Follow precisely for best results
Acne on the back, chest, and other parts of the body can be harder to treat than facial acne. The body is made of thicker, tougher skin with thousands of glands that produce a lot of oil.
The Body Regimen 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 Body Regimen. However, many people on the forums say it took them over 3 months to get clear, and they are thankful that they stuck it out.
| Mild to moderate body acne | Moderate to severe body 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 body 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 Body 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 body 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 Body 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 Body Regimen. It can take a couple of weeks for acne to surface.
The Body 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 4 mL (about a teaspoon's worth) of cleanser into your palm and get a good lather going (2 full pumps if using Acne.org Cleanser). | Using a generous amount of cleanser will allow you to generate a thick lather. The more lather you generate, the more easily your hands will glide across your skin, thereby reducing irritation. |
| 1.2 | Very gently wash your problem areas. Stay exceedingly gentle when washing and wash only for a very short period of time. For instance, wash each side of your back or chest for less than 10 seconds or less per side. Rinse. | 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 Body Regimen. |
| 1.3 | Upon exiting the shower, gently dry your skin. Do not rub. Just let the towel sit on your skin and absorb the wetness. You may not get 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 5-15 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. |
| # | 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 4 mL (about a teaspoon's worth) of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide (2 full pumps if using 16oz. Acne.org Treatment). When in doubt, use more. Spread it onto one side of your back or chest, allowing your fingers to very gently glide over the skin until the benzoyl peroxide is more or less absorbed. Dispense another 4 mL (about a teaspoon's worth) and apply to the other side of your back or chest. Repeat as necessary, depending on how many parts of your body you are treating. |
Using an extremely generous amount of benzoyl peroxide is crucial. When in doubt, use more! Note: This refers to only after you have worked up your dosage to the full amount (4mL). If you have sensitive skin, start with a small amount of benzoyl peroxide and work up the amount you use over a week or two. |
| 2.3 | 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 body 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 4 mL (about a teaspoon's worth) of 10% glycolic acid for each side of your back or chest (2 full pumps if using 16oz. Acne.org AHA+). | The body is a large area and requires a lot of glycolic acid to properly treat. Don't skimp! |
| 3.3 | Apply very gently, allowing your fingers to glide over the body 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 Body Regimen.
To best help people follow The Body 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 Body 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.
