The Acne.org Regimen

Mild Cleanser

Firstly you want to find yourself a mild cleanser to clean your skin and prep it for the Benzoyl Peroxide. Look for a cleanser made specifically for the face that does not overdry. You want something that cleanses but does not strip the skin. Avoid fragranced products.

Over the years I tried many cleansers, but never found a liquid cleanser that was gentle and lathered well. Eventually I decided to develop my own. I auditioned the best manufacturers in the United States, and the winning manufacturer came up with a mild, fragrance free cleanser which was the best I've tried. It's now known as Acne.org Cleanser.

Below are some of the better cleansers I tried over the years. They are a great second choice if you can't order my cleanser online. The images will give you an idea of how big each product is in comparison with each other.

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2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide

You need a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide (BP) gel or cream. BP creates oxygen deep in your skin. Acne bacteria can't live in oxygenized environments and that's why BP is so successful at clearing acne. Several studies have shown that 2.5% BP is just as effective as 5% and 10% concentrations but much less irritating. Since avoiding irritation also helps reduce acne, 2.5% BP is the obvious choice. You will notice that benzoyl peroxide also mildly dries and peels your skin. This is thought to help keep pores from becoming clogged.

Gel vs. cream

There are a few 2.5% BP products on the market. They come in 2 forms, gel or cream. Gel absorbs faster than cream and does not turn white when you perspire. The BP creams on the market such as Neutrogena On-The-Spot do work quite well, so don't be worried if you can't order Acne.org Treatment Gel online as you'll be able to find the Neutrogena in most major stores.

Product sizes

For the first six years on the Regimen I was using well over a tube of BP a week. Neutrogena for example comes in 0.75 oz tubes so it doesn't last long. This was one of my main motivations for creating a gel myself. DKRgel comes in a large 4oz. tube.

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Moisturizer

Because you're going to be using lots of benzoyl peroxide you will need a moisturizer so you can keep your skin from becoming overly dry. It is vitally important that you begin moisturizing from day one on the Regimen, even if your skin doesn't seem to need it at first. Moisturizing will help keep your skin in balance and will help prevent some of the initial drying/reddening effects of benzoyl peroxide. There are precious few moisturizers on the market that handle the flakiness associated with benzoyl peroxide. I am working on making one for us myself, but that is months away. So, in the meantime we have a few options.

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