8 replies to this topic

[chayden]

I have been using topical clyndo for more than a year now, almost two. My doctor stopped giving me refils though since I haven't been in for a visit (which with no insurance I can't afford right now), so I was forced to try something else. I had used BP in the past with moderate to low success, and it stained my clothes. I'm trying it again using Dan's BP gel because I couldn't find an over the counter product I liked. I love the gel, it goes on great, no film, absorbs, and I can use a tinted stick after without it smearing like the Neutrogena On-The-Spot treatment did. Dan, even if this doesn't work well for me I would still recommend the Gel to others, it really is the best quality available, and I looked (now lets hope BP works better for me than it has in the past - I don't think my acne is exactly the same as it was a few years ago so we'll just have to see).

---Day 1--- 08/17
I used the Gel last night for my first time, I'll track my progress and hopefully in a month we'll see if this worked or not. If I can even keep my skin just AS clear as it was using the clyndo I'll be satisfied. If it works better I'll be overjoyed. Any advise about Vitamins, especially B5 would be great because I don't know much about it. Thanks folks.

My (original) Regimen:

- I wash with Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleansing/Mask (%2.5 BP) 2-3 times a day, I try to let it soak a little if possible and use warm water to open up my pores. This is new for me, I only started with this about a week ago really, after I ran out of Clyndo.

- I use Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner maybe once a day (alpha & beta hydrox) with a makeup pad, because I've used it for a long time and like it.

- I'll now be using Dan's BP once or twice a day (depending on dryness) and using Clean & Clear oil-free Moisturizer (%0.5 salicylc acid) afterwards - I may switch to a non-medicated moisturizer today because I don't want to use too many treatments at once.

- I also use a Clean & Clear tinted stick (which I believe has a small amount of sulphur or salicylc acid, I forget) to cover up red spots, I've been doing this for years, it's the difference between me looking people in the eye or not unfortunately, but I recommend it for anyone who just wants to touch up some red spots.


WISH ME LUCK! Acne sucks, it's unfair, mine is not severe by any means just moderate, but nothing has made me want to hide from real life more or made me more self conscious of myself, and not just how I look. I wish the best for each and every one of you here - some of the pics I've seen have been encourging, others humbling. If I could give everyone clear skin tomorrow I would, but until I learn to shoot BP-lazar beams from my eyes (the gentle kind) I appreciate these forums, and wish the best for everyone here Thanks.

[Brandy]

Hello!
You may want to read here about the Regimen:
http://www.acne.org/regimen.html

You have way too many products listed.
You basically need a gentle unmedicated cleanser (no bp in it or sa). Something like Purpose gentle wash or CSR gentle wash. Then Dan's CSR gel, then a moisturizer. That's it! No toner needed!

Good luck with the Regimen!!

[chayden]

Thanks, I'll look into purchasing some different products. I like the toner a lot, but I'll look for a more gentle cleanser and unmedicated moisturizer. Appreciate the advise! Today I went to Target to look for a new moisturizer but decided to do it later, everything I liked had SPF in it. I've never known how I feel about that, less is better I've always thought when it comes to what I put on my face and I don't see enough sun at all to warrant any amount of sunscreen. This is not a big deal at all I'm sure, but any comments on SPF?

Also, I took some of the BP gel and applied it to a gray t-shirt to see how badly it would bleach. Nothing. This doesn't guarantee it won't, but other BP's I've done this same test to in the past did bleach my clothing. Any comments on Dan's product in this way? I remember one reason I stopped using BP in my teenage days was because of a few casualties of war... those shirts died meaningless deaths. Still really liking this Gel so far.

[Brandy]

SPF is actually a good idea because benzoyl peroxide will leave your skin more susceptible to sunburn. And we all know that sun damage can lead to skin cancer, so that is why most facial moisturizers (and makeup) have spf as an added ingredient. If you prefer one without spf though, you might consider Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion (or the Walmart Equate version of it). Just make sure you stay out of the sun if you are going to go with an spf-free lotion.

[chayden]

Maybe I'll try to get the SPF version after all. I want to try to get some sun this summer, and I notice that my face looks %300 better if I'm not white as a... white, white boy. SPF would probably be a good idea if I plan on being outside. Thanks for the advise


---Day 3--- 08/19

Yesterday my boyfriend said my complexion looked good, and even though complements about that embarass me a little it is nice that some trouble spots seem to be going away. This may or may not be the regimen, some weeks are simply better than others for me. But this could be a good sign if the results are consistant. If I break out I won't freak though, I know that happens sometimes when the BP is killing deeper bacteria. It'll be a while before I can say if this is improvement or just good luck, but either way my face is resonably clear WITHOUT the clyndomycin. This was my main fear, that I'd break out badly after going off it. Doesn't seem to be the case yet though. My face is a little dry, a little flakier in some spots, so I'm not using the BP this morning, moisturizing a lot, and will use the BP only at night until I'm confidant I won't be irritating/drying it out too much.

So far so good

[chayden]

---Day 5--- 08/21


I bought Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream and Aveeno Positively Radiant cleanser and have been using those for a few days now with the BP instead of other extra medicated products that will help dry out my skin. I've noticed 3 more good blemishes but that's nothing extreme... now we wait...

[chayden]

---Day 8--- 08/24


I ordered a second bottle of the BP because the first is working well and I want to have some when the first tube runs out. On a scale of 1-10 I'd say I started with a 5 and am now somewhere around a 3 ... 3.5 maybe, but that's still pretty good considering. I'll continue the regime and see if it continues to work.

[chayden]

---Day 12--- 08/28

If I were to continue using a scale of 1-5 (one being next to no acne and five being moderate, which is normal for me) I'd have to say I'm sitting at 3 right now. My face dries easily, I have to be careful, and I'm still dealing with break outs, but smaller ones, and they seem to last maybe 1/2 as long? That's pretty significant. My skin is easily as clear as it was on antibiotics though so I already consider the BP gel and a my increasingly careful regimen a success. It's work, it's a pain, it's worth it now though, and it'll be even more worth it if after a month I can continue to improve (more waiting...)

[chayden]

---Day 20--- 09/05

Been a week since my last post, I wanted to see what a week would bring. Honestly my face is probably -on the 1-5 scale I'm using- a 2... sometimes a 1.5, this for me is an improvement on the clindo, if anything because I don't seem to be going up and down, I'm seeing consistant results. It's not perfect, I still have a few here and there, I still have some persistant blackheads, and my skin is so easy to dry out that I have to moisturize very carefully. So basically. it's even more work than before - - - is it worth it? Yes. I'll post again in a few more weeks to see if I can still claim the same (please, please, please).

But overall I've never been this happy with my skin. And that translates into a lot of confidence I never had. I'm not as self conscious when I go to the pool and it washes off the tinted stuff I use because I'm using much less of it, my face isn't as red, and I'm just not as embarassed. I hope everyone else here has the same good fortune, we all deserve to feel like we can show our faces without feeling bad about ourselves.