Follow precisely for best results
Back acne (bacne) can be harder to treat than facial acne. The back is made of thicker, tougher skin with thousands of glands that produce a lot of oil.
The Back Regimen for the back is a 3 step process, using common drugstore products. You may have even tried similar products before. But, when used precisely as outlined below, you will predictably clear up.
First, watch the video or read through the step-by-step instructions until you are comfortable with the process.
Next, use the product guide to make sure you get the right products.
Below is a typical experience on The Back Regimen. However, many people say it took them 3-4 months to get clear, and they are thankful that they stuck it out.
| Mild to moderate back acne | Moderate to severe back acne | |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Mild improvement. Skin may be slightly red and itchy. | Usually slight improvement. Some people have reported an initial worsening of acne. Skin may be slightly red and itchy. |
| Week 2 | Further clearing, followed perhaps by a breakout. The breakout clears more quickly than usual. Red spots from old acne linger and may be hard to distinguish from active acne. | Clearing, followed by a breakout. Skin is still somewhat red and itchy. Person is considering other options. Red spots linger and may be hard to distinguish from active acne. |
| Week 3 | Skin is definitely improved. Some cases of back acne are cleared up. Others are well on their way. Red spots from old acne linger but are fading. | Skin continues to clear and breakouts are lessened but may be still occurring, albeit to a lesser degree. Skin is less red and no longer itches. Red spots from old acne are evident. |
| Week 4 | Skin is looking very good. No new acne is forming, but red spots from old acne may still remain slightly. | For many people, skin is looking remarkably clearer by this time. Others are still frustrated that their skin is not yet clear, but push on. Redness is gone. Red spots from old acne still remain. |
| Week 5-8 | Skin stays clear, with perhaps an occasional small pimple. Red spots are fading further. | For many people, the skin is now clear. For others, the struggle continues with intermittent breakouts. Red spots are fading slowly. Despite the urge to deviate from The Back Regimen and experiment, the person sticks with it precisely. |
| Week 8+ | Ongoing treatment keeps skin clear. Red spots continue to fade until complexion is beautiful and clear. A mysterious zit pops up from time to time, perhaps from irritation of a backpack, purse strap, etc. But overall, the skin is clear of back acne. | Usually by month 3, most cases are well on their way to becoming under control. Many less severe cases now simply require ongoing treatment to maintain acne-free skin. Red spots continue to fade, but a few may remain for months, or even years. An isolated pimple from time to time is normal and to be expected. An isolated larger lesion may erupt occasionally due to irritation as well. |
If your experience does not closely match the above descriptions, don't fret. Stay patient and follow The Back Regimen precisely and you should see results. If you get an unexplained breakout at any point, look back over the two weeks prior to the breakout and consider how you may have irritated your skin or veered off The Back Regimen. It can take a couple of weeks for acne to surface.
The Back Regimen should be completed both in the morning and in the evening, about 10-12 hours apart.
| # | How | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Gentle cleansing is most easily performed in the shower. Dispense a generous amount of cleanser (2 full pumps if using Acne.org Cleanser) into your palm and get a good lather going. | Using a generous amount of cleanser will allow you to generate a good lather. The more lather you generate, the more easily your hands will glide across your skin, thereby reducing irritation. |
| 1.2 | Gently wash each side of your back for no more than 5 seconds and with a gentle touch. | Cleansing is necessary because it removes surface oils which allows the benzoyl peroxide and/or glycolic acid (alpha hydroxy acid - AHA) to penetrate, but you can easily achieve this goal with bare hands and only a few seconds of washing. Washing for this short a period of time reduces irritation and is one of the most important steps in The Back Regimen. |
| 1.3 | Upon exiting the shower, gently dry your back. Do not rub. Just let the towel sit on your skin and absorb the wetness. You may not get your back completely dry with the towel this way, but that's preferable to irritating rubbing. | Anything which rubs, scratches, or scrubs the skin can cause irritation. Stay very gentle with your towel. |
| 1.4 | Wait 10-15 minutes until your skin is completely dry. Feel free to do other normal daily activities during this time. | Do not begin Step 2 until your skin is completely dry. This will allow your skin to better absorb. |
For light acne skip to step 3. Benzoyl peroxide is not necessary for light acne.
| # | How | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2.1 | Wash and dry hands. | This helps remove any oils that may have accumulated on your hands. Exposure to oils can aggravate acne. |
| 2.2 | Dispense a very generous amount of benzoyl peroxide (2 full pumps if using Acne.org Treatment) onto your palm. When in doubt, use more benzoyl peroxide. The back is a tough area and can take it. | Using a large amount of benzoyl peroxide allows for deep penetration into the skin. When in doubt, use more! |
| 2.3 | Spread it on one side of your back very gently. Do not rub. Just allow your hand to gently glide over the back until the benzoyl peroxide is more or less absorbed. Dispense 2 more pumps of benzoyl peroxide and repeat on the other side of your back. | Staying super gentle reduces irritation. |
| 2.4 | Wait 5-15 minutes until your skin is completely dry. Feel free to do other normal daily activities during this time. | Benzoyl peroxide oxygenates skin, and dries and peels inside the pore. It is important to give it the time it needs to properly medicate and treat acne. |
| Benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabric. This is the most challenging part of this regimen. If you are using benzoyl peroxide in the morning, you may want to wear a white undershirt. Once you are completely clear, try eliminating benzoyl peroxide from the morning routine. Still keep applying the glycolic acid twice a day, but only apply benzoyl peroxide at night and see if you can stay clear with just once daily benzoyl peroxide application. This works well for some people with less severe acne. | ||
| # | How | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | Wash and dry hands. | This helps remove any oils that may have accumulated on your hands. Exposure to oils can aggravate acne. |
| 3.2 | Dispense one thick finger's length worth of 10% glycolic acid cream or gel to each side of the back. (2 full pumps if using the 16oz. Acne.org AHA+) | The back is a large area and requires a lot of glycolic acid to properly treat. Don't skimp! |
| 3.3 | Apply very gently, allowing your hand to gently glide over the back until the glycolic acid is more or less absorbed. Wait for the glycolic acid to dry before dressing. | Staying super gentle reduces irritation. |
You can use products from any drugstore to get started right away. However, acne.org also provides products which are carefully formulated to be ideally suited for The Regimen.
To best help people follow The Regimen strictly, we formulate and produce non-comedogenic, pharmaceutical grade products which come in large, affordable sizes so you can use as much as you need.
Visit our storeBuying from the store means you can start treatment almost immediately, which is part of the beauty of The Regimen. Even if you choose to go with acne.org products, the drugstore products are always there for you in an emergency.
Print product guideFeel free to check out what users of The Regimen have to say if you'd like.
