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The Regimen™
- Effective
- Detailed
- Acne treatment guide
The Regimen is a 3 step process, using common drugstore products. You may have even tried these products before. But, when used precisely as outlined below, the combination is incredibly effective.
First, carefully read through The Regimen until you are comfortable with the process.
Next, follow the finding supplies link to make sure you get the right products. If you get your products at the drugstore, be absolutely sure to print out my guide to buying drugstore products for complete instructions on how to avoid comedogenic ingredients.
Once you have your supplies, print out The Regimen and take it into the bathroom with you and follow each step exactly as outlined.
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The Regimen should be done 2x a day,
every day, 10-12 hours apart.1. Do it every day
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Follow the steps precisely as outlined.
I cannot make this point strongly enough.2. Follow precisely
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Use a feather-light touch during all three Regimen steps.
3. Be gentle
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It is absolutely critical that you ramp up to the full dosage of BP. When in doubt, use more BP.
4. Use a lot
Cleanse
- Vital: When washing, your fingers should gently glide over your skin.
[Medical research shows reducing irritation is vital to clear acne.]
A.
AM
Allow a gentle stream of warm water from your showerhead to gently splash across your face. Do not rub or scrub.
PM
Gently splash your face and neck with warm water from your sink. Do not rub or scrub.
This preps your skin for washing. Avoid very hot water because it can scald the skin, which can be irritating. Touching the skin as little as possible is vital to reduce irritation.
B. Men: Expand for shaving guide
A. Choosing your equipment
Razor: I've personally tried many razors from single blade disposable to three and four blade razors. The least irritating are the Gillette Sensor Excel and the Gillette Trac II. Both are twin blade (2 blade) razors which offer a close shave with minimum irritation. In a pinch, my next choice would be a disposable twin blade such as the Gillette Good News. For whatever reason, single blade razors and multiple blade razors are all more irritating than a twin blade.
Shaving Foam/Gel/Cream: Personally I use three pumps of the Acne.org Cleanser to shave with (see video below). If you use a shaving cream, make sure it is non-comedogenic. It should specifically claim to be non-comedogenic on the label.
Shaving Oil: If you feel your skin needs extra protection and opt for a shaving oil, be sure to choose a non-comedegenic formula. Jojoba oil is a good choice.
B. Preparation
One of the most important steps to a perfect shave is preparation. It's essential that you prepare your skin for your shave. Warm/hot water will soften your beard, resulting in a much more comfortable and less irritating shave. Probably the easiest way to achieve this is to shave at the end of your shower or immediately after exiting the shower. Fact: wet hair is more than twice as easy to cut than dry hair.
Optional: Applying a pre-shave oil before shaving will further soften the beard as well as assist with razor glide and offer more protection. Apply pre-shave oil to damp skin. You only need a few drops for your full beard. Massage the oil into the beard, going against the grain very gently. This will help lift your hairs. I only have personal experience with jojoba oil as a pre-shave oil. If you use any other oil, be certain that it specifically states on the package that the product is non-comedogenic.
C. The Shave
Following these instructions should result in a close and comfortable shave.
Always shave with the grain. The grain is the direction the hair grows in. Usually on the cheeks the hair growth will be from the top to bottom. Take extra care when shaving around the neck and adam's apple. The hair in this area can grow in many different directions. Taking extra care to shave with the grain will help prevent razor burn and ingrown hairs.
I shave my cheeks first, giving the chin/moustache area a little extra time for the hairs to soften. If you have a pimple or pimples to shave over, try to be gentle and if at all possible only shave over the area one time.
Once you've finished shaving, wash your face with your regular cleanser. If you've shaved with the Acne.org cleanser you'll only need to wash your forehead and nose after you shave.
D. Wash forehead and nose
There is no need to rewash your beard area. Simply wash your forehead and nose very gently as outlined in The Regimen below and you will be done with the gentle cleansing step of The Regimen.
Other options
If your skin still becomes irritated, despite following this guide, you could try using a beard trimmer (not to be confused with an electric shaver). I have tried many electrics, and they tend to be very irritating. Do not use an electric razor.
A beard trimmer, as the name suggests, will only trim your beard and won't achieve a clean shave. However, with the guard removed you can get your beard down to a close stubble.
C.
Dispense two full pumps of cleanser.
Using two full pumps of cleanser will allow you to generate a generous lather.
D.
Generously lather up hands with cleanser. Be vigorous and take the time needed to get a good lather going.
The more lather you generate, the more easily your hands will glide across your skin, thereby reducing irritation.
E.
Gently wash problem areas with your bare hands for 10 seconds or less. This may seem different from what you’re used to, but absolutely do not wash for longer than 10 seconds.
Do not use a washcloth.
Cleansing is necessary because it removes surface oils which allows the Treatment 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 Regimen.
Note: Washcloths are far too irritating and should be completely avoided.
F.
AM
Allow a gentle stream of water from your showerhead to splash across your face until the cleanser is rinsed away. Do not rub or scrub.
PM
Gently splash your face and neck with warm water until the cleanser is rinsed away. Allow the water to do the work. Your hands should barely touch your skin. Do not rub or scrub.
Remaining exceedingly gentle, barely touching your skin as you perform The Regimen, is necessary to achieve completely clear skin.
G.
Using the tips of a soft, absorbent towel, gently pat your skin dry, barely touching your face with the towel. Allow any remaining moisture to evaporate on its own. Never rub or scrub your skin dry.
When you stay extremely gentle and let the towel do the work, you are again taking necessary strides to avoid irritation.
H.
AM
Wait until your skin is completely dry. This takes around 10-15 minutes after a shower.
PM
Wait until your skin is completely dry. This takes around 5 minutes after washing your face in the sink.
Letting your skin dry completely allows the Treatment (Step 2) to absorb. Do not begin Step 2 until your skin is completely dry.
Important Notes
Do not use soap on The Regimen. A tell-tale sign that a product is "soap" is when there is no list of ingredients on the package.
Soap can strip and overdry the skin. Soap also tends to leave a residue on the skin which can aggravate the skin’s natural barrier.
Step 1: Video Guide
Treat
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Vital: The full amount of Treatment (4mL) must be used AM & PM.
[For full efficacy BP must be applied generously in 2.5% concentration]
A.
Wash and dry hands.
This helps remove any oils that may have accumulated on your hands. Exposure to oils can aggravate acne.
B.
Dispense two full pumps (4mL) of Treatment. See dosage chart below.
Using an extremely generous amount of benzoyl peroxide (BP) is the heart and soul of this regimen. When in doubt, use more!
Note: This refers to only after you have worked up your dosage to the full amount (4mL). Start slowly!
Important: Expand for dosage chart
The pictures below represent how much benzoyl peroxide (BP) you need if treating your entire face. If your problem area is only part of your face, you will need less. If your problem area includes the neck or body, you will need more.
Using Acne.org Treatment Gel
Pump dispenser (16 oz.)
Start The Regimen slowly. At the onset of The Regimen, use less than one half of a pump of benzoyl peroxide. If you have sensitive skin, apply just once a day for the first week.
Slowly ramp up the dosage until you are using two full pumps (4mL) as pictured above, twice per day. This should take approximately 2-4 weeks.
Tube (8 oz.) or travel size (2 oz.)
Dispense this much at the onset of The Regimen. If you have sensitive skin, apply just once a day for the first week.
Slowly ramp up the dosage until you're using a full finger's length. This should take approximately 2-4 weeks.
Using Neutrogena On-the-Spot
Tube (0.75 oz.) – dispenses in a thin line
Start The Regimen slowly. At the onset of The Regimen, use only a small amount of benzoyl peroxide. If you have sensitive skin, apply just once a day for the first week.
Slowly ramp up the dosage until you are using as much as the picture above, twice per day. This should take approximately 2-4 weeks.
C.
Spread Treatment on your face very gently with your fingers. Don’t rub. Just allow your fingers to glide over your skin, spreading it around and letting it absorb on its own. Applying this way may take a few minutes, and requires extra patience, but it will pay off. This should take no longer than 3 minutes. If after 3 minutes, the Treatment is not fully absorbed, allow the rest to absorb on its own.
The more gently you treat your skin, the faster and more completely you will clear up. Allowing the Treatment to absorb on its own without rubbing is a crucial step in reducing irritation.
D.
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.
E.
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.
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.
Important Notes
Start with only a small amount of benzoyl peroxide, gradually working up to the full amount (4mL) over 2-4 weeks.
Step 2: Video Guide
Moisturize
- Vital: Do not skip this step. Even if you have oily skin, apply moisturizer twice daily. [Applying a moisturizer containing jojoba oil will regulate the skin's oil production.]
A.
B.
Dispense two full pumps of moisturizer (a quarter sized amount). When in doubt, use more.
Properly reintroducing hydration to the skin not only eliminates flakiness which benzoyl peroxide can produce, it also helps keep the skin balanced. Overly dry skin is irritated skin, so it is vital to keep skin in balance. Do not skimp on moisturizer.
C.
Apply moisturizer very gently with your fingers much like you applied the Treatment. Don’t rub. Allow your fingers to gently glide over skin. This should take no longer than 2 minutes. If after 2 minutes, the moisturizer is not fully absorbed, allow the rest to absorb on its own.
- After a while, if your skin is still flaky, apply more moisturizer.
You guessed it…applying moisturizer this gently reduces irritation, which is a must to get skin 100% clear.
D.
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.
Important Notes
To achieve total flakiness control, you can add 5-6 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. Feel free to add jojoba oil to any moisturizer each time you use it.
Do not skip this step. Begin moisturizing twice a day from your first day on The Regimen.
Some people say, “I have oily skin, so I’m not going to moisturize,” but this is not a reason to avoid moisturizing. When you moisturize, especially with a moisturizer which contains jojoba oil, your oil production will come under control much better than if you avoid moisturizing. Moisturizing twice daily, every day, is an essential step to getting clear. This has been proven over many years and hundreds of thousands of Regimen users.
During a normal day at work or at school, you should be fine with a non-SPF moisturizer. However, if you will be in the sun for more than 20 minutes combined between the hours of 10am-3pm, protection of the face/neck and other areas where you apply acne medication is prudent. Consider wearing a hat or applying a sunscreen instead of a non-SPF moisturizer. Dispense a quarter sized amount of the sunscreen and be sure to add 5-6 drops of jojoba oil for flakiness control since some sunscreens can be drying.
Acne medication can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. SPF application is a complex issue. The sun is the main source of vitamin D, an extremely important hormone. Many doctors strongly recommend 5-20 minutes of sun exposure per day. However, excessive exposure can damage the skin.
Step 3: Video Guide
Avoiding Irritation
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Vital: Leave your skin relatively untouched throughout the day — crucial to achieve clear skin.
[Reduce/avoid physical irritants. If repeated contact occurs, apply extra BP & 10% AHA.]
Be aware of physical irritants:
- picking at your skin
- resting face in hands
- napkins, tissues
- hats, helmets, chin straps
- greasy hair products
