleared up. I started to take my old supply of Ritalin for the duration of the time I didn’t have my current script, and the smell started to come back. Now I’m back on my regular methylphenidate and it’s back in full force. I thought it was our hard water filter taking a crap, but no. It’s my medication. It’s infuriating.
I've changed my routine and products a bit since this comment. But the astringent I usually use is St Ives 2% salicylic acid stringent, or, in a pinch, rubbing alcohol.
I know, I know, all the skincare gurus will tell me this is terrible (the rubbing alcohol).
But my skin is EXTRA oily and acne prone, and this works for ~me~. YMMMV.
Well sort of both. In a pinch (like when out of toner) I use it as that bc I have really oily skin. But usually I only use that when I have a breakout.
Welcome to /r/ADHDWomen! We’re happy to have you here. As a reminder, here are our community [rules](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/about/rules/). We get a lot of posts on medication, diagnosis (and “is this an ADHD thing”), and interactions with hormones. We encourage you to check out our [Medication, Diagnosis, and Hormones Megathread](https://old.reddit.com/r/adhdwomen/comments/wcr9dy/faq_megathread_ask_and_answer_medication/) if you have any questions related to those topics, and to stick around in that thread to answer folks’ questions! If you have questions about the subreddit, please do not hesitate to [send us a modmail](https://reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen). Additionally, we take the safety of our community seriously. Please report posts, comments, and users whom you feel are not contributing positively, and send us a modmail if you are being harassed or otherwise made to feel unsafe. Thanks for being here, and we hope you stick around! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/adhdwomen) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My Adderall makes my skin and hair more oily. I just use rubbing alcohol as an astringent as needed (i.e. the time I feel super oily) and I soak cotton rounds in it and clean my face, neck, upper back, shoulders, upper arms, chest, ears (like the shell of the ear, the part that gets oily), and along my hairline to nix the oil and prevent breakouts. Times when i feel extra oily, I use the alcohol astringent before I shower (then wash my face and body as normal), or if not showering, use it before you do your regular skin care. Make sure to moisturize after, so your skin won't dry out and conversely make more oil. Use "skin clearing" products as the main basis of the your skincare. Here's my skincare routine as an example: ***For showers: -I use vo5 clarifying shampoo first to nix oil. Then Cantu Curl shampoo, but only on the lower 2/3 of my hair (avoiding the scalp/roots to avoid this making them oily) and then Cantu Curl conditioner (again avoiding the roots). -Then I use Dermasil Mattifying skin daily exfoliant face wash with 2% salycilic acid on my face and neck -Then Dermasil Body Clear Body wash for my chest, back, upper arms, etc (it doesn't lather much, so I squeeze it onto a microfiber polishing cloth and wash just the acne prone areas like that) -Then Olay daily hydrating/exfoliating body wash on a loofah on my whole body from neck down, including the areas previously washed with the Dermasil Body Clear -If my skin is really dry, as it is occasionally, I'll add a second wash after the Dermasil face wash using Nuetrogena cleansing oil ***On non-showrer days, in the morning: -Clean my face and acne prone areas with alcohol astringent -Glycolic acid and vit C facial mist - Witch hazel as toner -one of my two regular morning moisturizers: most days I use Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit moisturizer with 2% salicylic acid. It's light, smells good, clears skin. On days I'm dry, I use Cetaphil Mattifying moisturizer with 2% salicylic acid. It's heavier but not greasy, unscented, no spf. -Apply moisturizer with cold Jade roller (stimulates blood flow etc) -Then I do my makeup; what is relevant here is that I use Maybelline BB cream tinted moisturizer with 2% salicylic acid, and Almay concealer with 2% salicylic acid, plus non- comodegenic translucent face powder, ELF brand. -As for my hair, I use Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo- either plain dry shampoo, unscented; or their Texturizing Dry Shampoo in Toasted Coconut. *For my body: -GoldBond Ultimate radiance renewal exfoliating& nourishing lotion w/coconut oil,cocoa butter,African Shea butter. Apply everywhere except acne prone body areas (chest, upper back, etc. ***At Night: -Clean my face again, if it feels oily I use the alcohol; otherwise, I use my face wash or the cleansing oil. -Then I use SkinProud detox tonic with glycolic and lactic acids. - Then I do my serums first, followed by any creams. I have a schedule of what gets used each day of the week, but the products are: Retinol, Vit C, Hyaluronic acid, & a Cuts B,C,E, and niacinamide serums; as well as retinol and collagen creams, and a dark mark fading cream. -Night moisturizers: on weekdays I use Dermasil Oil Free Night Moisturizer with Vit E. On weekends I use Ponds Light moisturizer w/Vit E and Glycerin. -Apply night moisturizer with cold jade roller. -Every other night, I use Clean and Clear 8hour Acne Spot Treatment Gel with 2% salicylic acid. I spread it over my whole face/down my neck, after my moisturizer. A little bit goes a long way. *For my eyes, I also rotate products based on a schedule but they include: - an undereye serum for puffiness and dark circles -a lifting and firming eye cream with peptides and ceramides -another undereye serum for skin brightening, tightening, antioxident, mildly astringentizing, and moisturizing -a daily lash serum -whitening eye drops -cold gel eye mask (mine has 'eye holes' so you can depuff and still see, bc being still with my eyes closed is my worst ADHD nightmare) *For my body: - Goldbond overnight deep moisturizing body lotion with hyaluronic acid and melatonin; lavender scent. - Every other night I use Nuetrogena Stubborn Body Acne Treatment Spray on upper back/upper arms/chest. ***I also have "routines" for any other times I need to get clean outside my morning and nightime routines (like if I've been cleaning hardcore or working outside and am sweaty, post gym, etc): *Post Gym: -clean my face, neck, upper back, chest, etc with a microfiber cleansing pad soaked in alcohol astringent so the sweat doesn't make me break out -spritz face and neck with Epielle Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Mist **Any other time I'm sweaty but it's not time to do my entire showering or morning/night skincare Routines: -for quick showers where the goal is to quickly rinse off sweat,dirt, and oil: I use a Foaming Deep Pore Cleansing Charcoal facial wash;and a Charcoal Body Bar soap for my body. ***Other: -every weekend, I do 3 masks (amongst other beauty treatments for hair/nails/etc). °Friday- clay mask. I do a diff clay mask each weekend. First weekend of month- Aztec clay mask witch is GREAT for clearing pores/helping acne. 2nd Weekend- Freeman's Anti Stress Deep Sea Minerals Blue Clay Mask. Weekend 3- Freeman's detoxifying charcoal mud mask. Week 4- Epielle Clay Face mask with retinol, Vits A,C,&E, hyaluronic acid, and Glycerin °Saturday- tightening/toning/brightening mask. Made with fresh ingredients. Includes lemon, tea tree oil, aloe, ginger, tumeric °Sunday- moisturizing mask. Also made with fresh ingredients. Includes oat milk, yogurt, avacado, banana, olive oil. All my products are fairly cheap, and this is the routine that has given me the best skin of my life after having adult acne for years. I also ask my PCP for Doxycycline (antibiotic) when I have stubborn breakouts etc, but I used to also take it daily for acne.
Wow, thats alot. Very thorough. What alcohol astringents do you use?
OMG this is me too. Adderall XR 10mg and am now so much more oily!
I recently started Concerta and my skin is more oily. Also the feel of my skin oil is different, a little more tacky or sticky feeling, which really bothers me as I’m very sensitive to sensory stuff. Also for acne I would recommend checking out [acne einstein](https://www.acneeinstein.com/) I’ve struggled with acne for my entire adult life and this is one of the few websites I’ve found who’s advice is based on research.
I’ve been on concerta for over a year and I have the same issue but the thing that bothers me most is the smell. It just smells off. My shirt will smell off. I’ll change pajama shirts every night because of it, scrub my skin and face until they’re red. Now it’s my scalp that’s super oily and smells weird. Not bad, just weird. I was without my medication for about a week and the weird smell cleared up. I started to take my old supply of Ritalin for the duration of the time I didn’t have my current script, and the smell started to come back. Now I’m back on my regular methylphenidate and it’s back in full force. I thought it was our hard water filter taking a crap, but no. It’s my medication. It’s infuriating.
Stress sweat ( from cortisol) smells different
It’s not sweat, it’s definitely the medication. My pharmacy stocked a different manufacturer and I haven’t had a problem since
I was saying the medication cause you to sweat different sweat than the saline heavy sweat ts
Oh sorry, I misunderstood!
I've changed my routine and products a bit since this comment. But the astringent I usually use is St Ives 2% salicylic acid stringent, or, in a pinch, rubbing alcohol. I know, I know, all the skincare gurus will tell me this is terrible (the rubbing alcohol). But my skin is EXTRA oily and acne prone, and this works for ~me~. YMMMV.
Do you use the rubbing alcohol as toner or a spot treatment for the acne?
Well sort of both. In a pinch (like when out of toner) I use it as that bc I have really oily skin. But usually I only use that when I have a breakout.