I have been using the regimen for just over 2 years. I suffer from acne on my chin and basically the whole area around my mouth. This regimen saved me back when I started at the end of my first year of college. It worked very well all throughout my sophomore year. I would still get break outs (usually during exam weeks and other stressfull times) and usually had a pimple or two, but it looked so much better. My skin was never really "perfect" or anything like that. But it was clear enough that it didn't bother me! Clear enough that it wasn't the first thing people would notice, or would likely use to describe me to others. I could take pictures, go out with confidence, it was wonderful. Every now and then it would get kind of bad, and it would get me down, but the BP always helped and it was back to looking good in no time.

But now, everything seems different,

All I can remember about this semester is all the problems I have been having with my skin. My spring break trip with my girlfriend was basically ruined because of it. I didn't want to show my face to anyone. I had been using the Cetaphil moisturizer, the kind that comes in the tub. Either I was using too much of it, or it had gotten too dirty from constantly putting my fingers in there or something, but my face started getting incredibly dry. It got extremely red too. I switched cleansers (now using Burts Bees Orange facial wash) and moisturizers (now using Cerave, that comes in the pump. And the Cerave AM for when I need sun screen). This has helped with the dryness a lot. I also have started to use Jajoba oil with my moisturizer, otherwise my face gets too dry during the day.

But here is my dilemma: if I use BP (even just half the amount I used to use) my chin/mouth area gets all red, and dry (but the jajoba/moisturizer help with that now). If I don't use the BP I get zits seemingly by the hour. It seems my skin just cannot handle BP anymore.

If I use BP only once a day, I wake up/come home with a face full of zits (read: like 4 or 5 whiteheads). If I use BP twice a day, my face gets all red, so much so that it makes me extraordinarily uncomfortable (I mostly apply the BP to my chin/mouth area, so I look very weird with just the lower half of my face all red). Currently (as of this past week) I try loading up on the BP at night, and then using it sparingly in the morning. This is better than the other two options but its not working well enough. I can feel zits popping up durring the day, and my face is still very red. Its really annoying, it does not look THAT red in my bathroom mirror but it looks SO AWFULLY BAD in natural sun light that it makes me want to hide all day.

I admit, I used to neglect the moisturizing part of the regimen quite often. My skin was dry at times, but never so much that it was uncomfortable or that it looked really red. Maybe I am paying the price for this now.

So I think I need to stop with the regimen, and look for something else. I just don't think my skin can take it anymore. My face is red all the time and I cringe when I see pictures of myself. I can't walk by a mirror without becoming depressed. Often my acne and/or skin dryness will get physically uncomfortable and hurt. I don't know what to do. So I am writing this to just let everyone know, and if anyone has been where I am at, let me know.