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The Acne.org Body Regimen - moderate to severe

Important Important: The Body Regimen requires twice daily application, about 12 hours apart if possible. This regimen is the result of years of trial and error and works best when followed precisely. When followed closely it provides dramatic results.

Wash Gently

Important Important: Let your hands gently glide over the body. Maintaining a gentle touch helps avoid irritation. Also, do not use soap on the Body Regimen; soap can overdry and irritate. Instead, use a gentle cleanser which is made for the face to wash the body. Lastly, use only bare hands. Do not use a washcloth.

shower I taped the above video during my morning shower. You can simply take another quick shower at night to wash the body again. Alternatively, if it works better for you, feel free to wash your body at the sink.

  • Dispense cleanser into your palm and lather.
  • Gently wash your body for only a few seconds in each area. Washing for such a short period of time may feel different from what you are used to, but it is an important step to reduce irritation. Only wash each area for a few seconds and use an exceedingly gentle touch.
  • After getting out of the shower, very gently pat your body dry with a towel. Your skin may not get completely dry this way but that's OK. Just let the remaining wetness air dry.
  • Wait 10-15 minutes for your skin to completely dry.

Apply 2.5% benzoyl peroxide

  • Wash and dry hands.
  • Dispense a generous amount of benzoyl peroxide. When in doubt, use more. Spread it onto your problem areas, allowing your fingers to very gently glide over the skin until the benzoyl peroxide is more or less absorbed.
  • Wait 5-15 minutes for your skin to completely dry. Do not rinse off the benzoyl peroxide. Once it is applied, you will leave it on the skin.

Apply 10% alpha hydroxy acid

  • Wash and dry hands.
  • Dispense lots of alpha hydroxy acid.
  • Apply very gently, allowing your fingers to glide over the body until the alpha hydroxy acid is more or less absorbed.
  • Wait for skin to dry before putting on clothing. Note: Read below on how benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabric.
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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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