When I encountered acne.org back in December 2005, I was depressed and desperate. I had recently turned 20 and I had worse acne than I did back in high school. Birth control didn't help get rid of the painful red bumps scattered all over my face, six months of Proactiv didn't help, medicated washes didn't help, spot-treating didn't help, masks didn't help, salicyclic acid lotions didn't help, and I was terrified of the prospect of going to a dermatologist to be prescribed antibiotics that would cause me painful yeast infections. I was dubious about the regimen because I had used benzoyl peroxide in the past as part of Proactiv, but I also didn't have any other accessible acne treatment options, and I was completely sick of my skin. I read all about Dan's gel, browsed dozens of reviews and testimonials, and decided to open up my wallet and take a risk. I ordered two tubes of Dan's gel, figuring that I didn't have much to lose besides a little money.

The regimen sure enough ended up working for me, and so I keep coming back here to help out other people who feel angry/depressed/confused/frustrated about their skin. I can't say enough about getting yourself into the right state of mind to try the regimen, so I want to use this thread to prepare people for it in an honest, realistic way. The DKR works wonders, but if your expectations are too high, you are impatient, or you experiment with other things at the same time, you will run into problems.

Start off on the right foot with recommended products, and get rid of your old acne topicals. Just because you have the Proactiv acne scrub or your mom's face cream lying around doesn't mean that you should try them with the regimen! I know it's frustrating to spend money on things that don't work, but it's better to get rid of your old ineffective products than to try to start the regimen with them. Wait until you can get all the proper supplies and then begin the regimen, rather than using some 10% BP you have lying around or other old products that might interfere with your results. If you can't bear to throw them away, put them somewhere where you won't be tempted to use them while you try the regimen. I strongly recommend ordering Dan's gel to begin with so that you start with the best (and most cost-effective) product available. If you live outside of the US or aren't comfortable ordering off the internet, then pick up another 2.5% benzoyl peroxide (like Neutrogena On-the-Spot) from a drugstore, but Dan's gel is so much gentler, better-textured, and cheaper that you should try to start with it if possible. I believe I saw good results relatively quickly because I started off with Dan's gel.

Your acne will not clear up instantly on the DKR. If you actually do see miraculous clearing within days of starting (as some people on the boards claim), please realize that you have likely not seen the last of your acne. BP dries out your acne at first, but then you aren't using enough during your first week or two to actually prevent future breakouts, so they will probably come back until you have upped your dosage enough and held it at that level for a while. I still had breakouts for the first 6 or 7 weeks on the regimen, and many people take even longer before they clear. My pimples started disappearing more quickly and weren't as severe at that point, but acne is still acne. Be prepared to give the DKR a three month trial, and be prepared to still have acne for most of that time.

It is more important to get your skin used to the benzoyl peroxide for the first month or so than to actually achieve clear skin. It is better to go slowly and take more time to work your way up to a full-finger application than to use too much gel too soon and backpedal because of irritation and dryness. Even if you've used benzoyl peroxide before in other systems, you probably were not using nearly as much BP as you will be on the regimen. I had used both the Proactiv face wash and lotion twice a day for six months and plenty of 10% BP creams in the past, and still, my skin took time to adjust to the small amount of BP I started with. Follow Dan's recommendations for BP dosage--or use even less if you feel that your skin is overly irritated. You might not clear up as quickly as you want, but you can avoid many of the problems that new regimen users complain about by going easy with the BP.

Try not to think about your skin. When you start clearing up a little but not completely, you might hold your skin to a higher standard than you did before and become more frustrated with it. If you are constantly obsessing over a new breakout or thinking about how you're not clear yet, you might even do things that interfere with the regimen. Resist the temptation to check your skin out in mirrors all the time or to pick at active acne! Aside from reapplying moisturizer as necessary, you don't want to be touching your face; the best way to do this is to not think about you skin at all. Don't dwell on why you're not clear yet and don't worry about some visible flakes or redness. Think about what your skin will be like in a few months, not how it is now, and know that breakouts or dryness right now won't matter at all in a short time.

Peeling, redness, and flaking will eventually go away, but it may take a couple of months and some product changes. Let's be honest: your skin just probably won't look that great while you are beginning the regimen. You'll still have active acne, your skin will be drier, you might have flakes or areas of redness, your skin might look parched, it's just not a pretty picture at the start. Many people think that it gets worse before it gets better, and I agree. You just have to power on through it and look to the future. You can try switching cleansers and moisturizers to help with flaking or redness problems, but please realize that you can only do so much while you are still adjusting to BP. Even with the best recommended products, for the first few months you will still deal with some degree of redness, dryness, and flaking. Those problems do go away eventually! Again, try not to dwell on the state of your skin or do things that are counterproductive in the meantime.

Don't be tempted by other treatments while on the regimen. Other acne treatments like salicyclic acid (beta hydroxy acid) or sulfur can compoud your irritation with the regimen, so don't touch those at all, especially while you are still adjusting to the regimen, In fact, BP deactivates topical retinoid products aside from Differin, so you definitely can't have those on your face at the same time! When you see an acne face wash at a store, just skip right over it and purchase something unmedicated. Even though you think you might get clear faster by using multiple treatments, you'll just end up with lots more irritation and perhaps even more acne than if you had just stuck with BP. Other kinds of skin treatments tend to do more harm than good. Scrubs can tear up your skin, masks are overdrying, and homemade facial concoctions are ineffective at best. Some people really like the idea of natural skincare and want to incorporate in things like aloe vera and tea tree oil, but the results from adding in extra steps like these to the regimen seem to be by and large unsuccessful. Just keep in mind that if you insist on using more products and aren't getting the results you hope for, the first thing Dan, Brandy, and other regimen veterans will tell you is to get back to basics and ditch the extras. Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) such as lactic acid or glycolic acid moisturizers really do help with flaking and dryness, but you should wait until your skin is used to the full dose of BP before trying these. The more complicated the regimen, the harder it is to figure out where it goes wrong!

If you can't make time to do the regimen morning and night, then the DKR is not for you. Twice a day, every day. If you do the regimen only once a day, leave out steps, go through the process hastily, or miss applications, then you should expect less than ideal results. I skipped a couple non-consecutive applications due to late-night partying and timing of washes recently, and what do you know--even after nine months of straight DKR use, I still got some small pimples by my mouth. Slacking off is fine so long as you are willing to pay the price, but again, it is an actual price. If you balk at setting aside a good half-hour each morning and evening to wash your face, apply BP, allow it to absorb, and moisturize, then you should look into other acne treatment options. Patience and diligence is absolutely key.

Don't expect a flawless complexion when all your acne is gone. Many people complain about redmarks and scars and how the regimen doesn't address these acne artifacts. It's simply not that easy! An AHA used once or twice a day over several months can help fade hyperpigmentation, but it might not be enough to get your skin completely mark-free, especially if you had moderate-severe acne before the regimen. I didn't even know I had acne scarring until I had cleared up, and then I had a whole new skin problem that I had never thought about before! Now I have accepted that I can't do much about my mild scarring without spending lots of money on treatments, and that even so, my skin still looks so much better now than it did a year ago. So when you do clear up, please don't expect to have baby butt smooth, unblemished skin. Have realistic expectations about what your acne-free skin will look like. I much prefer easily concealable light marks and minor dents over big red inflamed pimples, but if you feel otherwise, then don't bother treating your acne.

Breakouts can still happen. I still get small pimples nine months later when I slack off, as I have not grown out of acne. The regimen can keep virtually all acne at bay when you follow it diligently, but even so, you might still get little pimples in problem areas once in a while. The more persistent your acne, the bigger the consequences of missing an application and the more likely minor breakouts might continue. In order to maintain clear skin, you will need to keep buying cleanser, BP, and moisturizer, keep making time to do the regimen morning and night, and keep being gentle with your skin. The regimen effectively prevents acne, but if you stop, your pimples will come back (unless you have grown out of acne). It is up to you to decide if you can stick with the regimen for the long haul.

I got a PM from someone who was confused about whether AHA was a required element of the regimen. It is not. I love Eucerin Skin Renewal, which contains lactic acid--a very mild AHA, but AHA is not at all required. In fact, glycolic acid, which is the usual form of AHA, is usually too much for people when they're first starting out on the regimen.

I have been trying lots of samples of moisturizers from various manufacturers in an attempt to make a replacement moisturizer myself, and have found that AHA is not required for adequate moisturization. However, the various manufacturers who have been scurrying to make us a moisturizer have not hit on something that's as good as Eucerin yet. Some of the samples I've tried are too stinky, some are too thick, and some leave my face too tight. Therefore, to prevent severe flakiness in some people, I recommend the addition of AHA as discussed at http://www.acne.org/aha.html for the time being.

I'm going to try KissMyFace moisturizer as soon as I can get some and see what that's like. Since Eucerin was discontinued from Drugstore.com and I still haven't gotten my manufacturers to make the perfect replacement, we're gonna have to try some new ones 'til we find a good solution. In the meantime, if your skin gets super dry with whatever other moisturizer you're using, the addition of AHA might help, but is in no way required.

Hey guys and girls,

We're currently putting together a page of before and afters to give other members a better idea of the kind of results to expect. I think this will be a nice addition to the Regimen section and hopefully inspire more people to try the Regimen out.

Your photos will appear on a new before and after page with your member name and a link to your gallery (if you have one), along with a list of products you used to achieve your results.

If you're interested in helping out please email your photo's to paul@acne.org, if you could also include a the brand face wash, Benzoyl peroxide and moisturizer used.

Many thanks

Paul

http://www.acne.org/regimen_poll.php?anchor=poll

Click that link then click on "view results".

If you have been on the Regimen for at least 3 months, please vote in the poll.


You can also view the Success Stories here: http://www.acne.org/success.php

Hi Everyone,

So I have had hormonal acne since I was 12. I have pretty much tried everything and were given birth control pills to control my menstrual cycle but nothing helped. Some of the pills even made me depressed. I started the regimen a month ago and it seems as though my acne is clearing up a bit....
at the moment I still don't know what to think.

Anyways, I just want to know if anyone here has hormonal acne and had the regimen help them get cleared up?

streroids bring up your testeron level and cause more acne
but cannabis brings it down and rises the ostregen level.
And i can se visble result when it comes to preventing breaking out the next day after i have smoked cannabis !
To bad you can do it very often, if you dont wanna end up at pothead !

just wanted to share... i have been using the regimen since 12 wks pregnant and am still clear.
using neutrogena oil fee wash,panoxyl gel 2.5 of course, and neutrogena spf15,i hope its not just the pregnancy thats giving me clear skin,as i hope this sticks as i religiously do 2x a day.

I'm just starting with the regimen and watched Dan's video on using neutrogena on the spot treatment. I'm just wondering how he's able to "glide" this product on his face for so long? When i put it on my face, that stuff absorbs within 30-45 seconds and hardened. I realize that he uses a bit more than i do while I use about half of my index finger amount. Could it be because my face absorbs faster and I have drier skin?

I'm in week 4 of the regimen; breakouts have ceased, but my face still is still quite red, is there any way to speed up the transition to normal skin tone?

Thanks

I've been very careful up until 2 days ago, it's summer here, weather is hot and I was in a rush to catch my bus to work. Put on BP and applied moisturizer + jojoba oil. I must have smeared some BP the under of my eyes areas.. now both my eyes have this dark brownish half circles under them!!! It makes me look like a drug addict

I don't know if it will stay on forever and won't go away or should I just wait it out, or apply moisturizer to it, or put AHA+ under the eyes (risky I think). Anyone had this happened before can you please advise what to do?!

I've spent the last 2 hours or so browsing the site and reading about the Regiment. I'm seriously thinking about giving it a try because of all the reviews I've read and the attractive price.

I guess since this is my first post, I'll go ahead and do a little introduction. I'm a 23 yr old male with moderate to severe acne..pretty much been facing them since middle school. I've tried most of the over counter stuff including ProActiv, but nothing worked.

About 5 weeks ago I started using Differin gel, the .3% version. It didn't really aggravated my skin, and I don't see an improvement as well.

I accident ran into this site on Google when I was searching for reviews of different acne products. My winter break from the university is about to start in 2 weeks so I'd figure that I'll give this a try during winter break.

My first question is whether if I should stop using the Differin nightly for a week or so before going on the Regimen?

And secondly, I've watched the vids of Dan demonstrating the techniques to put on the stuff. I see that he uses a lot of the moisturizer..my skin is naturally very oily as is..should I be using less than normal?

Lastly, I watched the vid where Dan says to only leave the cleanser on your face for only 10 seconds. But in another video when he's shaving, it appears like he left the cleanser on for more than the 10 seconds?

Thanks a lot! And I will say that this is a great board...for both support and sharing info.

Hello, I"ve been on the DKR for a little over three months now. I have my good and bad weeks. Acne is *almost* completely under control, and I think SA might be the key. Would it be ok for me to use Neutrogena Oil Free Acne wash as a cleanser instead of Dan's, and then continue with the BP & Moisturizer after that?

Thanks --

Ok, here is my current regimen:

Morning- Wash with purpose cleanser, apply purpose dual moisturizer/sunscreen

Night- wash with purpose cleanser, apply proactiv revitalizing toner, apply a thin layer of BP



As you can see I have modified the regimen because this way has worked best for me so far (a thin layer of BP at night seems to keep my acne away).

I was just wondering if it would be overkill if I used Dan's AHA at night after applying the BP, seeing as I already use the proactiv revitalizing toner? I have red marks on my forehead that linger forever and haven't went away yet, so I was hoping that using this AHA would help get rid of them.

What do you guys think? If the revitalizing toner enough? Does anyone know what % glycolic acid is in the revitalizing toner (I know Dan's aha contains 10%).

Thanks.

hey guys,

I'm currently on the third day of the regimen. My issue is the constant stinging/burning sensation after I apply Dan's moisturizer. I initially thought it would go away after an hour or so but the stinging remained throughout the day/night I noticed a bunch of other related threads where people were having the same issue. I also know Dan suggests waiting a few days to see if my skin adjusts.

I was just wondering if anybody has had similar experiences and if this "burning" goes away in time. I've been applying one full pump of moisturizer and my face is still dry. Is it time for a new moisturizer or should I stick this out? Btw, I've noticed that the areas that sting the most are my forehead and temples, possibly due to the fact that skin is thin there? Either way, any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

After months of using Retin-a .1% , i am very unsatisfied with it. Right now im 90% clear but the redness is horrible. I plan on switching to Dan's Regimen, but i am curious if i should give my face a rest, or just jump straight in to the Regimen. Is it okay to switch products immediately? Thanks

Hey everyone, I'm new here and I've been using the regimen for about a year. Next week in school we start swimming in gym (and yes, we HAVE to do it ) for most of November. I won't be able to put bp on in the morning because the water will wash it off. I went a week one time only using it at night and I broke out. I can't put it on after gym either because I won't have enough time. What can I do until we stop swimming?

I started using the regimen that I bought here and i was curious if anyone has the problems i am having so far...

Dryness around the mouth, sorta below my cheeks

itching after completing the regimen

also i was hoping that someone could offer advice as to what i can put on to help with the dryness??


thanks!

I've just passed week 3 and I'm not seeing much improvement. In fact, it seems like I'm getting more pimples than usual, and they are much larger than before. I'm trying to stay positive, but it's hard to stick with something that is making your acne worse. Do I need to start thinking about stopping?

Sometimes my neck gets really red and starts to sting, I think it's caused by sweat. This never happened till I started using Differin and Clenia.

like, my necks looks like I have a really bad sunburn at times.

Yesterday was Day 21 on the Regimen for me, and it's clearing acne quickly. I'm up to one full pump of BP, and I don't experience much flakiness at all. However, I am experiencing some redness higher up on my cheeks. I'm avoiding my eyes like Dan says, but it ends up looking like I was out in the sun and wore sunglasses. It's hardly noticeable anywhere else, and from what I've heard 1 pump is enough to get rid of new acne, but not prevent acne so I really wanna up the dosage. Any suggestions for me to reduce the redness?

is it ok for the regimen to put on more moisturizer once in the middle of the day? i usually shower in the early afternoon after going to the gym and was wondering if i should/can put on more moisturizer afterwards. i dont use the cleanser when i do this as everyone says not to wash more than twice per day, not really sure what i should do...

Greetings,

I have had painful itching acne (?) on my scalp since I was 17, --20 years ago. :-( Anyway, the condition always seemed to clear up when I was taking antibiotics for different infections, etc. Recently, I went to see a Derm and he insisted it was non bacterial Seborheic (sp?) Dermatitis. He gave me some topical steroid and some prescription shampoo. I follwed the instructions religiously. After nearly 4 weeks its worse than ever.

My scalp gets red acne-like sores which are painful to the touch. They will bleed at times in thie middle of the night. I am very pissed at a 90 dollar office visit plus prescription costs just to get nowhere.

I had shaved my head for a while, and applied cortisone cream. That seemed to help, though not eliminate the problem.

Does anyone know what this might be? I guess its back to the Derm. Wonder if he'll give me a refund? LOL!

Erik.

Hey everyone,
So I'm incorporating various anti-acne techniques that will complement the acne.org regimen. I would just like some feedback on what I'm doing that's good (or bad and how I can change it). The way I see fighting acne is a 2-front battle, from the INSIDE, as well as from the OUTSIDE.
So it goes as follows:

Morning-
-Acne.org cleanser
-Acne.org BP
-Acne.org moisturizer
-Doxycycline (one 100mg pill)
-Multivitamin
-Omega Oil supplement (cod liver oil)

Evening-
-Acne.org cleanser
-shower
-Gillette sensitive skin shaving foam (doesn't have menthol or other bad crap)-with Gillette Sensor -Excel blade
-Acne.org BP
-Acne.org moisutrizer
-Doxycycline (another 100mg pill)
-Green tea every night

I also juice everyday (with celery, carrots, ginger, apples and cucumbers), so I guess that has to only be a good thing?
I've been on the DKR Regimen for about a week, and I started the Doxycycline yesterday. We'll see how this goes

Please, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

For some reason, the only time that my skin is dry and flaky is after I get out of the shower(I use cleanser in the shower) and before I put on BP. This confuses me, as it seems that BP dries most peoples skin out. I don't know if I am doing something wrong, but whenever I wash my face later in the day(a few hours after applying BP) I can feel it coming off, as if there was a thin, dried layer on the surface of my skin. This layer of BP on my skin seems to keep it from drying out, and it will only go back to being dry if I wash the BP off. When I have the BP on my face, my only dry areas are around my eyes and on my neck, where I don't put BP. Should I only moisturize these areas, or my entire face? Does anyone else feel the layer of BP on their face when they get it wet, or am I doing something wrong?

I'm sure this question has been answered before, but I could not find it through searching.

I workout 3 days a week, and also take a racquetball class twice a week. Before these, I wash my face gently with Dan's face wash to get the BP off(so I don't bleach my clothes). After the workout/class, I take a shower.

I read in the FAQ that this doesn't warrant a third regimen, but it also seemed to imply that you shouldn't wash the BP off at all (I can't rearrange it so I workout before applying the regimen).

Anyways, should I just wash and moisturize, or wash, BP, and moisturize afterwards?

I generally do the regimen in the morning and work out in the afternoon 3 days a week. What should I do regimen-wise if I shower after I work out mid-day? Do I re-apply? I'm confused.

A little question : how is your skin after you put BP but before you put moisturizer (between the two, when you wait 5-15 minutes before putting BP)

My skin is very very very flaky until I put the moisturizer
Is this normal or not ?
How long (weeks, months), there is more flaky ??????

I just got my order delivered 3 days ago. so far my skin is red and itchy in clear spots. but where i have acne is being purged very fast and i have quite a few massive white heads(not sure if their called whiteheads thats just what they look like) and the redness where i have acne is fading (lol?). is there a technique or cream that i can use on these massive white heads to get rid of them faster? but don't say pop them, i don't want my face to get worse or worsen the scarring im going to have once i'm clear. i need to do something though because i woke up this morning with blood on my pillow and a scab where a whitehead was. i'm not sure but i'm thinking this is worse than popping because i could at least drain it all and disinfect the area.

i've seen a number of posts about commitment to the regimen saying stuff similar to "miss a session and be prepared to break out". well im curious of the opposite, if using it 3-4 times a day will speed things up? if anyone could shed some light that would be great.

lastly, what exactly is AHA cream for? ive been reading lots about it but i still don't understand what it's used for and if i should be ordering some.

I'm on the regime for 7 weeks (since I stopped the jojoba (see my signature)
My skin is so flaky! And I can not put the jojoba (break me out) I still can not put full dosage, but only half a finger. (if flaky!)
And I have acne new every day
I think my moisturizer is good. It is a moisturizer for oily skin made fragile by over-drying skinccare.
It Helps reconstitute the protective hydrolipidic film. Reinforces skin barrier function. Soothes irritations and redness
The main ingredients : glycerin, squalane, caprylic / capric triglyceride shea butter, bisabolol …


What can I do?

Im sure this topic has been brought up many times before, but I dont feel like searching through all the old posts.... has anyone used proactiv AND Dans regimen? stories about which worked better for you? tips, advice?