OTC topical retinoids are a great alternative to prescription retinoids (Retin A, Tazorac, Differin) for people with mild/moderate acne who find the prescription products too irritating to their skin.

Topical retinoids are very effective anti-acne AND anti-aging products. They transform your skin cells over time, speeding up the rate at which skin cells form and making them less "sticky". Retinoids also increase collagen production. Long-term retinoid use results in smoother, more even and glowing skin. Topical retinoids are not effective spot treatments, but are meant to be used all over your face, and on a regular basis.

A lot of people get started with retinoids but give up quickly -- usually because they have not been properly taught about how retinoids work, and what to expect in the early weeks.

Here are some key things to remember:

1) IRRITATION

Topical retinoids are irritating to the skin, even the OTC formulations, and you MUST ease into them gradually. Here is a general schedule that I suggest people follow when first starting out:

Week 1: once every 3 days
Week 2: once every 2 days
Week 3: 2 out of 3 days
Week 4: daily

Pay attention to your skin! Red, sore, "sunburned"-looking skin and excessive peeling are signs of irritation. If you experience either, STOP using the retinoid until your skin has gone back to normal. Then pick up the schedule where you left off.

2) INITIAL BREAKOUT

Retinoids work against acne by forcing the comedones that are clogging your pores to come to the surface. It takes about 3 months for your pores to clear, and during this time, you will probably see some breakouts. Blackheads may appear larger and more noticeable as they surface; small hard bumps may form; and if you are prone to inflammatory acne, you will probably get pimples. (A short course of antibiotics can help people with inflammatory acne get through this initial breakout, but I do not recommend taking antibiotics for more than 2-3 weeks.)

3) SKIN FRAGILITY

Retinoids make your epidermis thinner and more fragile (don't worry, though, because they actually thicken and strengthen the underlying dermis). DO NOT PICK AT YOUR SKIN! Trying to squeeze out a single blackhead can leave you with an ugly red mark for weeks. Be patient.

Be sure to use a very mild cleanser with no other active ingredients while you are getting accustomed to the retinoid, and cleanse your face with lukewarm water no more than twice a day. Once is probably better. Retinoids compromise your skin's barrier function, and excessive washing is going to result in dehydrated skin. You can reinforce your epidermal barrier and reduce dehydration by supplementing your diet with fish oil.

4) PEELING SKIN

Some peeling is normal. Not only are your skin cells regenerating very quickly, but they are not sticking together as cohesively, and you will see the surface layers peeling off. Gentle exfoliation can help get rid of the shedding layer of skin; you can use a soft facial brush or a silica microbead scrub each morning to prepare your skin for the day. BE GENTLE! You can do a lot of damage if you aren't.

5) SUN SENSITIVITY

Retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. Wear sunscreen during daylight hours. If you are getting laser or light treatments, be sure to tell your consultant you are using topical retinoids; you may need to avoid product use for a week or so before a treatment.

6) PRODUCT APPLICATION

Most OTC retinoids need time to absorb into your skin and do their work. You should apply them to clean, dry skin and wait at least 30-45 minutes before applying moisturizer. Many retinoids degrade in sunlight, so it's best to use them at night.

7) USING RETINOIDS WITH ACIDS

Retinoids can work really, really well in tandem with AHAs or BHAs, but I don't recommend trying to introduce both at the same time. Your best bet is to start with the AHA or BHA product, and when your skin is fully accustomed to it (in other words, you can use it daily with no drying or irritation!), then start gradually introducing the retinoid. I would recommend using the AHA or BHA product in the AM and the retinoid at night.


SOME OTC RETINOIDS I LIKE .....

Green Cream (my personal favorite) is a retinol gel that comes in three concentrations: Levels 3, 6 and 9. Level 3 is quite mild, and is intended for people with highly sensitive skin. Most people with normal skin can start out with Level 6. Level 9 is quite strong and probably not the best one to start with. I didn't start using Level 9 until I could tolerate Level 6 twice a day. GC is pretty expensive, about $45 - $55 for a one ounce bottle (this will last a month or so, depending on how often you use it). I have bought from www.lindasy.com, www.dianayvonne.com, and www.amazon.com. More information and a message board are available on the product website, www.greencream.com.

Diacneal is made by Avene. It's retinaldehyde-based, which some people prefer to retinol, and contains 6% glycolic acid as well. More readily available in Europe and Canada than Green Cream is.

The Vivant Vitamin A products are also very highly regarded. Check them out at www.betterhealthyskin.com.

So, I added Metazine gel to my existing regimen. Its a topical niacinamide gel (5%). I've been doing a bit of research on topical niacinamide and it seems like a really great skin care ingredient. There are tons of articles on pubmed about its use for acne, hyperpigmentation, skin-hydration, wrinkle reduction and its anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and anti-aging effects.

I don't get much acne anymore - mostly a few blackheads here and there, and the occasional small inflamed lesion. I think I am still acne prone, but have been able to manage the problem with my topical treatments and with diet/supplements. But, since niacinamide seems to have so many beneficial effects on the skin and is good for those who are acne-prone, I wanted to give it a try.

I have used it for two nights, with no adverse reactions so far. Its obviously too soon to say much more than that, but will say that my skin has felt very soft when I wake up in the morning!

Here are Metazine's ingredients:

de-ionizied water, Aloe barbadensis leaf juice, niacinamide, Hamamelis virginiana, kosher vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, Carbomer, TEA, Methyl/Propylparaben

new here and been reading up alot. im really excited to get started on some of these treatments n stuff:) just one question was on my mind. do peels work? how do they work? and what kinds work best? i have cystic acne and after 3 months of accutane use its dies down but still flares up often. on my back, butt, face, neck, chest, shoulders, u name it.....but i was wonderiong about the peels more so for my nose. the pores are huge and filled with blackheads that WILL NOT GO AWAY!! help!

can u become immune to mandelic acid?

Hi all,

I'm taking Sulfamethoxazole, also known as Septra or Bactrim, orally for my cystic acne. I'm interested in trying out Adult Acnomel topical cream containing sulfur as well. Would this be too much sulfur in my system? I know sulfur in certain forms and at certain concentrations can be toxic so I'm a little nervous.

Thanks in advance for your help!

I haven't had very much pimples in forever but now that summer is over and winter is creeping up and school started i have about four of five active pimples with lots of little bumps around them that can only be seen in specific high lighting.

A short history is i'm a facial product junkie so i try many new over the counter products (usually moisturizers) and i know my share of acne facts. I used clinique before but it ran out and was too expensive anyway So my mom bought me proactiv and i have used it religously for 2 weeks now but unforutanetly my acne is staying constant and never subsiding.

It was actually proactiv and cetapihl lotion that made me have all those little bumps around my pimples i believe. I was using cetaphil moisturizer at the time and it was too moisturizing it left me greasy when i woke up in the morning so i quit it.

Now i am wanting to just use my Cetaphil normal skin cleanser over proactiv's because it simply did not feel like it was cleaning and just left my face unnecessarily dry.

Couple with that i ditched all proactiv's stuff since it wasn't working but am using similiar medicated products. the 2nd step is neutrogena pore refining toner with BHA and AHA and then clinique's BP lotion over that. Honestly i don't know what to use as cetaphil seems to give my skin that healthy glow but proactiv exfoliates and promises to clear acne. Any suggestions as to which 1?

P.S. do you think i should use neutrogena's toner over proactiv's? I know i need some SA to unclog pores as cetaphil does not exfoliate.

Hello,

I just order the Regimen for bacne.

I was wondering where I could get 5% or 10% bottles of Benzyol Peroxide.

Thanks,
Axl

This is a book he wrote about the 4 steps for clear skin..

I don't have the book but I found a website that basically told me everything...lol





According to Dr. Dubrow, acne has four distinct stages, and you must attack all four in order to wipe it out. The stages are:

Dry cells mixed with sebum and block the pores;

Sebum ballon builds up behind the clog;

Bacteria infect the build-up

Curative inflammation spreads the condition.

In an effort to combat all four, Dr. Dubrow has come up with the Acne Cure. The following is his Acne Cure program:

Step 1 SALICYLIC ACID. (Morning and night) Clean away excess dead cells and bacteria from the skin's surface, without over-drying it. The best ingredient to wash your face with is a 2 percent salicylic acid product (widely available in drugstores). Put a penny-size amount in the palm of your hand, add a few drops of warm water, lather, and massage (in circular motion) to affected areas. Let the SA sit for a few minutes, then gently wash off with warm water. The SA has two benefits: an anti-inflammatory, and an antioxidant for the skin's surface.

Step 2 GLYCOLIC ACID. (Only in the morning) After you've rinsed away the SA product, apply 8-10 percent glycolic acid product, in an identical manner. Let it sit and wash it off with warm water. The benefits of GA: digs deeper down (while the SA cleans the surface) to loosen "cemented-in" plugs.

Step 3 BENZOYL PEROXIDE (Only at night) Wash off SA and run an ice cube over the affected areas, to cool and soothe (be careful not to freeze the skin!) Apply the BP (kept cold in refrigerator), but run ice cube across palm of hand, so product doesn't warm up when you rub and apply to face (in identical manner as the SA and the GA). Leave the BP on for 10 minutes, and lie down with ice packs on the affected areas (opens pores, reduces inflammation, relaxes you). When you're through, wipe off excess BP with a soft cloth. Allow the rest to sit overnight.

Step 4 MOISTURIZER (Morning and throughout the day) Apply an oil-free moisturizer to the face with an SPF of at least 15. Sun reduces the skin's resistance to bacterial attack.

Once your face (neck, and back too) are in the clear, patients must follow-up with a maintenance program. ..


Using the techniques outlined in this book,
acne can be completely eliminated in
95 percent of all cases even the most severe
ones in 6 weeks or less. These techniques start
to work in 24 hours.

___________________________

I believe this will work because: When I use my 10% AHA lotion + BP gel at night it makes me VERY clear BUT my skin can't handle this...but I like the idea of washing the AHA% off....hmm...

heres are the products I will use for this experiment

Clean and Clear, 2% wash
Dermaclear Moustizer /w 10% AHA
Dan's BP gel

This is like, Dan's regimen...Botchlas..and with the new Acne fighting AHA%. I also like the idea how Dr. Dubrow states that these ingrediants each fight a differen't stage in acne formation and I believe this is true, but whether the regimen works or not is soon to be discovered.

I also wonder if "cold bp gel" is more affective..

Ill post my experience in a few days....wish me luck

My dermatologist recently sold me glytone which is a sulfur medicine so it controls oil AND it is flesh colored so it completely covers my redness! My roommate asked me why I put makeup on before bed! I haven't worn makeup since I got it!!!!

Well, I've been using hibiclens for a couple weeks now and have really liked it so far. Probably the best cleanser I've ever used for my face. Who else is using it and how do you like it?

By the way, Chris_23 has put together a terrific site on the active ingredient in hibiclens. See the following thread http://www.acne.org/messageboard/chlorhexidine-info-websit-t58552.html

I was just curious about how you all use benzoyl peroxide cream/gel, how much, when, how often, and what brand? What works for you??

I've been using benzac AC for about a week now with really excellent results! I use about two-3 pea size's worth lol... and use it twice a day, morning and evening after washing my face with clean and clear's continuous control cleanser (only for 10-20 seconds)... I apply the BP around 5 minutes after washing, and moiturize with nivea soft intensive moiturizer at night(the one with jojoba and vit. e), which works amazingly! My skin surprisingly, isnt dry at all, and has a great glow to it... During the day i use neutrogena healthy defense spf 45 moisturizer which also works well D

Lol so let me know what you guys do! D

I'm currently pretty much clear! Only two or three red marks which can easily be covered and hidden... D

So I have been using Green Cream for almost three months now and think I am going through (hopefully) the last and worst part of the initial breakout. I wanted to add M2 (mama) lotion to my regimen to really clear up the last of my hyperpigmentation and small scars and hopefully clear up what I hope is the last of my breakouts. Does anyone have any tips on how to incorporate this into my regimen without messing up the retinol? Should I wait till my "3 month" initial breakout is over to add in the Mama? Any tips?
Here is my full regimen:
AM
wash with Proactiv cleanser
use Natures Cure BP over entire face
wait 30 minutes and apply Green Cream level 6

PM
wash with proactiv cleanser
aspirin and honey mask for 10 minutes
Apply Green Cream Level 6

Anyone had any success with this??


Anyone even tried it at all??

sorry, here's the link...





ok this f***ing thing won't let me add the link, so google "bacteriocin acne".

I'm using da lotion 2% bha and it's pushing everything too da surface what shoud I do now though with all da stuff coming out I wash my face and it doesn't go away der like small blackheads coming out pls help me

Hey,
i read alot of good reviews of spectro jel but i just wanted to know which color you used.
(The cleanser)

I've been using Diacneal for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say this is nice stuff. For anyone who can generally handle retinoids, you might want to try it. If you don't believe me, look up internet reviews.

I had high hopes for Green Cream, but even after the initial purging, it didn't get my breakouts under control. I think the difference is that Green Cream wasn't designed for acne sufferers in mind. After being on Diacneal for a few days, any new breakouts would be really small whiteheads. It took a real big leap of faith for me to eliminate BP or any other topicals from my regimen, but Diacneal hasn't let me down yet.

Unfortunately, it's only available in Europe and Canada. But I was able to order some tubes from Tubotica.com for about $20-ish apiece after shipping. Only took a few days to get here too.

Hey fellow Acne.org members,

I just had a question about these products. I used these about a year ago with great success, my skin was clear, but it gave me tons of redmarks and flakiness. I would still be using them, but I was afraid that I would end up using them my entire life! So I was just wondering if there was any truth to that? I would like to be clean and clear again, and get rid of these redmarks, but the flakiness drives me away and also the fear of depending on these products to keep my clear for the rest of my life.

Thoughts?

Genuine Health™ PERFECT SKIN...

1) Can I take this if I am already taking Vitamin E (800IU) per day?

2) Is the "For Men" formation a gimmick? Should I buy the women's kind of men's kind?

3) Are there any interactions with it/ things I should not take directly with it? ie. acidophilus probiotics, lactase enzyme pills, vitamin E

Thanks so much!!!

is it a good product? i have moderate acne and oily skin, will it make my skin less oily and control break outs?


right now i'm using benzyol peroxide 6% cleanser (generic triaz) and tretinoin cream 0.05%. the benzyol peroxide cleanser is kinda good at stopping break outs but it just makes my skin raw and dry

I recently bought Murad from Sephora, used it for a week and broke out in places on my face i never broke out at. My skin burns it gets blotchy during the day. the only time i feel like my pimples are fading is when i wake up in the morning. PLease do not waste your money. If anything try Neutrogena acne system or something// i tried it once and it was working but i thought murad would work faster...Of course i was wrong.

What is the best spot cream for pimples that go from a red bump to a white head and then the white head dries up and peels off

I've heard that benzoyl peroxide can make people's red mark's redder? Does anyone know if that's true?

I just wanted to let you all know that my face is 100% clear thanks to yasmine birth control and clean and clear continuous control acne cleanser. For anyone out there who has mild acne, the continous control cleanser has done miracles for me. After i started taking yasmin (my derm thought my acne was related to hormones) most of my acne cleare up. but i still had some blackheads and i would occasionally get pimples. Well just bout 3 weeks ago i decided to purchase the clear continuous control acne cleanser and it has made me 100% clear. The product clears acne, and i seriously think it tightens your pores too. My skin looks great and i definetly recommend this product!!!! Are there anymore sucess stories....??

Hello,

Does anyone here has already tried dermajuv ?

I just read on a prweb article that it's as effective as benzoyl peroxide without any side effect.

boyb.

Has anyone heard of this? I'm not sure if it's a prescription drug, but it shouldn't be. I see some websites selling it online. This was prescribed to me by my derm but I haven't bought it yet. I have a new derm and unfortunately, I don't trust her well enough yet, sorry. [I'm living far from my hometown, and far from my beloved old derm].. So anyone's comments/insights will be greatly appreciated.

I read somewhere that it may be an alternative to accutane? or something like that.. Coz it's effective, all-natural and has no side effects.

Any info?

Has anyone tried the pill Acnepril? I have heard a lot of good reviews about it but i know how often they let us acne sufferers down. . I just wanted to know if anyone has tried it?

well ive been using a

neutrogena bar for acne prone skin, drys out really well and makes my skin tight.
Trentinoin cream 0.05% (low?)


im in the pool daily (polo) for 2-3 hours i use sunscreen (noncomedogenic)
i also use nutrogena moisturizer

a couple times in the past week ive been using aloe vera (plant) on my skin, works pretty well on popped zits. makes it heal better i think.

i get white heads very often, and some red pimples here and there. Day after halloween i couldnt help myself and now i have 4 white heads -.-

i have a LOT of scars. mostly on the sides of my face. They are red and not very big, they have their strenght in numbers. i pop the whiteheads and they usully make a scar if its on the sides of my face ;[ not if its near my mouth though..? i think the trentinoin cream is supposed to help some, i guess it does, anything that works Better i think it does a better job of just preventing acne, and when i do get it i think its smaller.? ;/

Any ideas on products to help the scarring? or the whiteheads?
i have BP already and some Nutrogena salysilic acid wash 2%

I am starting to taking Vitamin b5 to control my very oily skin. I have heard great things about b5 and oil control and am excited to give it a shot.

For anyone who knows, how many mg's should I start off taking? Also Ive heard that taking a b complex vitamin is recommended also while on this, is this true?

Thanks!

Pronexin, Anyone heard of it or tried it?


It's ranked #1 on acnetreatmentsreview.net

also wondering if that site is legit, the other product reviews are pretty spot on.

Hi Everyone,

I've been struggling with my moderate acne for about 8 months now. I decided to try the acne.org regimen, but had to substitute Spectro Acne Care Vanishing Cream "sensitive skin" for the Neutrogena On The Spot treatment, as no where around here carries it.

The first night I used my Cetaphil with the Spectro everything was great. I felt it drying out my skin within the first few minutes and put on my moisturizer. It was great and I was really excited.

I woke up late for work the next morning (I'm a nanny) so I brought my products to their house so I could do my thing after I got them off to school. The little one was downstairs while I was upstairs washing my face. I waited 5 minutes before putting on the Spectro. As I was rubbing it in, my face was getting a little red. I thought maybe my skin was just dry and being sensitive as I live in Canada and it's been so dry and cold lately. I thought maybe I put on just a little much so I turned around to wipe some off on the towel.

As I turned back towards the mirror, I was horrified to see my entire face was purple. I literally watched the color travel down my neck, onto my chest. I lifted up my shirt and pants to see my entire body was covered in hives. I've never known to have an allergy to anything but cats. I ran downstairs to find some Bendaryl, but there was none. I was starting to cough and wheeze and felt like my body was on fire and I couldn't put it out. By the time I made it back to the bathroom to spalsh cold water on my face, there was fluid filling up my lungs. I got the phone and called 911. It took about 5 minutes for EMS to get there as I was a bit out of the city.

When they got me into the ambulance, I was in anaphylactic shock. My entire body was convulsing, I was lapsing in and out of consciousness and my heart rate was 135 b/pm. They shot me with a double dose of benadryl. It took me about 25 minutes to stabalize. At the hospital, the nurse informed me I was within minutes of dying.

I now carry a Twinject in my purse and have one at home (like an EpiPen). I've even had to re-route my career plans for becoming a massage therapist to become a chair massage therapist. I can't risk touching the skin of a client who has used a product like this. Unfortunately, we have not isolated the specific ingredient that almost killed me, but I basically use a hospital grade soap for washing everything and use a natural shampoo. It always takes one exposure or more to create an allergy. I almost died from it. Be incredibly careful what you put on your skin. Your skin is your body's largest organ. It deserves only the best.

I'm not advocating against this product, just rather informing other consumers as I would like to be myself.

Thanks you!