Acne.org Products
I've been using this product for a few years now, and regularly let it get on my face.
Two weeks ago I would have said that this probably only appears to work because most shampoos and conditioners do so much damage, that the absence of that damage is this products only benefit.
However, in these last two weeks I stopped letting any H&S classic clean (without conditioner) touch my face.
My God did my skin break out. It was so horrible that it actually took me quite a while to figure out just what was happening because I never would have imagined that the shampoo was helping so much. I haven't broken out that badly in years now and it was pretty shocking. When I finally realized that it might be the absence of shampoo I immediately started letting it wash over my face again. Lo and behold, my breakout immediately subsided and my skin is once again returning to it's fairly clear state.
Unfortunately I fear it may be making my skin /look/ oily by drying it out so much. I'm really curious as to what exactly it is about this shampoo that helps so much so that I may start just using that component and avoiding the stuff that dries out my face.
I was really excited when I read this forum, I have mild back acne and mild-moderate face acne (on a scale of one to ten my face is like 4-5). I match the criteria of having combo skin (very oily on the forehead, nose, and upper lip) and it's also sensitive because I'm so fair. I read that H&S Classic Clean has worked for those with oily skin, so I decided to try my own experiment and buy the Sensitive version of the shampoo (I checked the labels and both shampoos have the same percent of Pyrithione zinc which is 1% as well as similar ingredients such as both having sodium laureth/lauryl sulfate.) I have nothing to lose so I will try the sensitive version and hopefully give those who have sensitive skin good feedback. I'll post again after 2 days if there's any change or no change 
If anyone needs even more detail on the details of my skin, I'll gladly respond as well as answer your questions when I get results. NOTE: I am not leaving this on overnight as a cream because that will burn the skin, I am going to use it like a cleanser.
WOW!!!! This stuff really works for your body no doubt! I read this thread and ran to wall-mart and bought H&S classic took a shower put it on my face and chest and back. When I got out of the shower my chest acne was 95% gone seriously no more redness or anything. This stuff did a good job drying up my face so I put moisturizer on at night, but this stuff really dries out face. BTW, What's a really good moisturizer that people with oily skin can use? just started right now so i'll keep you guys updated.
Wow that is amazing. It worked immediately after one use to get rid of 95% of your acne? Most people have to use it for a couple of weeks. Miraculous.
I've been trying this method for my body acne (chest, shoulders, neck, back, and upper arms) for about two weeks now. It appears to be working to some degree. While I can't say that my acne has cleared up, some minor blemishes have disappeared, and the larger pustules have minimized in redness and size.
I'll continue to use this method until the bottle runs out. After that I'll take note of the changes and decide whether or not to keep using it. I will try to update when that time comes, but I may forget. 
I neglected to mention HOW I've been using it. Initially I was mixing it with Dove Sensitive Skin body wash (which is a gentle cleanser). Then I would form it into a lather and apply it before rinsing a minute or so later. I mixed the two in order to get my skin used to the shampoo. It was very effective, and resulted in no skin irritation and significant improvement.
Now what I'm doing is using Dove Men +Care sensitive skin body wash, rinsing, applying the shampoo, and rinsing again. My results with this method have been ever so slightly less impressive, and my skin is slightly itchier.
Time will tell which method is more effective.
I've had what I consider to be a major breakthrough with this method! My body acne is more or less unchanging. I don't really breakout, I just have a permanent series of pimples in specific locations. They rarely get better or worse. Well, one such zit has been more prominent than others, constantly in the same place for the better part of a decade. Until now. It's more or less faded into a blotch, which itself will heal over time.
It may not seem like much, but it means something is working. 
Isn't the pH of this really high in comparison to some bar soaps? Like alkaline that it might not be good for the skin / acid mantle?
I can't speak to the chemical ingredients of the shampoo, as I'm no expert, but I can say the following with confidence about my skin:
My skin is healing faster in general. While new breakouts still occur they tend to either entirely disappear, dry out and scab off, or fade into a blotch over a 48 hour period. The quality of my skin has also improved. I feel both smooth and refreshed after a shower. In my time using it I've noticed a 20 - 30% increase in the look of my skin, my arms and face in particular.
However, we ARE talking about a dandruff fighting shampoo here. It's essentially a chemical exfoliant for your scalp, getting rid of dandruff by shedding the skin layers faster. That comes with certain pitfalls. In my case I would say my skin is more sensitive than it was before using this method, especially when going to bed. I don't know what irritates it in particular, maybe too many dead skin cells on the sheets, but I find myself itchier than before when attempting to sleep.
With all of that in mind I have a few new tips from my time doing this: If you want to use it on your face, I recommend using a very small portion and diluting it with whatever you normally use to wash your face in the shower. I use 3/4 Dove Men +Care and 1/4 Head and Shoulders shampoo. Lather the two together, then on your face and wash it off almost immediately. It should go without saying the facial skin is much more sensitive than other areas, and much more susceptible to damage.
My facial dryness increased tenfold when I used just the head and shoulders, and I would not recommend doing so. There is a caveat in that my face is better than ever. I've never had a typical over the counter cleanser meant for acne work as well as this.
As for my body regimen, I've come to the conclusion that for those with sensitive skin like my own, it's best to alternate. Do one day of cleanser/body wash, rinse, apply the shampoo, and rinse again. And then another where you mix the two as in the aforementioned face washing routine. The constant use of the shampoo alone was too much for me, personally.
Now, there are reasonable criticisms regarding if you should be applying this to our skin at all, but I think enough people have seen an effect that it's worth trying. I'm not too worried about damage as using it as a shampoo would have it streaming onto your skin regardless. I'm sure the company took that into consideration when creating it.
After all these weeks, I still have good days and bad, but I can state confidently that this is the most effective treatment I've used thus far. I'll continue keeping an eye on it and updating, of course. 🙂
H&S CC has zinc pyrithione.
Basically, it acts like BP and sorta like Accutane.
Zinc pyrithione has been proven to improve skin healing and slow down keratinization. Zinc also reduces sebum production by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to DHT locally by inhibiting 5 Alpha Reductase Type 1 (this is how testosterone causes sebaceous activity in the first place: through 5ar Type 1).
Zinc P. is also a potent anti-bacterial like BP. It causes DNA damage and disrupts the functioning of the bacteria.
Overral it's deadly to acne. It practically prevents acne, and kills existing acne. Miracle.
H&S CC has zinc pyrithione.
Basically, it acts like BP and sorta like Accutane.
Zinc pyrithione has been proven to improve skin healing and slow down keratinization. Zinc also reduces sebum production by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to DHT locally by inhibiting 5 Alpha Reductase Type 1 (this is how testosterone causes sebaceous activity in the first place: through 5ar Type 1).
Zinc P. is also a potent anti-bacterial like BP. It causes DNA damage and disrupts the functioning of the bacteria.
Overral it's deadly to acne. It practically prevents acne, and kills existing acne. Miracle.
Fascinating stuff. I had no idea it worked on so many levels. Do you have any idea how it might work in tandem with other treatments? Such as using H&S in the shower, and, say, BP outside of the shower? Do you believe that would lead to unnecessary skin damage or dryness?
H&S doesn't cause much damage even when used a couple of times per day. But it does take a while to get used to it, so I would gradullay increase the frequency. It's efficiency is based on frequency and not quantity. It works additively with nearly everything. Like nizoral, BP, retin A, AHA, etc
I believe I may be coming to the end of the road with this method. I saw some improvement, but it's been a couple months now and while a few areas did improve, others only improved temporarily. My upper arm acne is back with a vengeance, for example. I'll keep using the H&S method for a time, but based on some thingsnive observed during my usage of this method, I believe my issue is primarily dietary.
You might have Seborrheic Dermatitis. On the face it can look quite like acne and could be easily mistake for it. Pyrithione Zinc, the active ingredient in that and other anti-dandruff shampoos, is a treatment for it. It's a fungal thing, causes flaking of skin, and is often found primarily on the scalp which is why it's in the shampoo. It is also often found on typical acne sites the upper back and chest; It can be found on the face or anywhere else. If you search for pictures of it on people's faces I'm sure you'll agree they're hard to tell apart from pictures of people with severe acne.
I have been using H&S for a while and I'm now 100% clear. My skin looks good, it's not overly dry or oily. my friends and family have all commented on how great my skin has been. I no longer wear make up daily as my scars are fading.
And what's really great is how easy my daily routine has become. I wake up splash water on my face put a small dab of H&S on my hand cover my face, let it sit while I brush my teeth, then rinse my face, brush my hair and I'm out the door. No longer do I have to get up an hour or two early to wash with acne medicated soap and put on products, then let it all dry then put on layers of makeup.
When I get to the kitchen I no longer pull out my pill box and take antibiotics, or accutane, or vitamins and supplements. I drink a glass of water and eat a Greek yogurt or oatmeal and I'm off to work. I eat whatever I want, I do drink lots of water and I do run 2 to 4 miles because it is my destresser.
At night I again just take a shower and wash my face with H&S and let it sit while I shampoo my hair and then rinse it all off. I now wash my body with whatever body wash we have, once a week I put H&S on my chest and back but it has been clear since day 5 of using H&S
I don't think you will know if H&S works for you unless you quit everything else. For those who tried H&S and say it didn't work, how many other topical products, supplimemt and pills are you taking as well? Yes my skin got a little worse at first from quiting everything but over all it is a lot better for your skin and health to quit using multiple things. If you eat right (and I don't mean, eat a crazy strict healthy diet, just sensible, watch your sugar in take but don't cut anything out, unless you have allergies) your body should start to balance.
In my search for clear skin, I found quiting everything was the answer, when your trying and using many things you can't pin point what is working and what is causing problems.
No matter what you try remember, starting with less is best, keep using it for more then 3 days. UNLESS your skin swells, forms welts or rashes.
And I'm just Sharing my experience, I'm not saying it will work for anyone else.
For the K3tchup when you say "using H&S you will fail" do you know this by use yourself? I'm not calling you out, I'm just really curious to know your research. I've been using it since January and I am doing well. But I do worry in the back of my head will it stop working someday? So I'm wondering how long did you use H&S before it stopped working? and how well did ZNP bar work for you and sulfur soaps? Thanks for your info, that's what these boards are for sharing all our trial by error research.
For the record, I use the conditioner, and I've had similar results on my scalp.
Oh, and don't worry about the sulfurs in Head and Shoulders, it's selenium sulfide, which is more or less just an anti-fungal treatment. It's not a sulFITE, which is the one that can wreak havok, especially if you have an allergy to sulfites (like me).
I'm contemplating starting this again. It got me clear once but then when acne came back it just didn't work properly again. Left me with dry bleached skin which resulted in painful fleshy bumps. Since then I've been doing water only until this morning where I washed with a plain bar of soap. Don't know where to go from here....
