I don't want you going on a wild goose chase for other products. The changes to the product should not cause what you're saying. The changes are very small and absolutely should not make them not work any more or make your skin awful. Quite the contrary, your skin should be slightly better with the changes.

I say this not at all to defend the products. I say it because it's important that you look for what is causing your skin to go downhill. It doesn't make sense that it's the products.

You say you're getting small whiteheads on your forehead? Can you share a pic? If you're getting non-inflamed acne, it could be the result of:

• Scrubbing too hard
• Makeup
• Adding in some other product like a sunscreen
• Physical irritation, like from a hat
• Hair product

Let's figure it out. But for your own sake, don't pin it on the product changes. It doesn't make sense that it's from that. Keep your mind open to other causes. There has to be a reason.

Hi Dan, I'm Linh from Vietnam.

The first time I learned about your product was nine years ago when I was a university student suffering from severe acne. I was prescribed isotretinoin, which cleared up my acne but had too many side effects, so I stopped using it. Unfortunately, the acne returned aggressively and became uncontrollable due to my hormonal imbalance. I was at a loss as to what to do until I came across a video of a girl who had a similar condition to mine but had completely cleared her acne and became much more confident after using The Regimen. Fortunately, your product was available for purchase in Vietnam, along with detailed usage instructions, and I was completely acne-free after just two weeks. I continued using it alongside acne AHA to ensure my acne wouldn't return. I am incredibly grateful that YOUR OLD FORMULA COMPLETELY CLEARED MY ACNE FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS.

However, after you changed the formula, my acne came back, and I didnt respond well to the new The Regimen set, especially the new moisturizer. I was really disappointed, so I started using tretinoin as a replacement, but the acne returned even worse. Now, I've returned to The Regimen, but the results are still not as effective as before. I sincerely hope, Dan, that you can consider selling the old formula alongside the new one, clearly labeling the packaging as "Old Formula" and "New Formula" so consumers have more options when purchasing. I truly love the old formula; it made me confident and completely free of acne. I really dont want to part with the acne treatment that I love just because of a product improvement. Please help bring it back once again. I believe many people around the world would want it to return.

P.S.: Although the moisturizer with licorice roots extract feels a bit uncomfortable when applied, it doesn't reduce the effectiveness in treating acne. However, the moisturizer with niacinamide is terrible; it causes more irritation and I've developed many whiteheads, something I haven't experienced in the nine years I've used The Regimen. Please listen to me, Dan. Thank you so much.

I'm hearing you guys, but it doesn't make sense. That's what's so frustrating. There is no reason why switching from licorice root to niacinamide would cause many whiteheads. Niacinamide is vitamin B3. It's not anything crazy. And it doesn't lead to whiteheads and actually calms the skin and reduces sebum production. Nothing else changed, so I sincerely want to suggest that you look for other things that might be causing the issues you're experiencing.

There are many variables in life and it's natural to think it's something obvious like a product that is causing an issue, but you really want to stay open. If you falsely blame a product you might be missing the core issue.

Some things to think about:

• Hormones - have you gone off birth control?
• Diet - have you gained weight recently (increased calories) or been eating higher glycemic?
• Irritation - have you been wearing a mask lately? Touching your skin more? Got a new significant other and doing a lot of canoodling?
• Other products - have you introduced a new makeup? A new scrubbing cleanser? Anything else?
• Sun - have you gotten a sunburn in the past few weeks? That can bite back with acne in the weeks following and make a breakout seem to come "out of nowhere."

There are other things that could also be causing a change in your acne, such as starting a new medication, increased stress, not using enough benzoyl peroxide, not being gentle enough when you're cleansing, the list goes on and on.

I'm not saying any of this to defend Acne.org products. I'm saying it because it doesn't make chemical or biological sense based on the small changes I have made to the products that it is Acne.org products that are causing these issues, and I think it's really important that you not miss what might be really causing the problem.

Hi, long time Acne.org BPO user here. Started using it end of 2007/2008. Long enough to know I know the skin routine, variables, and the game.

I just bought a new DK BPO bottle (only buy from DK including face wash) end of Aug, lot 813 exp 2/26 and the past week being able to use it, my skin has broken out worse, worse than before ever being on BPO. Inflammatory acne, small red pustules that pop, and cysts. 10 at least all around my nose and smile lines, between my eye brows, above my eyebrows, under my eyes. Now spreading to forehead and chin, which is extremely rare areas for me. This has been matter of days, so no new skin stuff, i dont wear makeup, no new shampoos, laundry items, etc I know the routine. Not itchy, not fungal, looks allergic but its not, just inflamed.

I can verify this DK BPO experience is also happening to me.

Nothing else in my life has changed. No new products or medications. I only started suspecting the regimen moisturizer after I ran out and used a different moisturizer in the meantime (vanicream). The small bumps all over my forehead finally cleared up.

Ive read that niacinamide stimulates keratin production. I think for me that causes small bumps, almost like keratosis pilaris. I never had acne on my forehead before using the new acne.org moisturizer.

Dan, why are you even changing up the formula is the first place when it was working perfectly fine for decades.. you should really consider listening to people that actually had bad acne before starting your regime. Are you trying to go broad and make your products like the mass commercial products out there like la Roche Posey and etc where everything is niacinamide or have the same ingredients as all the big major companies??. Your product was unique and nothing out there was better for acne than your product before. FYI your whole website and products is strictly for acne and for people that have sensitive skin(Not normal type skins that can tolerate any products). PLEASE LISTEN TO US.......

I'm listening you guys. I heard everything you had to say and I am always factoring in everyone's input.

I am always doing what I can to make the products as good as possible and this new Benzoyl Peroxide raw ingredient is better. I sent it out to testers and they almost all liked it better as well. Basically, my goal is to do what I think is best for people with acne.

But I definitely hear what you're saying. I wish I could keep selling each version of each product long term, but I don't have the bandwidth for that, so I just try to make the best products I can based on the best ingredients I can find.

For those of you who don't like the new Treatment, there are a lot of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide's out there so you should be ok finding one that works for you I hope. What's important is that you stay clear, and that's one of the cool parts of The Regimen is that you can swap out products if you need to.

I agree with everyone. I've been on these products for over a decade with success. Since March of this year when I got my new updated cleanser and BP, I haven't been able to get my face back on track. My face is red, my eyes itch, and my acne is back. It happened immediately when used it. No other life changes. I hate this. I hate when a good thing changes. Why try and make things better if they are working as is? If a certain ingredient becomes discontinued or unable to get access to I understand and you have no choice, but just changing it up to try and make it better is a terrible move. Especially to the loyal years+ users that it was working for. Don't keep digging in, go back to what works. Even when it makes sense on paper that the new formulas should be better, clearly years+ users are saying otherwise. I don't care if brand new users love it, they haven't been on it and trusted it like we all have. Now to begin the rabbit hole of finding a brand new regimen, so frustrating and unfortunate.

As I've mentioned, the cleanser is the same ingredients (just a bit more concentrated so you can use less) and the benzoyl peroxide is also the same but with smaller particles now.

But, nothing is every going to work for everyone, and if you are absolutely 100% certain it's the products, the beauty of The Regimen is that you don't have to use any particular products. If you are absolutely certain the Cleanser and Treatment is not working for you, you can use another gentle liquid facial cleanser and another 2.5% benzoyl peroxide gel. As long as you follow the instructions perfectly you should get clear.

That would actually be a very interesting experiment. Try a different cleanser and treatment and see if you back to clear. If you don't, you know you have to look for another reason why you're having issues. I'd be curious to hear how that goes if you try that.

Ill offer my two cents as a Regimen user since essentially the beginning (though Ive only ever used the Acne.org BP and AHA, and my acne is extremely mild to nonexistent now).

Never had a problem with the BP. At a tangible level, I feel this product has changed very minimally over the years, and Ive never had any problems with its effectiveness or irritation level. For me, its working as well as it always has.

The AHA has had some more noticeable changes. The color is obviously different now (not that this really matters), the consistency has seemingly varied between batches/formulas, and it seems like some formulas have been better at exfoliating than others, though I cant really discount other factors playing a role here. how humid the weather is, for instance.

The very first yellow formula AHA was probably my favorite if I recall correctly. And I have to agree with folks expressing concerns over Niacinamide. I havent had good experiences with products containing that ingredient, so Id prefer to avoid it if possible.

I'm so glad I found this topic. I've used the Regimen for over a decade and have been very happy with the results. A little over a week ago I received a bottle of the new formula for the BP and it caused a big eczema flare for me on my face 🙁 and I also got white heads (which I haven't had in years). Two days ago I reverted to the old BP (just a little bit left!) and my eczema immediately improved.

If anyone finds another BP that is identical to the old BP please post a comment - TY!

Dan - all the best to you! Your products changed my life! But I guess I need to find something new.

I'm always stunned when I hear things like this because zero changes happened other than smaller BP particles, so I'm left kinda dumbfounded.

However, what is, is. And, it's totally fine. You can use another brand of 2.5% BP as long as you get it from a trusted supplier. You can still do The Regimen with another 2.5% BP.

In fact, for anyone having any issues with any Acne.org product, remember that I started Acne.org and had it going for 8 years before I even started selling products, so you can use other products and still do The Regimen. I would hate to see anyone giving up on The Regimen because they're unhappy with 1 product or another. Here's a supplies guide if you want to use other OTC products.

the regimen is no longer what we (loyal customers of years) once found, tried & thanked god that it worked for us.. first the moisturizer changed, which was my favourite product you sold, from a light yellow-colour absorbing moisturizer to a thick/heavy white moisturizer that doesnt even fully absorb, to now adding niacinamide and god knows what the texture of this one looks like. (I found a new moisturizer once the thick white stuff started being sold)

Then you go and change the cleanser AND the bp??? You guys say the cleanser was changed partly to make it better for shaving??? What??? So you made that stronger without telling anyone, knowing the impact it will have on customers sensitive skin. And the BP Im reading review after review about how this is negatively affecting people..

i dont care how much you want to say oh well some new people complained or I got in the lab to make it better do you not understand you are playing with peoples skin on their fn face??? We are all here for a reason and now yall have went and changed each product BUT FOR WHAT??? And please dont try to gaslight me and say oh its just a tiny bit stronger or oh idk how you guys are suddenly breaking out after trying these products that youve come accustomed to, yes Ive changed them but that shouldnt make you break out

sir??? What???

I know this will be deleted before any other customer even sees it & this forum has been dead for a while, I assume the drop in quality of products are having an effect. But someone needs to say wtf is really going on. This is INSANE. You keep trying to fix things that were NEVER broken for god knows what reason and then come on here and tell people who are literally dealing with a life altering skin condition that theres no way this change could make them break out this is sad man fr this regimen, the ORIGINAL regimen, cleared my skin up and kept it that way for the last 8-9 years at least.. but because of your fixing things, Id broken out so bad from the new bs moisturizer that I had to find an alternative, and now Ill have to do the same with the cleanser and the Bp. Yes its easy af to find 2.5% BP but the ORIGINAL was very light weight went on super gentle and absorbed well without overly drying.. and this has been changed now and we see the negative reviews about it.

I have no more words for this, I asked wtf was going on last year and was told things were being worked on luckily I had enough of the old cleanser and bp to last me until now, & as I come back I see MORE changes and MORE negative reviews about it.

RIP to the regimen.

I've been following for a while now, first it started when I ordered moisturizer, noticed it was whiter then for whatever reason it started to burn my face. They claim the 8oz is unchanged but the color is different and it burns. Yeah I dont believe it even though the label is the same. Next I read that the cleanser is now different...I guess everyone complaining is making things up. I used these products for years after I stopped visiting my dermatologist and it 100% worked. But I guess you keep gaslighting people into believing the problem is us and not the changes themselves...

The moisturizer will be missed

Like so many other community members, I too started noticing that the regimen had stopped working for me in early 2024. I have stuck with it until now, thinking I was causing my breakouts somehow, but am dissapointed to learn of all the changes and reformulations that have occurred unbeknownst to us. To introduce changes in this manner without being transparent about it is quite irresponsible, to say the least. They are clearly the cause of my deteriorating skin because my face cleared up after stopping the regimen. Niacinimide sensitivy is a very real thing, and I'm confused about the dismissiveness directed towards those who voice their concerns about this.

Ive been using the Regimen for 10 years. I have to say for me, its not as good now as the original. I have now changed BP. I dont like the moisturizer as much as the original one. Now, the AHA is changing and forever out of stock. This is so discouraging.

I've been using the acne.org products for over 10 years with varying success throughout the years but I have never had fully clear skin and have suffered from acne some 20 years. Experimenting with new products has always scared me off. About 5 weeks ago I worked up the courage to try something new since I was not seeing results with the regimen. I experimented by adding in Burt's Bees Oil Cleasner to my night time routine to help with removing sunscreen. It seemed to maybe be having a positive effect the first few weeks but I'm really not sure now. And then, about 2 week ago was when I started using the new moisturizer formula unbeknownst to me until I looked at the back of the bottle. I've been really noticing in increase in breakouts and my skin feels completely different compared to using the old formula. I'm also getting different kinds of acne on my forehead and I rarely breakout on my forehead. I've decided to quit using the oil cleanser for now and go back to just the acne.org products and regimen for now. But, if I don't see any improvements soon I'm planning to ditch this new moisturizer; maybe even all these products. Ugh, send help please!

So I totally ditched acne.org products and my skin is doing much better. My current routine is:

AM

1. Spectrogel cleanser (while in shower)

2. Vanicream daily facial moisturizer. If I have to spot treat any active pimples, I dab on a little BP immediately after the moisturizer. Use any brand other than acne.org

3. After allowing the moisturizer to absorb for 30 minutes, apply sunscreen. I use neutrogena Clear Face spf.

PM

1. Garnier micellar water (for sensitive skin, the blue cap) to remove spf

2. Spectrogel cleanser (while in shower)

3. Vanicream daily facial moisturizer

4. After allowing the moisturizer to absorb for 30 minutes, apply tretinoin 0.025% gel

The new acne.org formulations have too many active ingredients that aggravate acne further. Focusing on repairing my moisture barrier and using only one active ingredient for acne (tret) seems to be better for me. Good luck!

I only buy the cleanser. I havent bought it for over a year but I want to start using it again but now all these reviews about how he changed the ingredients makes me not want to purchase it. Does the cleanser still have the same ingredients? Why would the owner change something if it was working. Sounds like something happened in the background. Maybe lawsuit or someone bought him out lol

The changes have made me so sad, but I'm sure they work for some (so yay for them). Niacinamide sensitivity is real and causes many to break out. Please don't gaslight yourself. The new moisturizer has so many changes: urea, sunflower oil (non-comedogenic, but still causes fungal acne for many people ugh), lactic acid, niacinamide. The combination of new ingredients is hectic. Daniel, why!? Something has to have happened. You can't keep saying you wanted to make it better, but you went and did a whole 180 on us. We never asked for this. The only thing people asked for was the original YELLOW moisturizer because it was more moisturizing and absorbed faster.

If you had an issue with your suppliers or supplies, you could have just told us - transparency goes a long way. You're telling people to check their hormones, sunscreen, other changes etc. It is frustrating because how did we not have these problems (white heads, inflamed skin, itchiness, cystic acne) for many years until you changed the formula? Please think about it. For most of us to complain suddenly... clearly nothing changed in our routine (I mean, some of these people were were good using your products for 8/9 YEARS!) These things happen, yes, but in this case nothing else magically changed. It's your formula that changed and that's okay. Clearly, something happened, just stop convincing us or acting confused when we are telling you the Niacinamide is breaking us out. It's a very known fact. Happy for those who the new formulas work for and I wish the rest of us the best luck in finding new products. Respectfully. ❤️

I hear you. I try to make each product as perfect as possible based on the science we have and my growing expertise in the lab and in manufacturing.

As far as the Moisturizer goes, you guys were basically yelling at me for years about how much you didn't like it. Reviews were very low. I was arguing that I did like it, and I did. But mostly what I was hearing was how much people didn't like it and primarily that it was not moisturizing enough. So I listened and made one from the ground up that I think is the world's best. It's intensely powerful now, so you need less. Some people are telling me they get away with half a pump or less even.

As far as the Treatment goes, it's insanely good now. It's the same as before, but the particles are tiny and dispersed and I'll put it up against any BP on the planet and we can judge simply based on how clear people get and how fast.

As far as the Cleanser goes, very little changed, just made it a bit more concentrated. But that did cause a bit more scent and I hear you guys on that and I'm working on seeing what I can do to get it less scented.

And as far as the AHA goes, it's the same but I'm just adding in Niacinamide. I like Niacinamide based on the science. Most of the science tells us that within weeks it reduces skin oil production, reduces redness, inflammation, and acne. And it's a simple ingredient that has a long track record. I am open to looking into Niacinamide more though, as I am with all ingredients.

Having said all of that, please remember, you do not need to use Acne.org products to do The Regimen. I didn't even sell products for the first 8 years that I was recommending The Regimen. Acne.org has always been non-profit and my goal is to get as many people as possible clear so they don't have to struggle like I did. You just need an ultra gentle cleanser (with no actives), a good 2.5% BP, and a non-comedogenic Moisturizer. And an AHA can really help. And of course follow The Regimen precisely.

Bottom line: I would like to make everyone happy, but I can't do that unfortunately. I have to follow the science and my experience, and of course listening to feedback, which I take very seriously. I'm making every single product as perfect as I can. Luckily, you can use other products if you don't like mine. What's most important is that you are completely and consistently clear, and you can do that with other products as well.

@dan I would just like to express my gratitude to you for all your work over the years. I discovered acne.org almost 20 years ago and it quite literally changed my life for the better. For me it was never just about the regime, it was about educating and empowering people to treat this horrid disease. You have helped so many people, not just through products but making information freely available based on the best science.

P. S. Out of interest do you recall when you first launched the cleanser and moisturiser? I think it was around 2007 maybe although I don't recall which one came first. I remember the BP came in nice blue tubes back then 🙂

Hey! Thanks for that. I started selling Treatment in 2003. Cleanser and Moisturizer were probably around 2007, you're right. Maybe a little sooner.

I love trying to prevent other people from having to deal with the brunt of this "horrid disease," which I agree with that description completely! I have many more plans for the future too in how we can continue keeping acne at bay.