hi guys,

what am i to look for when buying a moisturizer?

just bought Garnier - Aqua Defense, getting a burning/sting feeling after i put it on (10mins after BP). im on my 3rd day of the regimen.

is it normal? was previously using a different moisturizer. changed as it was too greasy. (did not sting). current moisturizer has fruit water (anti-oxidant) and vitamin E. cant find what else is in it.

if someone could tell me what to look out or avoid for in a moisturizer, it would be really helpful.
thanks,

hey guys, i just ordered the regimen products, and i know im gonna have to use a smaller amount when i first start, i was just wondering when you know you should start to use more BP? Does it usually take about 4 weeks of small amounts of BP to get your skin used to it? My skin is very sensitive so I know i'll have to deal with the redness and stuff (kinda nervous about that).
thanks!

Hey guys..

I have been on the regimen for 5 weeks now... the first week i used Bengel 2.5% an indian BP brand... L8r i switched to Benzac 2.5% from Galderma... Though i started slow and gradually increased... as this is the 5th week.. I am using fulll Amount of bp... On somedays when i apply bp it stings and burns like hell and my face becomes red... but on somedays it doesnt sting it isnt red at all... Whats happening here i dont understand .. Dan told tht by the 5th week the redness would be totally gone... Help PLz!! and Btw i never had any sort of redness on my face before using BP!

Thank you!!!

OK SO THE LAST TIME I MADE A POST ABOUT SKIPPING THE BP AND JUST STICK TO WASHING AND MOISTURIZING. WELL AFTER ABOUT A MONTH WITHOUT USING BP, I ONLY GOT LIKE 1 OR 3 PIMPLES THAT HEAL QUICK, WHICH ISNT BAD AT ALL, I ALSO GOT SOME ZITS HERE AND THERE WHEN I USED BP TWICE A DAY, BUT I HAVE NOW CHANGED HOW I USE THE REGIMEN. DURING THE DAY, I ONLY WASH AND MOISTURIZE AND SPOT TREAT WITH AHA(SOMETIMES) THEN AT NIGHT I WASH, APPLY BP, AND APPLY AHA/MOISTURIZE. I PREFER TO DO IT THIS WAY BECAUSE I NO LONGER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BLEACHING MY SHIRTS, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO POSSIBLY POST A VID OF MY RED MARKS PROGRESS BUT I DONT KNOW IF THATS POSSIBLE HERE? ANYWAYS HERES A PIC OF HOW MY SKIN LOOKS NOW, I KNOW I LOOK HIGH LOL BUT IT WAS LATE

[IMG]http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/3668/img0308gt.jpg[/IMG]

Hi guys, I was just wondering if applying ice after cleansing could help fade red marks/ decrease the size of pimples.
I know that there was a thread created about this topic, but nobody was answering my question as the thread was "dead."

Hopefully this isn't illegal and I won't have to sort through all of Dan's junk e-mail as punishment.

My 13 y/o son has been using Dan's cleanser, treatment, and AHA for about 3 months now. His severe cystic acne seems to be a little better since using it. He has large scars on the back of his neck which the AHA seems to be really helping - the thick, scarred skin seems to be getting thinner, smaller. While Dan's regimen seems to be working a little, but not nearly enough, my son, myself, and his derm decided today that since he has been "fighting" the severe acne for about 4 years with all sorts of cleansers, meds, etc. and nothing has helped that it's time to try Accutane.

I know all of the side effects and the risks, so I'm not asking what anyone thinks of my letting him try the medication. What I'd like to know is if anyone here uses Dan's regimen AND Accutane at the same time? The derm told me to have him stop with the regimen as it will dry him out even more than just using the med will. She recommended just using Cetaphil Face and Body Wash and Cetaphil Dry Skin Lotion instead. I'd like to know what you think of his still using the AHA at least since that seems to be helping his scars and I'd hate for him to stop using that.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I feel like I'm hanging on by my fingernails here !! It's been SO long of a struggle for him that it breaks my heart. I just want to do what I can to help him!

I was wondering if it would help control the oiliness of my skin?
I have extremely oily skin.

It's been about a year since I gave up on Dan's Regimen.

I started it in the fall of 2007. Everything was going smoothly. It took me about 3 months or so to get clear, and I remained clear for a good 5 months or so. I was ecstatic that I had finally found something that worked, and proud that I had managed to stick to a regimen so strictly and attentively. It had actually paid off in the end!

But the problem was the payoff was only temporary. Come June of 2008, I started breaking out again. Yet I had done nothing differently. I was abiding by the Regimen as closely as I had always been when it was successful.

I noticed that my acne had become far worse in the relapse than when I had started the Regimen. It was deeper in my skin, painful, and cystic, as opposed to merely superficial pimples. Yet I continued the Regimen for another 6 months, and my skin improved only slightly. Something was wrong. It had simply stopped working.

Since then, I've been on an Accutane course, which cleared me up. And then a couple months after the course, surprise surprise! Acne relapsed, although I can at least finally say that it's no longer cystic.

I was looking into alternative treatments, and came across Carley's Clear and Smooth as quite a few people have been raving about it in the reviews section of this site. It had its own regimen, yet like Dan's, it was based around the application of BP, which had me initially very sceptical. However, there's a critical difference: for the Clear and Smooth regimen, the BP is left on in the shower for only 30 seconds and washed off. Whereas in Dan's, it's absorbed fully into the skin in large quantities, twice a day! I found it curious that Dan's Regimen was about using copious amounts of BP and leaving it on permanently, whereas the Clear and Smooth regimen stresses the importance of washing off the BP with a washcloth to ensure there isn't any left on the skin.

So I emailed Clear and Smooth and asked what their reasoning behind this regimen was. They explained that if a BP-based regimen is used where the benzoyl peroxide treatment is not fully washed off after application, there is high likelihood that the regimen isn't going to keep the person clear long-term.

But why? Their explanation is that if BP is simply left on the skin, some of the acne-causing bacteria on the face is going to be driven deeper into the skin as a response, where future BP applications won't be able to kill it. What results is cystic acne.

Now I found this awfully coincidental considering this is precisely what happened from my personal experience, yet I had made no mention of it to them! So I've begun to lend credence to their regimen.

So that's where I am now. Currently suffering from mild-moderate (but frustrating persistent) acne, and have been giving the Clear and Smooth regimen a shot.

So far it's been about 7 weeks on the Clear and Smooth regimen, and improvement, if any, hasn't been all that noticeable. I'm not disheartened, however; recall that it took about 3 months on Dan's Regimen to see convincing results.

If you're interested in learning more about it, here's their website:

https://www.clearandsmoothskin.com/index.php

I believe they also have a very active store on ebay. It helps that the products are reasonably priced, and that their natural soap is fantastic (and they give you a free bar of it with each product you order, so it's not difficult to amass quite a collection of it).

However, that's not all I'm doing. After a lot of research, I also decided finally to invest in a blue/red light therapy lamp to treat acne. Specifically, the Caribbean Sun Box, which was more affordable and still has garnered some great reviews. This is experimentation, but I've heard great things about light therapy as of late, with people comparing its efficacy to that of BP or even Accutane, so I figured it was worth a shot. Moreover, if used as combination therapy with the Clear and Smooth regimen, I'm hoping I can quell my breakouts once and for all. I've only been doing light therapy for the past 2 weeks, mind you, and they generally say improvement won't be apparent until 2-3 months into it.

Some other things to note:

I take 2 fish oil pills a day.

I've greatly minimized (although not eliminated altogether, mind you) both dairy and grain in my diet due to some evidence that they are correlated with acne.

I am not applying any topical treatment to my face other than what is outlined in the Clear and Smooth regimen. They stress that no other topicals should be used in the regimen lest they interfere with it.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed and am hoping for the best.

I just wanted to share my experiences, thoughts, and plans with the rest of you. These forums have helped me in the past, and for that brief time I was clear I was ever-thankful for this community. So I feel I owe it to all of you to keep you updated on the fact that Dan's Regimen didn't work for me long-term, sadly.

So, I've been using The Regimen since mid- September. I use the moisturizer from this site and the treatment. and I also use the jojoba when my skin gets flaky and dry, as well as tea tree oil as spot treatment on new pimples.

The first month, I was seeing a little bit of improvement, then it just kind of stopped progressing. My skin started to get VERY dry around my chin and cheeks and nose because that's where my worst acne seemed to be. And now, my forehead is FULL of these annoying little pores, they're itchy and look disgusting, of course. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and was hoping someone could lead me to the right path of using this regimen. any help is greatly appreciated.

oh, and I do still wear make-up throughout the day when I go to work and school because there is no way that I can leave the house without any on, I use an oil free clinique powdered foundation everyday and the occasional mascara/eyeshadow.

Hi Everyone,

I am starting week 6 of the regimen and have noticed I'm getting small red bumps on my upper cheeks and forehead. They're not big and inflamed with a whitehead just begging to be popped, nor do they hurt. But still, they're red and kinda annoying.

My question is, does using the dkr regimen typically cause this to happen...from big and inflamed acne to small and red...to hopefully none at all?

Also worth mentioning is that I started using AHA+ for the first time this past weekend..on friday night (so it's been a few days since then). I started getting the smaller red bumps a few days before, though, so I don't want to blame it on the AHA, not to mention that I have yet to put the AHA on my forehead and I had a red bump above my eyebrow this morning, so I'm not too sure they're related.

So what do you guys think? Have those of you on the regimen seen the size of your acne decrease? I'm still breaking out just as often, it's just not as big and painful. I hope this isn't some sort of reaction I'm having.

Thanks!

Can jojoba be used as your moisturizer just by itself?

Hello all!

I've been on the regimen for about a month or so, and it seems to be working fairly well. Although I have a few questions. I am still moderately dry, I use Dan's moisturizer in the morning and Cetaphil cream at night.

Also, after I shower or wash my face it gets really tight until I put moisturizer or BP on it. Anyone else experience this, or how to fix it? It also happens if my face gets wet - swimming, tubing, etc. It's kind of frustrating to always have to worry about having lotion with.


Thanks!
Zenith

After a brief couple of weeks of minor break outs, my skin is back to being relatively clear - after I actually LOWERED the amount of BP. Using anymore than 1/2 pump at a time just seems to make my skin break out and lotion doesn't go on as well, either.

That aside, I got my Alpha Hydrox Cream in the mail yesterday. I know Dan says to use it occasionally after using BP, but it just seems weird to me?

My acne is often mild, though on occasion, becomes "moderate".

Do I apply BP, wait for it to dry, apply AHA, wait...then moisturize? Has anyone had success with replacing their morning BP with AHA? Anybody put it on BEFORE BP? Any initial breakouts with it?

Also, I did a patch last night and didn't get the tingling, burning or redness that everyone talks about. Is my skin already used to it or is it just not working?

How well does it work?

Any other AHA advice?

Thanks!

Wow once i hit month 3 i was CLEAR.
i mean not totally clear but i was so happy with my ressults!
i was able to go outside without being worried!

Its month 4 now and well a breakout just started :S
I am so so so so so so so so so so x1000000000 dissapointed!
A month of good skin ? are you kidding me.
Im breaking out around my nose, a bunch of little whiteheads ( look disgusting to me)
and on my cheek areas!
what the....
My chin now has a few.
Can anyone tell me whats going on.. i haven't even changed my routine or anything!
It looks like my blackheads are all coming out but i coould be wrong. Why would they come out now ?
ughhhh.
pissed.

Hi, since puberty I've always had a couple of zits, but for the last few months my face has been broken out very badly, and as everyone knows, it's horrible- especially going to college...I can't even begin to describe the difference it has made in my social/personal life. I don't know what started the breakout, but my whole chin and neck are broken out....I usally have a few new whiteheads every morning, and the red spots from old pimples have built up so much it looks like I have welts on my chin. My problem is that I have very many little bumps, like when I stretch my skin with my tongue...many of the pores from my bottom lip down are little bumps that turn into new pimples frequently and this makes the thought of my acne ever going away, atleast relatively soon, hopeless....and for me this is the worst part: feeling hopeless that as long as I have these many many little bumps (whatever they're called) my face will stay bad. Does anyone have a suggestion? Has anyone had this? PLEASE HELP

Like the topic says Ziana is still not really working after 2 1/2 months, should i go ahead and give the regimen a try. My acne is like on the milder side of moderate.

Hi Guys,i have been on Regimen for six weeks and still my skin gets red and burns.Every time i put Moisturizer ( Nivea soft creme) the problem appears.So do you have any suggestions cuz i hate to go out with red skin on my face.
Um.. i'm from Bulgaria and use 5% BP .

hi! i've been on the regimen for 2 weeks now, results are great, my skin is clearing up slowly..

however, my skin is totally darkening! i'm so tanned now! hehe..

suggestions any one?

can i use a moisturizer that whitens? w/ SPF 15 probably? would that help?

Does the gel need to stay on all day? Is it cool to wash the gel off after a couple of hours?

so i moisturize twice a day should i wait till morning and just let the moisturizer wash off in the shower???? i never used to have dryskin so i aint good at this

I have been on the regimen for right at 4 weeks now. I still am breaking out, mainly on the left side of my face on my cheeks, and every now and again on my forehead...seems the right side of my face purged in the beginning and hasn't had much problem other than a few stray pimples since.

What I'm finding puzzling, and painfully aggravating (literally) is that under my cheeks, under my jawline I should say, it is flaking really bad, has been for a little over a week maybe, and I'm even beginning to get a red "mark" as though my skin is burning on one portion of my jawline (but under the jaw...not along the side of my face, if I'm making sense).

I apply no BP here, only moisturizer. Now I understand BP can spread with the application of the moisturizer, so in all reality I am probably spreading some BP to this area, but I'm no where near applying large amounts directly to this area. Why am I getting such a flaky mess? I'm flaky elsewhere on my face such as around my chin, but not this bad.

I also find that when I use jojoba oil on this area, it burns and itches really bad (which sometimes I cannot help but scratch it, making it worse!), so I've been left with using a little bit of Dan's moisturizer, not adding extra jojoba, and then to help cool sometimes I use my other moisturizer that I typically only use in the mornings because it is oil free and I wear a powder makeup.

Any ideas?

Hola all,

I've gone through all the searches, but haven't seen any posting about this particular problem (or there's something up with the way I'm phrasing the question).

I started the regime in January and was clear on my forehead, cheeks and nose by mid-March. However, I started to get cystic acne on my chin. And it wouldn't stop even though the only change I made was putting on a little AHA every night. Before, the only problem I had with the acne on my chin were white heads right under my lip.

Now, I've stopped and started. My acne flares up worse than I've ever had it after only a few days of not using BP. Then, whenever I increase the amount of BP (I start out slowly every time), I get cystic acne on my chin.

Does anyone else have this problem and solved it? Could the skin cells on my chin be different than the rest of my face?

Thanks to anyone who can help!

I've been having a great time acne wise - hardly getting any.

Now, suddenly I've had 5 or 6 quite painful whiteheads appear in the area between my top lip and nose.

I simply can't work out what might have caused these. I would love to get to the bottom of what causes me to break out. Since the breakout is localised to such a specific area, I am thinking it must be due to something topical, or irritation as opposed to something I have ingested.

Any thought on what it might be?

I actually like the way nuetrogena on the spot makes my skin feel compared to dans bp....it dries it out more or something, i cant really explain it. I just want to make sure that dans works just as well haha.

So, I'm going to soon be going backpacking through Central America for a month and I've decided it's just going to be impossible to keep up the regimen while doing it. Yes I know they have the travel kits and I've used them before but I would need about 10 of them to carry with me which just isn't possible, let alone taking an hour in the morning and night every single day while I'm trying to get up and get moving, and on that I've learned that if I do anything sweaty within the first few hours after the regimen a ruined, bleached shirt is in my future. And I'll be doing nothing but walking around and sweating most of the time.

I'm 29 years old and I can honestly say the regimen is the only thing that has really produced anything close to consistent results for me. Even if I go off it for a day I can completely tell see and feel the difference in my face.

I guess I'm mostly just venting, but does anyone have any idea about an alternative method to the full regimen I could use while travelling. Or any sort of tips at all? Not really sure what I'm even looking for, or if anyone has had a similar dilemma and had to go off for an extended time due to circumstances.

Any input appreciated - thanks!