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The Acne.org Regimen
I used benzoyl peroxide for years. If only
someone had told me to use it this way.
- ABOUT THE REGIMEN
- STEP-BY-STEP
- FIND YOUR SUPPLIES
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.
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:
If you are using the 8oz size, 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.
- 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 use Neutrogena On-The-Spot].
- 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.
