11 replies to this topic

[cyanide2600]

hey guys, i finally decided to give Dan's regimen a try seeing as everything else i have tried has failed me. I decided part of this failure was due to not keeping a good log, so here I am. First off a brief history. I'm 19 and i have had acne since i was 14. I've tried many things before, the only thing i had success with was benzaclin , applying twice a day, and i was 100% clear. This was when i first got acne when i didnt care about it much/ know much about it. I didn't even know there was such thing as a moisturizer at this point. I just did as my doctor and parents said, wash my face 2-3 times a day and apply the benzaclin twice a day. For some reaosn i was able to wash my face 3 times a day( i had to cuz i had football practice in the afternoons) with neutrogena bar soap for acne prone skin and apply the benzaclin twice a day without any negative side effects. I do remember that i did not really rub it in i would just apply generous amounts on my skin and let it dry, so of course i only did this while i was at home ( after football int he afternoon then again before bed). Well i had clear skin but i had so many marks left over that i started looking for a solution online. I became convinced that the bp was causing these marks to linger so long, so i decided to try other things. Since stopping benzaclin i have not had 100% clear skin. I know bp worked well for me before so i figure why get a prescription if i can use Dans products for hopefully the same results. Anyways, i'm basically trying to follow the CSR strictly but as far as moisturizers go i feel lost cuz every one i have tried is just all greasy and nasty feeling to me, the only thing i've found to make my skin feel good is Fruit of the earth aloe, some people say it is drying but it seems to keep my face nice and moisturized and i figured it might help counteract some of the initial redness and irritation of the Bp. Right now my face feels a little dry and today it felt burned but this is prob cuz i used the full amount like a dumbass. Tomorrow i'll cut it in half and do as Dan suggests from now on, i learned my lesson.
Current acne status : 3 large inflamed ones, a couple of medium size ones that are drying up and some small bumps on my jawline that could be from shaving maybe? we'll see how it goes ,I'll try to update every day. Peace dudes

[Brandy]

Hello and welcome!
I wanted to wish you good luck!
Holler if you need any help.

[cyanide2600]

Hey, thanks Brandy, i really appreciate the support. Well today is my Second day applying the regimen twice daily. I really like this Csr cleanser, i was using clean and clear deep action cream cleanser just cuz i liked the tingly feeling, but it was really hard to lather up and rinse off since it is a thick cream. Dans seems to lather right up and rinse off very easy. Also this bp has a nice smell to it and i love that it goes on clear, when i used benzaclin it would always leave a white crusty layer. Well i used half a finger of bp today and i used a full finger worth of the Fruit of the earth aloe and my skin feels great. The only place that feels slightly dry is my cheeks just when i move my face but my cheeks are always more prone to dryness than the rest of my face. I'lll update again tomorrow.

[cyanide2600]

well i think i'm on day 9 now and i have to say my skin is horribly dry, but i blame myself for that. For a few days there i used almost a full fingers worth cuz i never had problems with using benzaclin generously and that is 5% bp. big mistake. My skin is literally peeling off everywhere on my face and it is disgusting. But also i have been switching between moisturizers, from neutrogena for combination skin and aloe vera gel to neutrogena healthy skin face lotion, plus trying to apply sunscreen as well in the morning added to irritation. From here out ive decided to keep it simple: wash with cleanser, apply the bp (half a finger for a little while to let my skin recover) and then moisturize with neutrogena healthy skin face lotion. My skin stung at first from the NHSFL but it has gotten used to it after about a week and i can use it twice daily now.The only problem i have is it seems to make my face shiny which is not good in the am, any suggestions?

[Brandy]

You might consider only using the Healthy Skin lotion at night. It is a pretty strong AHA lotion and might be contributing to your excess peeling. Maybe over-exfoliating your skin.
Try alternating it with a normal moisturizer. Use one at night and another during the day, and see if that helps. If you can get a hold of Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion (or the Walmart Equate version) that may help with the excess dryness as well.

[cyanide2600]

Well it's been a while since i posted, a lot has been going on. I basically rushed into the regimen and i ended up stopping it a couple of weeks ago due to excessive dryness. I decided to use nothing but water on my face for the last two weeks to let my skin have a break from all the harsh stuff before i gave it another go. Tonight i washed with the csr cleanser, waited about 5 minutes then applied the csr gel. After about 10 minutes i applied the neutrogena healthy skin face lotion. I only used about a 1/4 finger's length of bp gel and 2 pumps of the moisturizer and my skin feels good. I feel very positive and i know if i stick with it this will work for me.

[cyanide2600]

Hey guys i was wondering what is the significance of waiting 15 minutes between each step? Is this to avoid irritation, or to aid in absorption? To me it seems like five minutes after each step and my face is ready for the next step. I would have no problem waiting but sometimes i gotta get out the door and i just wonder what harm i will do by not waiting a full 15 minutes.

[cyanide2600]

* Day 3 * Well i went to the dermatologist yesterday because i recently noticed a hard bump under the skin on my jaw that was a bit swollen. I have never had a cyst before so the first thing i did was schedule an appointment so i could see about getting a cortisone shot in order to prevent it from getting serious. The derm told me not to worry about it and just tried to prescribe me tazorac and duac plus an antibiotic. I told her about the regimen and how i just began it, and yet she insisted on me using the prescriptions, telling me that "2.5% bp is not effective." Whatever. Alright onto the progress: my face is not dry at all right now it feels rather smooth actually.

Forehead: small pimple (note: i usually only get whiteheads here)
cheeks: 4 pimples, 3 healing and almost flat
chin: clear
nose: clear
Jaw: small bump under skin slowly going away, also a medium, non-tender bump by my ear that is not noticable.

[Malcolm Cringe]

Ach, dermatologists (shaking fist at dermatologists). I have yet to find a good one. If I had your dermatologist, I would tell her that the only thing that has worked to keep me clear, other than Accutane, is the CSR.

Cam >B)

[cyanide2600]

Yeah, and what gets me is that the derms i've seen have never given me much instructions for maintaining good skin, they just give me a prescription and move on to the next patient. For instance, in all the years of using benzaclin my doctor never suggested that i would need to use a moisturizer afterwards, or to use a gentle cleanser. Wtf? Surely they aren't there just to give u a prescription and expect you to achieve optimal results on your own. Anyways, it's day four and my skin is fine, not too bad other than the big one on my cheek that is kinda sore but going down.

[cyanide2600]

Okay nothing new with my skin today, no new breakouts the old ones are healing though a couple are pretty tender and have been that way for a few days, which is longer than usual for me. As far as the bp goes i am using 1/3 a finger still and i am not having any problems with flaking, tho i do notice a warm sensation on my skin from time to time which i attribute to using the neutrogena with AHA in combination with the bp. Im sure in time my skin will adjust.

[cyanide2600]

Day 6, my skin is still broken out right now and it was feeling tight after i washed this afternoon when i realized i was using too little moisturizer. So far so good.