The Acne.org Regimen

A step-by-step program to clear skin
using only over the counter products

What is the Regimen?

The Regimen is a simple three step process, using inexpensive over-the-counter products. You may have even experimented with these products before. But while the products themselves are important, the quantity you'll be using is equally important. (I'll discuss this more later.) Also vital is reducing irritation. This means applying the products gently, and leaving your skin relatively untouched the rest of the day.

To get started you'll need a mild cleanser, plenty of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and a good moisturizer. Once you have the products you need, follow the step-by-step instructions. It is simple yet incredibly effective when followed precisely. I wish someone had shared this with me years ago.

How I discovered the Regimen

I suffered with acne throughout my adolescence and early adulthood. I experimented with every conceivable acne treatment, including Retin-a, antibiotics, Cleocin-t, sulfur, salicylic acid, and several others. Some cleared me up a little bit, but not enough to satisfy me. The best medication I tried was benzoyl peroxide, but it still didn't totally clear my skin.

Roughly 13 years ago, at my wit's end one evening, I stood holding a tube of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide while looking in the mirror at new pimples that had shown up that day. I decided "what the heck--I'm using a bunch of this stuff." I had nothing to lose, so I applied a lot more than usual. I went to bed and hoped for the best. I woke up the next morning and my skin looked much better. I thought it must have been a fluke, but day after day as I continued using plenty of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide my spots faded. Over the following weeks, I perfected the process and my skin cleared completely. Yup, it sounds simple and it is.

Eager to share my success, I made this website. It's been rewarding watching the Regimen work for so many other people.

How the Regimen works

Gentle face wash: A gentle face wash will help prepare your skin for benzoyl peroxide. Removing surface oils allows the benzoyl peroxide to penetrate. Washing very gently helps avoid irritation.

Plenty of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide: Benzoyl peroxide oxygenates skin. Acne bacteria cannot live in oxygenated environments. Benzoyl peroxide is also a mild drying and peeling agent which keeps pores from clogging. On the Regimen you'll be using 2.5% benzoyl peroxide because clinical studies have shown it is just as effective as 5% or 10% but much less irritating. I found that using lots of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide is incredibly effective. Why apply so much? Nobody knows for sure why this works so well, but hundreds of thousands of people have had great success using this method. My educated guess is that applying more simply allows it to penetrate more deeply into the skin.

Good moisturizer: Because you'll be using lots of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, your skin will most likely be dry and a little flaky afterward. Applying a good moisturizer will help keep your skin in balance and allow you to go out into public with non-flaky, normal looking skin.

Step-by-step instructions

Important: For best results, the Regimen should be performed twice a day, preferably 12 hours apart. Follow the steps below precisely as outlined. I cannot make this point strongly enough. Print out this page or the checklist and take it into the bathroom with you. Also, avoiding irritation is of paramount importance. Try to keep your skin relatively untouched as you go through your day.

Wash Gently

Important: It is important not to irritate your skin. Your fingers should gently glide over your skin.

Do not use soap on the Regimen; it can strip and overdry the skin. A tell-tale sign that a product is "soap" is when there is no list of ingredients on the package.

• Splash your face and neck and any other problem areas with warm water from your sink or shower.
• (At this step, men can shave. For a guide to shaving on the Regimen, see the guide to shaving page on Acne.org.)
• Lather up your hands with your mild cleansing wash or bar.
• Gently wash problem areas with your bare hands. This should take no longer than 10 seconds. Do not use a washcloth. It is too irritating. All you are trying to do is get the area prepped for the BP. Rinse gently.
• Gently pat dry. Do not rub.
• Wait until your skin is completely dry. This takes around 5 minutes after washing my face in the sink and about 10-15 minutes after a shower.

Medicate

Important: Because benzoyl peroxide can cause redness and itchiness it's vital that you start with only a small amount. These effects should subside within a few weeks.

Allergy: While allergy to benzoyl peroxide is rare, is does sometimes occur. To test for allergy, apply a nickel size amount of benzoyl peroxide to your inner forearm for 2-3 nights. If you experience swelling and/or severe crusting, do not use benzoyl peroxide. If your skin fares well, test on your temple for another 2-3 nights. If you are unsure or have any doubt, check with your doctor.

Tip: after you have squeezed out everything in the tube, you can still cut it in half and get quite a bit more out with your finger.

• Wash and dry hands. If you're just starting the Regimen it's important to start off with a smaller amount of BP to help avoid irritation. Over a 2-4 week period slowly increase the quantity of BP you use until you're using the full amount. View how much benzoyl peroxide to apply at www.acne.org/finger.html.
• Dispense the required amount of BP and spread it on to your face very gently with your fingers. Don't rub. Just allow your fingers to glide over your skin. Carefully avoid the area around the eyes; the thickness of the skin near the eyes is about 1/10th as thick as the rest of the face and can be very sensitive to benzoyl peroxide.
• If you're using a cream such as Neutrogena On-The-Spot rather than a gel like Acne.org Treatment Gel, apply to smaller areas of your face at a time to prevent the cream from drying out before it has absorbed. With a gel it is safe to apply to the entire face all at once. Watch a video of how to apply benzoyl peroxide medication at www.acne.org/video.html.
• Wait 5-15 minutes for your skin to dry. Do not rinse off the benzoyl peroxide. Once it is applied, you will leave it on the skin.

Moisturize

Optional: To achieve total flakiness control, you can add 4-5 drops of jojoba oil to whichever moisturizer you are using. Jojoba oil is non-comedogenic, and in my experience actually helps regulate my oil production. I add jojoba oil to my moisturizer each time I use it and love it.

• Wash and dry hands. Apply moisturizer. I use slightly less moisturizer than BP. Apply enough so your skin isn't flaky and you can go out in public with normal looking skin.
• After a few minutes if your skin is still flaky, apply more moisturizer.
• Do not skip this step. Begin moisturizing twice a day from your first day on the Regimen.
• Carefully avoid the area around the eyes with the moisturizer as well. The moisturizer can pick up some of the underlying BP and may irritate the sensitive area around the eyes.

Finding your Regimen supplies

For years all of us on the Regimen used large brand name products, but they can be quite expensive and not always ideal. I lobbied the large brand name companies to make us larger size products and to make a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide in gel form, and got friendly responses but little in the way of action. So I decided to make larger, and more cost effective products for us myself. While I was at it, I made them higher quality and less drying so they would work specifically for the Regimen. People normally see faster and better results with Acne.org products. However, not everybody can order online so I've made sure to also recommend some good alternatives. Go to www.acne.org/findingsupplies.php to view recommended Regimen products.

Good luck everybody!