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The Acne.org Body Regimen - moderate to severe

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My moderate to severe Body Regimen consists of three steps and uses only over-the-counter products. To get started, you'll need a gentle cleanser, plenty of 10% alpha hydroxy acid, and lots of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. In my experience, an alpha hydroxy product which contains licochalcone works best. When followed closely, this regimen works remarkably well to get body acne under control.

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How I discovered the body regimen

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By high school, my acne had spread to my neck and back and was moderate to severe. At times it would also affect my chest and shoulders. I decided to find a way to clear it up, and after years of trial and error I developed a regimen for my neck and back that cleared me up. The same regimen also proved to work brilliantly anywhere on my body.

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How the moderate to severe body regimen works

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(click here for the light to moderate regimen)

  • body regimen step 1

    Gentle cleanser: A gentle cleanser helps remove surface oils which allows topical products to penetrate. Washing very gently is imperative as it helps keep irritation to a minimum. In body acne, just like in facial acne, avoiding irritation is very important.

  • body regimen step 2

    Lots of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide: Benzoyl peroxide kills acne bacteria. It is also a drying and peeling agent which keeps pores from clogging. What I discovered is that to get benzoyl peroxide to work to its fullest potential you need to use a lot of it. I recommend 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. Studies show that 2.5% is as effective as 5% or 10% without the irritation.

  • body regimen step 3

    Plenty of 10% alpha hydroxy acid: Alpha hydroxy acid exfoliates the skin and works incredibly well with benzoyl peroxide to clear body acne. I particularly like alpha hydroxy acid with licochalcone (a licorice root extract which soothes and calms acne-prone skin), although this is not required.

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