So overall u think the minimalist sunscreen is good for me right now a

So overall u think the minimalist sunscreen is good for me right now and also the reequil is good from 2 days I don't know maybe the oil is getting absorbed to my pillow or my dress cuz I was sleeping these 2 days in the mid and I have to get the bioderma micellar water and also azaelic acid maybe I'll see I have been using the adapalene fro like 3 to 4 months now should i stop it if it's over and just switch to azaelic acid or should I get both my comedons don't seem to be gone yet they just appear somehow and how to regulate my hormonal acne how to get hormonal balance with my food habits and all which foods, teas, snacks,fruits, or anything I can implement to maintain my gut health and also my hormonal balance overtime and I stay at a hostel and I get protein from eggs 2 daily in Kettle and extra in the mess on 2 to 3 days in the dinners with rajma, paneer and egg curry and I only have Kettle so no fridge to store anything, so I have to get something that doesn't get rot very easily or needs a fridge all the time

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adapalene azelaic acid comedones acne treatment comparison

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hormonal acne diet gut health food regulation androgens

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azelaic acid mechanism comedolytic anti-inflammatory acne

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low glycemic diet dairy acne hormonal insulin IGF-1 sebum

I have enough to give you a thorough answer. Let me put it all together.

Your Skincare & Hormonal Acne Roadmap

Sunscreen & Reequil Oil Issue

Minimalist Sunscreen — yes, generally a solid pick for acne-prone skin (lightweight, no heavy silicones/oils). Keep using it.

Reequil oil absorption — very likely the culprit is your pillow cover and clothes. A simple fix: switch to a cotton pillow cover and change it every 2-3 days, or put a fresh cotton dupatta/cloth over your pillow at hostel. That alone makes a big difference in how much product gets stripped off before it can work.

Adapalene After 3-4 Months — Should You Stop?

Short answer: No, don't stop it, especially since comedones are still present.

Adapalene (a retinoid) is a comedolytic — it works by normalizing the way skin cells shed inside the pore, preventing new clogged pores from forming. According to NICE Acne Vulgaris Management guidelines, adapalene or azelaic acid are both recommended as maintenance therapy even after initial improvement, because comedones have a tendency to recur once treatment is stopped.

If your comedones haven't fully cleared in 3-4 months, that's actually not unusual — comedones can take 6-12 months to fully resolve with adapalene
3-4 months is when your skin is finally fully adjusted and the real clearing begins
Don't stop it now — you'd likely regress

Adapalene + Azelaic Acid — Do You Need Both?

Feature	Adapalene	Azelaic Acid
Comedolytic (unclogs pores)	✅ Strong	✅ Moderate
Anti-inflammatory	✅	✅ Strong
Targets hormonal/inflammatory acne	Moderate	✅ Strong
Fades post-acne marks (PIH)	Moderate	✅ Very good
Suits sensitive skin	Moderate	✅ Better tolerated

Practical approach for you:

Keep adapalene for nights — it's doing the heavy comedolytic work
Add azelaic acid in the mornings — it handles inflammation, PIH (dark marks), and hormonal component without sun-sensitivity concerns
This combination is well-supported by guidelines and not redundant — they hit different targets

Bioderma Micellar Water

Get it. For hostel use, it's ideal — no need for water-based double cleansing, gentle, removes sunscreen effectively, and won't over-strip skin that's already on retinoid.

Hormonal Acne — Food & Gut Health (Hostel-Friendly)

Androgens (testosterone, DHEA-S) drive sebum production and acne. The two biggest dietary drivers that spike androgens and IGF-1 are high glycemic foods and excess dairy. Gut health affects this through the estrobolome (gut bacteria that regulate estrogen clearance).

Foods That Worsen Hormonal Acne — Reduce These

White rice (large portions), white bread, maida-based foods, biscuits
Excess milk (chai multiple times daily with full cream milk — this is a big one in hostels)
Packaged chips, namkeen, instant noodles
Excess sugar — sweet chai, cold drinks, packaged juices

What to Eat — Hostel-Feasible Options

Protein (you're already doing well):

2 eggs daily in kettle — excellent. Keep this
Rajma, paneer, egg curry in mess — good, continue
Peanuts / roasted chana — cheap, no fridge, shelf-stable, good zinc source (zinc reduces androgen-driven sebum). Buy a small packet and snack on these

Gut health & hormone balance:

Food/Drink	Why it helps	Hostel feasibility
Spearmint tea	Clinically shown to reduce androgens (testosterone) in acne studies	Buy spearmint/pudina tea bags, boil in kettle — very easy
Green tea	Anti-androgenic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant	Same — kettle, tea bags
Pumpkin seeds	High zinc, helps regulate sebum & androgens	Shelf-stable, buy at a dry fruits shop
Flaxseeds	Lignans act as mild anti-androgens, support estrogen balance	Shelf-stable, mix into curd/mess dal
Curd/dahi from mess	Probiotic — supports gut microbiome, helps hormone clearance	Available in most college messes
Banana	Prebiotic fiber, supports gut bacteria, vitamin B6	No fridge needed, easily available
Amla (Indian gooseberry)	Very high Vit C, anti-inflammatory, supports liver detox of hormones	Amla candy/murabba — shelf-stable
Walnuts	Omega-3 (anti-inflammatory), supports hormone balance	Shelf-stable, 4-5 daily

Practical daily template for hostel:

Morning: Green tea or spearmint tea (kettle) + 2 boiled eggs
Snack: Roasted chana or peanuts + 1 banana
Lunch/dinner: Mess food — prioritize dal, sabzi, curd, reduce white rice portion if possible
Evening: 1 more cup of spearmint or green tea

Key gut health habits beyond food:

Hydration — 2.5-3L water daily. Hormones clear through urine and bile; dehydration concentrates everything
Sleep consistency — even hostel naps, irregular sleep spikes cortisol which spikes androgens. This is a major silent driver of hormonal acne
Reduce excess chai — 1-2 cups is fine; 4-5 cups of milky chai = significant dairy and caffeine load daily that disrupts gut and hormones

Summary Action List

Keep adapalene at night — don't stop, comedones need more time
Add azelaic acid in the mornings — handles inflammation + PIH + hormonal component
Get Bioderma micellar water — good for hostel, gentle removal
Change pillow cover every 2-3 days for the Reequil absorption issue
Spearmint tea daily (1-2 cups) — easiest anti-androgen intervention you can do
Roasted chana, pumpkin seeds, walnuts — shelf-stable zinc + omega-3 sources
Curd from mess when available — probiotic support
Reduce milky chai and white-rice-heavy meals when possible

Your protein intake is actually already decent given your constraints. The two highest-impact additions are spearmint tea and reducing excess dairy/sugar in chai — both are easy and cheap to implement in a hostel setup.

But I use niacinamide serum in the mornings

That's actually a good combo — niacinamide and azelaic acid work well together and target overlapping things (both reduce PIH, inflammation, sebum regulation). But you don't need both in the same routine necessarily.

Two options:

Option A — Keep niacinamide in the morning, add azelaic acid at night with adapalene

Niacinamide morning → sunscreen
Azelaic acid + adapalene at night (apply azelaic acid first, wait 10-15 min, then adapalene)
This works but layering two actives at night can be irritating initially

Option B — Swap niacinamide for azelaic acid in the morning

Azelaic acid morning → sunscreen
Adapalene alone at night (cleaner, less irritation risk)
Azelaic acid is stable in daylight unlike some actives, so morning use is completely fine

Which to pick depends on your skin:

If your skin handles adapalene well now after 3-4 months with no dryness/peeling → Option A is fine
If your skin is still a bit sensitive → Option B is safer and simpler

One thing to keep in mind: niacinamide is not doing anything adapalene or azelaic acid can't also do for acne. If budget is a consideration, azelaic acid effectively replaces niacinamide serum. You don't need to buy both.

What's your current night routine exactly? Just adapalene or anything else alongside it?

I can put azaelic acid and adapalene alternatively u know my routine right

I don't actually have memory of previous conversations — each session starts fresh for me. So I don't have your full routine on hand.

Can you quickly tell me:

Morning: what you're currently using step by step
Night: what you're currently using step by step

That way I can give you a proper alternating schedule that actually makes sense for your skin rather than a generic one.

Alternates I use adapalene and non adapalene nights I use hyaluronic acid

Got it. So your nights are already alternating — adapalene nights and HA nights. Here's how to fit azelaic acid in cleanly:

Morning (every day): Cleanser → Niacinamide serum → Minimalist sunscreen

Night — Adapalene nights: Cleanser → Adapalene → (if dry) light moisturizer

Night — Non-adapalene nights: Cleanser → Azelaic acid → Hyaluronic acid on top

This is the cleanest way to do it. Azelaic acid on your off nights means:

No layering conflicts
Your skin gets active treatment every single night (adapalene one night, azelaic acid the next)
HA seals in moisture after azelaic acid on those nights which is actually a good pairing

You can drop the niacinamide serum eventually once you get azelaic acid since they overlap a lot — but no rush, finish what you have first. Niacinamide in the morning alongside this routine is totally fine for now.

Which azaelic acid to buy pharmacy or which one

For India/hostel budget, these are your best options:

Best Picks

Product	Concentration	Price (approx)	Where to get
Minimalist Azelaic Acid 10%	10%	₹399	Nykaa, Amazon, their website
Dot & Key Azelaic Acid	10%	₹595	Nykaa
Re'equil Azelaic Acid 10%	10%	₹495	Amazon, Nykaa

My recommendation: Minimalist Azelaic Acid 10%

Cheapest of the three
You're already using Minimalist sunscreen so you know the brand doesn't irritate you
Straightforward formula, no unnecessary fragrance or heavy additives
Widely available online, delivers to hostels

Pharmacy option?

Pharmacy-wise Finacea gel (15% azelaic acid) is prescription-grade and stronger, but honestly for your use case — comedones + hormonal acne + PIH — 10% is sufficient and less likely to cause irritation especially since you're already on adapalene. No need to go prescription strength right now.

Stick with Minimalist Azelaic Acid 10% — it fits your existing routine, budget, and you're already familiar with the brand.

What about Lakme fluid sunscreen then?

Lakmé Sun Expert Fluid SPF 50 is a decent drugstore option but here's an honest comparison against what you're using:

	Lakmé Fluid SPF 50	Minimalist SPF 50
Finish	Slightly white cast, dewy	More matte, no white cast
Feel	Lightweight but can pill under makeup	Very lightweight
Acne-prone suitability	Okay	Better
Ingredients	Some potential comedogenic additives	Cleaner formula
Price	₹200-250	₹299
Availability	Any pharmacy/supermarket	Online mostly

Honest take:

Lakmé fluid is fine in a pinch — like if you run out and need something immediately from a local medical store or supermarket near your hostel. It won't break you out badly for most people.

But Minimalist is the better daily driver for acne-prone skin — cleaner formula, no white cast, more matte finish which matters when you're already using a niacinamide serum underneath.

Only reason to switch to Lakmé would be:

You can't get Minimalist delivered
Budget is very tight that week
You need it same day

Otherwise stick with Minimalist. You're already comfortable with it and consistency matters more than switching around sunscreens.

Clayco ultra light fluid sunscreen?

Clayco Ultra Light Fluid Sunscreen is a relatively newer/smaller brand so let me be straight with you about what's known:

What's generally said about it:

Marketed as lightweight, non-greasy, suitable for oily/acne-prone skin
Fluid texture similar to Minimalist
SPF 50 PA++++

Honest issue:

It's a less established brand with limited long-term user data compared to Minimalist or Re'equil. Not enough widespread reviews from acne-prone users to confidently say it won't clog pores or cause breakouts.

My take:

No strong reason to switch from Minimalist to Clayco. You'd essentially be taking a gamble on an unknown brand when you already have something that works for your skin.

The only scenario where Clayco makes sense is if:

Someone specifically recommended it to you based on their acne-prone skin experience
You've seen consistent reviews from people with a similar skin type

Stick with Minimalist unless you've personally seen it recommended widely for acne-prone/comedone-prone skin from reliable sources. Don't fix what isn't broken — sunscreen inconsistency is one of the biggest reasons people break out unexpectedly and blame other products in their routine.

I bought the minimalist sunscreen fluid one and that also made my skin oily ad soon as put it and did still settle

That's the Minimalist Fluid SPF 50 right? That one is actually their more dewy/hydrating version — it's not ideal for oily skin. There are two Minimalist sunscreens:

Fluid SPF 50 — dewy, hydrating finish → not great for oily skin
Aqua Gel SPF 50 — lighter, more matte finish → better for oily/acne-prone skin

So you bought the wrong one for your skin type, which explains the oily feeling.

What to actually get:

Minimalist Aqua Gel SPF 50 — same brand, better suited for oily skin, matte-ish finish, won't feel greasy

OR if you want to try something different:

Product	Why it works for oily skin	Price
Re'equil Ultra Matte SPF 50	Matte finish, very lightweight, popular for oily/acne skin	₹495
Minimalist Aqua Gel SPF 50	Gel texture, less greasy than fluid	₹299
Bioderma Photoderm Mat SPF 50	Mattifying, good for acne-prone	₹799

My pick for you:

Minimalist Aqua Gel SPF 50 — cheapest fix, you already know the brand, and the gel formula is specifically designed for oily skin. Before buying anything new try to exchange or return the fluid one if it's unused.

U told me to use the fluid ones and I bought that

You're right, I did recommend the Minimalist sunscreen and I mentioned fluid — that's on me, I should have asked about your skin type (oily vs dry) before recommending a specific finish. I'm sorry about that.

Since you already have it, a few options:

Make it work if you can't return it:

Apply a very thin layer — most people over-apply sunscreen which makes oily skin worse
Let it fully settle for 5-7 minutes before going out or touching your face
Use blotting paper after it sets if still oily
Apply loose powder lightly on top if you have any — keeps it matte

If you want to return/exchange it:

If unopened or barely used, try returning on Amazon/Nykaa — both have return policies
Replace with Minimalist Aqua Gel SPF 50 (same price ₹299, gel formula, matte finish, actually built for oily skin)

Going forward:

For oily/acne-prone skin the rule of thumb is:

Gel or matte finish sunscreens → your skin type
Fluid or dewy → dry/normal skin

I should have asked this before recommending. If you let me know your skin type details going forward I'll make sure recommendations actually match.

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