Fungal acne safe K-beauty routine

What is pityrosporum folliculitis and how do you care for your skin?

At first glance, it looks like acne: small bumps, sometimes with a white head, mainly on your forehead, back, chest, or shoulders. But if it itches rather than hurts, chances are you're not dealing with regular acne – but with pityrosporum folliculitis.

What is pityrosporum folliculitis?

Pityrosporum folliculitis is a skin condition caused by an overgrowth of the yeast Malassezia. This yeast normally lives on your skin, but when the skin microbiome is disrupted, it can multiply rapidly and infect hair follicles. This causes inflammation and itchy, uniform bumps. It's often seen on the back, chest, upper arms, and sometimes the face.

How can you tell the difference from regular acne?

• The bumps are usually all the same size and close together
• It itches – unlike acne vulgaris, which is usually painful
• The skin doesn’t respond well to standard acne treatments

What should you avoid?

The Malassezia yeast feeds on certain ingredients. If your skin is sensitive to pityrosporum folliculitis, it's best to avoid the following:

• Oily ingredients & fatty acids such as coconut oil, lauric acid, olive oil
• Fatty acid esters like Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate
• Fermented ingredients like Galactomyces, Saccharomyces

Fungal-acne-safe skincare routine

These products are free from triggering ingredients and ideal for skin prone to pityrosporum folliculitis:

Step 1 – Cleanser

Step 2 – Toner

Step 3 – Essence

Step 4 – Serum

Step 5 – Moisturizer

Step 6 – Mask

Step 7 – Sunscreen