How to Ask for Help and Use the ISCA Sub: A Guide

Hello, everyone! You may have seen me on the sub; I've been a part of it for ~3 years! I have seen many, many, MANY posts and comments asking for help for various skin, hair, body etc issues. I love answering them (if I have enough knowledge) or at the very least, I try to gently nudge people into discovering the answers if they already exist in the sub, or other times, I end up linking various posts/comments from the sub.

Now, the best way to get effective answers for our issues here is to ask the right questions and provide the right background info UPFRONT. This gives others enough info, helps them understand our history and where we come from, and mainly, makes it easier for them to help us. There is an ACTUAL rule that asks us to include relevant info when asking questions - Rule 6, which reads:

• "Please ensure that you add the following details to your queries, posts, reviews and recommendations to give readers some context/background and respond appropriately :

  • Your skin type/skin conditions
  • Your current climatic conditions
  • Your current AM/PM routine
  • Your age
  • Usage timeline
  • Ingredient List
  • Holy Grail / Will Re-purchase / Will Not Repurchase / Holy Fail Status"

^ this is the bare minimum we should do so we can get maximum benefits out of the sub.

So, I've put together an unofficial guide based on my experience in the sub. This should help people ask questions in a way that gets the best answers out of others!

A big thanks to u/SouthernResolution for helping me edit this for clarity :D This would have been waaay too long otherwise :P

So... here goes!

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--> Before asking any questions, check the sidebar of the sub. You can find the link to the:

• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions (intro to Reddit/the sub, commonly asked questions about the sub, overall intro to the sub and Reddit, basically)
• the Wiki - mother of all info basically. The lovely mods of our sub have made numerous + curated helpful posts about various skincare topics.
• Guides/Resources in the sidebar - some basic/important links to navigate the sub.
• Rules of the sub - very very important. Please understand that rules exist for a reason - to make the community an overall better place for all of us. The mods have put in a lot of work to create the rules. The least we can do is follow them. Any post or comment against the rule can be reported by anyone/removed by bots/mods.
• ISCA's Product Recommendations for Beginners (this is a brand new suuuuper helpful post!)

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--> Asking for help/advice/suggestions/recommendations:

Let me introduce you to The Weekly Help Thread!!! This is always posted on Saturdays (of every week) and is pinned to the top. Sort the sub by "Hot" and you should be able to see this right on top! This was made specifically for asking personal questions and you can ask anything! No question is silly :D

If you look at Rule #6, you'll understand where I'm coming from. Provide enough info so others can help us in the best way!

Now, how do we do this? (Some of the following are mentioned in Rule #6 too):

• Super basic: Mention your skin type. Now you can even set a flair that shows your skin type (if you see mine, it would say Dry next to my name)
• The climate you live in - humid/dry/summer always/etc (this helps because the skin behaves differently in different climatic conditions)
• Your skin issue: even skin tone, textured skin, dehydrated skin, etc
• Your current routine: helps give context to others so they can suggest something that will complement your existing routine
• How long you have been following a routine / using a specific product: This helps with providing a timeline so others can understand your/your skin's needs better and provide appropriate suggestions.
• Are you a beginner or not, esp wrt actives: I think this is self-explanatory - knowing how used to actives you are is crucial information. The wrong advice could lead to skin barrier damage!
• Instead of saying "I've used so many things and didn't like them, please suggest new ones", try mentioning the products you have tried already. This helps in avoiding repetition and makes sure you can get beneficial suggestions with some solid context
• "This product is not working at all, it is such a waste" or "I've been using this product for a month and nothing has happened!!!" is a common phrase here and is mostly about actives or actives-adjacent products. Something to keep in mind is to PLEASE be patient. Nothing works overnight! Each active/ingredient has a specific usage timeline. Only after this can you see real changes and YES it WILL be slow! But it will be worth it.
• lastly, some issues are beyond us. for anything that is serious, recurring or something you've been facing for a while... please see a derm!

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--> Search the sub.

• I KNOWW, everyone asks everyone else to always keep searching the sub when a query is asked! But you got to wonder, if so many people are telling us to search the sub.. maybe they're on to something?
• If nothing in the Wiki answers your question, I'm sure searching the sub will help. I am POSITIVE. Why? Because I always search the sub and find excellent info! It is a gold mine.
• If you're using an app/desktop, you'll see a "Search bar" on the top of the screen. Go to the sub, enter your query, and you'll get results. You can view Posts and Comments where your search query was used. This means anywhere anyone has discussed this product, you can see the discussion! Don't hesitate to reply to a really old post or comment and ask for a review. I've done this many times and got an answer most of the time! People love to help here! Try to be specific with your search term and try different combinations! For example, I want to look up reviews of "Cosrx Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Spa Mask" (I'd search using the full name first). Then I'd come down to "Cosrx Overnight Rice Sleeping Mask" or "Cosrx Sleeping Mask" or "Cosrx Rice Mask" etc. You get it!

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--> Megathreads!

• I know most of these are old, but you could find some options here as well!
• Search for 'Megathreads' in the search bar. You should get different variations of threads that are specific to a product type (like sunscreens, cleansers, etc.) or specific to skin types.

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TLDR:

• Check the sidebar of the sub
• How to ask for help - a guide
• How to search the sub
• Megathreads

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That's all folks!

I thought making a little handy guide could help others ask effective questions to receive the best solutions. This is purely my opinion based on the few years I have been a part of the sub. Feel free to (gently) correct me if I am wrong anywhere and feel free to give me suggestions to add! Please ignore any typos or grammatical errors!! I hope this helps people get better suggestions in the future. After all, no one owes anyone anything here and we're a great community that just wants to help others out of the goodness of our hearts. All of us were beginners at one point! Sometimes we want to help people not make the mistakes we make. So asking the right questions in the right way would yield maximum benefits.

Thank you for reading! <3