66 replies to this topic

[Dan]

Non-inflamed acne is acne that stays under the surface and does not get red at all. Some people talk about it by saying their skin has a "pebbly" appearance or that when they stretch their skin they can see lots of white bumps. Non-inflamed acne is also often accompanied by blackheads.

If you have this type of acne, I do think the regular Daniel Kern Regimen is worth a shot. http://www.acne.org/regimen.html
It can be brilliant at preventing future blackheads. However, if you've tried the DKR without the results you'd like to have, Laura's regimen may be worth exploring.

Laura is an esthetician in the Bay Area who I have met several times and interviewed. She has a protocol for non-inflamed acne that is interesting. I'd like to hear how it works for people. You can find it here: http://www.acne.org/...ne-regimen.html

If you try it, please post your review/experience on this forum.

[MatttheCat]

It looks somewhat interesting, but fairly extensive and reasonably expensive. The huge problem I see with this regimen is right at the start:

"If you have inflamed acne with any redness on your skin or around spots themselves, THIS ROUTINE IS NOT FOR YOU! This routine is only for non-inflamed acne"

It would be my estimation that VERY few people have only non inflamed acne. People usually have a combination of inflamed and non inflamed. If you're starting out by telling people that they definitely cannot use the regimen on areas where there may also be some inflamed acne I don't think it's going to help many people.

This is really the problem with the whole regimen. It's completely based on someone who ONLY has non inflamed acne. Those people are few and far between, and the products (mainly the toner and the scrubbing cleanser) may aggravate and do not necessarily treat inflamed acne.

She also gives no recommendations whatsoever on products that could be used.

My biggest itch with this regimen is that after reading through all of that, she tells me that if I want to clear my existing blackheads I'll have to go to an esthetician. This may indeed be true, but you want me to do all that, for 3 months, just to ensure that I don't get any more blackheads, when really there isn't much room for any more on top of the ones that I have currently.

IMO if you really need to go to an esthetician, I would think that extraction + peels, followed by consistent use of a BHA or AHA type product would hopefully solve some peoples blackhead problems.

Not a bad try, but IMO way too extensive and just not worth doing. I don't really know that it belongs on the site, but thank you for sharing it with everyone.

If anything I've learned that it may be necessary to see an esthetician to take care of blackheads.

[Dan]

Great comments. Thanks.

[cool as kim deal]

It's complicated, that's for darn sure. I'd be interested in hearing from people with only non-inflamed acne how this works for them, though.

[Hopeful!]

It's certainly more complicated than my current routine . . . dare I even call what I'm doing with my skin these days a routine? However, I've seen much more complicated routines in some forumites signatures.

Lately, my skin has been behaving. No more red angry zits. Just blackheads and bumps. This might be the regimine for me! I'll think about it. It's scary to try something new once you've found something that works fairly well.

[beckjan]

I was about to ask if she was from Face Reality Skincare in San Leandro, but I already read that she is.
I haven't met her, but I goto that clinic. They have completely cleared up my acne and I am currently on that regimen. The only thing that has worked from my non-inflammed acne.

[willow569]

I have been a client at this clinic as well - this was pretty much my regimen and it worked very, very well. Laura really knows how to treat this type of acne very well. I had mostly non-inflamed acne (more closed than open comedones) and a little inflamed acne on my chin. The regimen isn't quite as complicated as it looks - I got it down pretty quickly. As to one poster's criticism (the person who seems to be execessively critical of this regimen for some reason) about the cost and whether you really need to go to an esthetician: one - the cost isn't that much, especially considering how much people spend on products and regimens that don't end up working. Two - it is VERY helpful to have extractions in the beginning of this regimen. Over time, you may not need them as often or have as much to extract though.

Bottom line - this is a great regimen that really works!

[poordaughterhasacne]

my daughter has been on this regimen for about a week now. We have seen a difference in her complexion. It seems like a long drawn out regimen but it's really not.

[daniellen]

I have been a client at this clinic as well - this was pretty much my regimen and it worked very, very well.

So what's a good scrub containing uniform beads to use? Actually, do you have any recommendations for any of the products? I wouldn't know where to buy a good glycolic acid. And is it Ok to just buy the Benzoyl Peroxide at the drugstore?

Thanks for any help!!

[willow569]

I have been a client at this clinic as well - this was pretty much my regimen and it worked very, very well.

So what's a good scrub containing uniform beads to use? Actually, do you have any recommendations for any of the products? I wouldn't know where to buy a good glycolic acid. And is it Ok to just buy the Benzoyl Peroxide at the drugstore?

Thanks for any help!!

Hi -

The products I use are mostly from Laura's own product line (including the scrub, glycolic and BP products). I don't know if she sells her products to non-clients - I don't think so though. If you want to check for sure, you can e-mail her through her website: www.facerealityskincare.com

Some suggestions if you have to find products on your own:

1. Glycolic - Peter Thomas Roth makes a 10% glycolic gel that gets very good reviews on makeupalley.com. It is supposed to be good for acne prone skin.

2. BP - neutrogena on the spot is one that is recommend on these boards. There is also Dan's BP, but that one may not be strong enough to work with this regimen (it is 2.5% BP, rather than the recommend 5% or 10%).

3. Scrub - you might do a search on the messageboard to find a gentle scrub that people like. One to consider - Vivant makes a scrub called Buffing Grains that is specifically for acne prone skin.

[daniellen]

Thanks for the suggestions! Since I didn't feel like spending too much money, I ran to Target and found what I could there (ha, they didn't carry glycolic acid).

Here's what I bought:
1) Clean & Clear Daily Pore Cleanser w/smooth, round microscrubbers (the microscrubbers are very micro - is that good? I thought it might be better for the daily usage because I've tried in the past to manually exfoliate daily with a harsher scrub and my face was very irritated). I also have a facial brush that I could with the scrub, if it's not enough...I don't know.
2) Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
3) Vivant 15% Mandelic Acid - I've had some trouble with this in the past because it is SO harsh for me, but I always have put it on at night and I never put a moisturizer on after it so maybe that's why.... but it was expensive and I still have over 1/2 a bottle left, so I'll give it a try. If it's too much (or when I run out), I'll find a glycolic to buy.
4) ZapZyt 10% Benzoyl Peroxide - There were only two of these I could find at the store and the other one was a gel, so I bought this one...
5) Neutrogena Oil-Fee Moisture 15 SPF - I like this stuff. I've used it in the past and it's fairly light. I didn't buy a different one for the 2 weeks of night time use - I'll just use this.

I started using this all last night and so far my face feels really smooth! Hopefully this combination of products works.

And I know I'm "not supposed to," but I've been extracting my own blackheads (with a clean extractor) for years now and I think I'm pretty good at it. I don't ever break the skin or press too hard and it never leaves a lasting mark. Also, I've had 2 facials in my life "with extractions" and both times the estheticians completely ignored my nose - which is the worst part of my face! I don't really want to pay $40 for a partial facial. Eh, I don't know. Maybe I'll give them another chance one day, but for now I'm going to ignore that part of the procedure.

Anyways, I'll try to remember to write about my progress. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

[willow569]

Good luck with your regimen! It looks like you have some good products for it. I used to use the Vivant 15% mandelic - it worked well, but did dry me out a lot. Definitely only use it every other night until your skin in fully adapted to the products you'll be using. And make sure to follow the gradual application method in the article (leaving it on for a set period of time, then washing it off), otherwise the 10% BP will dry out your skin too much. It should take you 2 wks to work up to leaving it on all night.

Keep us posted on how it goes!!!

[Wynne]

I have to add in a caveat. Be extremely gentle with the micro bead scrubber. You can very easily tear minute breaks into your skin, thus introducing more bacteria and thus getting inflamed acne. Happened to me. The only mechanical exfoliation I use now is the Baby's hair brush method. You might just try the facial brush without the scrub, use it with your cleanser in the shower.

I stumbled upon a method similar to Laura's for my own non-inflamed acne. The glycolic alone will likely clear up 85% of your skin (well, it did for me). The rest clears it up the remainder of the way. My regimen is working for me, except that now I'm purging from the Green Cream in my second week of use, but I do see that some bumps that had been there for YEARS are actually now gone. woah!

So here is another good vote for the regimen above. Each regimen must be slightly adapted to the individual client's needs however.

[mfg]

I'm really really interested in hearing how this regimen or similar regimens are working for people with this kind of acne. I'm actually on Accutane for this exact type of acne because it's been resistant to basically every topical my derm has thrown at it. I ended up using topicals that were so irritating for so long that I developed hundreds of these "pebbles" under the skin, most of which were never red. So I'm on Accutane now, and watching each one of those pebbles turn over and break out is not a good time, let me tell you.

Anyway, I think I'll looking at this regimen to keep me clear post-Accutane.

[calla lily]

Love Laura. I started on this regimen 9 weeks ago, and I'm pretty much clear now. I agree that it's complicated and tedious, but that was just the first few weeks. I swear, it gets easier after that.

I noticed she said that cleansers/scrubs with polyethylene beads aren't widely available over-the-counter, but I do know of one other than the one from her clinic--DDF Acne Pumice Scrub. It's not really made from pumice, so I have no idea why they call it that, but it's very gentle and antibacterial because of the 2.5% BP. It's not "scrubby" enough on its own, however, so I use it with a washcloth (which is what the directions on the bottle say to do anyway).

[kei_fujo]

i'm going to start this regimen today. i will keep a log if anyone wants to read the progress. i'll post a link in my signature.

[SUE WALKER]

So sorry! I tried this regimen (although modified using Dan's BP) for about a month; however, it was way too harsh for my older oily skin. I had been on Dan's Regimen for over a year with good results but still had some non-inflamed acne and thought this would be good for me. At first I thought it would work great because it made my skin smoother but after a few weeks it caused my skin to thin out, become irritated and lots of acne started erupting. I went back to Dan's Regimen--his cleanser, BP and moisturizer--gentle, gentle!!! In a week my skin looks much better. I better stick to what works! Dan's Regimen is great and safe for long-term use! Thanks Dan for your great products! Really like your new moisturizer!

[saternstar]

I've been on this reginem for a few weeks now, and my acne has gotten a lot worse. I don't know how long I should wait before cutting down or stopping completly, but the clusters of small bumps are getting more and more prevalent. I used to get some on the sides of my forehead and chin and now it's spread to my cheeks, neck and all over my forehead.

Me: 23 years old, oily skin, lots of blackheads and enlarged pores, few of my zits nowadays are inflamed, mostly little bumps, but a LOT at a time, and do get itchy and red sometimes. I used to take birth control, and that worked some, but it made me kinda crazy.

Is that considered non inflamed acne?

What should I do?

What i use is:

Alpha Hydrox "Mousse" stuff, I think 12% glycolic acid
CVS brand daily scrub
CVS brand 10% BP
CVS brand daily moisterizer with SPF 15

Is the problem that I'm using mostly all CVS brand products? They're not that different when I compared ingredients.

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[willow569]

Do you have the ingredient list of the products you are using? I think the products that are chosen are really important - you need to make sure that you are using products that do not contain comedogenic ingredients. Also, did you step up gradually with the BP (only leaving it on 15 min the first few nights, then 30, etc.?) You need to follow the regimen as closely as possible as to how it is described. If you do, and you use the right products, you should not get irritation or any worsening of your acne. This regimen worked very well for me, but I followed it to the letter! (and also had facials with extractions, which helped the process along).

I also noticed that some people using this regimen are using 2.5% BP. The recommendation for this regimen is a 5% or 10%, working up over a two week period to leaving it on all night. According to the acne expert who developed this regimen, 2.5% just does not cut it for widespread, non-inflamed acne. And you do need to work up gradually, or your skin will likely get dry and irritated. Also, that people are not giving it enough time to work. You need to try any regimen for at least a couple of months, since the acne that you see now actually started developing now started 2-3 months ago.

[saternstar]

Do you have the ingredient list of the products you are using? I think the products that are chosen are really important - you need to make sure that you are using products that do not contain comedogenic ingredients. Also, did you step up gradually with the BP (only leaving it on 15 min the first few nights, then 30, etc.?) You need to follow the regimen as closely as possible as to how it is described. If you do, and you use the right products, you should not get irritation or any worsening of your acne. This regimen worked very well for me, but I followed it to the letter! (and also had facials with extractions, which helped the process along).

I also noticed that some people using this regimen are using 2.5% BP. The recommendation for this regimen is a 5% or 10%, working up over a two week period to leaving it on all night. According to the acne expert who developed this regimen, 2.5% just does not cut it for widespread, non-inflamed acne. And you do need to work up gradually, or your skin will likely get dry and irritated. Also, that people are not giving it enough time to work. You need to try any regimen for at least a couple of months, since the acne that you see now actually started developing now started 2-3 months ago.

Wow thanks for responding!

I actually did not do the gradual step up for the BP because i had already been doing Dan's regimen for a while and my skin is pretty tough. Should I start over again? I guess it's different when the AHA is thrown in.

The Ingredients list is as follows. (My BP or facial scrub doesn't specify that they're non-comedogenic, but I assumed they wouldn't be since they indicate it's to fight acne)

Scrub:
water, ceytl alcohol, PPG-15, stearyl ether, polyethylene, microcrystalline wax, steareth-21, polysorbate 60, potassium cetyl phosphate, xanthan gum, frarance, menthyl lactate, ferric ferrocyanide (sounds scary!), jojoba esters + 2% salicylic acid

BP:
10% BP + aluminum hydroxide gel, bentonite, carbomer-940, dimethicone, glyceryl stearate SE, isopropryl myristate, methylparaben, PEG-12, potassium hydroxide, propylene glycol, propylparaben and purified water

Moisterizer: says it's non comedogenic

AHA: Alpha Hyrdrox Souffle (not mousse, oops) 12% AHA
Water, Glycolic Acid, Ammonium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Stearic Acid, PEG 40 Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 60, Steareth 2, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein (Peptides), Green Tea Extract, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Xanthan Gum, PVM/MA Decadiene Crosspolymer, Imidazolidinyl Urea, BHT

Let me know if you see anythin funny or if I should start over etc, thanks!