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The Acne.org Body Regimen - light to moderate

Important Important: This Body Regimen is performed twice daily, at 12 hour intervals if possible. Follow the regimen precisely for best results. Once your body acne is under complete control, you can try moving to once a day and see if you can stay clear. If not, go back to twice a day.

Wash Gently

Important Important: Irritation can make acne worse. To avoid irritation while washing, let your hands gently glide over your skin. Also, avoid using soap on the Body Regimen; soap can irritate and strip the skin. Instead, use a gentle facial wash to cleanse the body. And finally, use only bare hands to wash. Avoid using a washcloth.

shower The above video was taped during my morning shower. Feel free to take another quick shower at night as well. Alternatively, you can wash your body at the sink if that works better for you.

  • Dispense a generous amount of cleanser into your palm and lather.
  • Very gently wash your body. Stay exceedingly gentle when washing and wash only for a very short period of time. All you are doing is prepping the body for alpha hydroxy acid. Rinse.
  • After leaving the shower, gently pat dry with a towel. You may not get your skin completely dry when you gently pat dry this way, but that's to be expected. Let the remainder of the wetness air dry.
  • Allow 10-15 minutes for your skin to completely dry.

Apply 10% alpha hydroxy acid

  • Wash and dry hands.
  • Dispense a generous amount of alpha hydroxy acid. When in doubt, dispense more.
  • Apply gently to problem areas, letting your hand glide over the area until the alpha hydroxy acid is more or less absorbed. Remember, be gentle.
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bleach Benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabric. Even after it has dried, even a slight sweat can reactivate it. I recommend wearing white while on this regimen. I've personally found that red clothing tends to resist benzoyl peroxide better than other colors. Jeans also hold up well. Alternately, you can try the light to moderate Body Regimen which uses only alpha hydroxy acid and see if that works well enough.

sun Alpha hydroxy acid increases the skin's sensitivity to the sun and increases the chance of sunburn. If you're going to be in the sun, use a sunscreen while using alpha hydroxy acid and for a few weeks afterward. I prefer zinc oxide based sunscreens. My favorite brand is Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin which contains SPF15.

backpack Backpacks: Reducing irritation is important in clearing acne. But let's face it, you have to sit in chairs and wear clothes, so something will be touching your back much of the day and there's no need to obsess about it. Backpacks in particular, however, can create more direct and ongoing irritation which may aggravate back acne in some people. You may want to try carrying your stuff in something other than a backpack until you are clear on this regimen. At that point, you can start wearing your backpack and see if you stay clear, or if a backpack in your case is simply too much irritation.

Fabric softener: I am sensitive to fabric softener and my body will tend to develop red spots if I wear clothing exposed to fabric softener. An experienced doctor and several estheticians have also mentioned to me that this can occur. Fabric softener leaves a waxy residue on clothing. Try using 3/4 of a cup of vinegar in your final rinse cycle instead. It works great, is less expensive, and leaves no odor.

Allergy: If you think you might be allergic to benzoyl peroxide, apply a small amount of benzoyl peroxide for the first few days to a small spot on the upper back. Severe crusting or swelling indicates an allergic response. If you experience this, stop using benzoyl peroxide right away. Some redness or itchiness is normal and usually subsides after the first few weeks on benzoyl peroxide.

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