Acne.org Products
Thanks, but i think i will keep using the Cetaphil as my skin hasn't been oily since using it and it gets a lot of good reviews. Besides i dont' have tons of money to be buying another cleanser!
It's so hard to find sunscreen products with those ingredients in them. I said Neutrogena because those are two products you recommend. They're on the first page of this thread: Neutrogena Active Breathable Sunblocks and Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunsblocks. Not sure which i will get yet, but whichever is cheaper i guess.
Also, since you said the AXE isn't good for my skin, what do you recommend i use for the rest of my body?
VAS said:Thanks, but i think i will keep using the Cetaphil as my skin hasn't been oily since using it and it gets a lot of good reviews. Besides i dont' have tons of money to be buying another cleanser!It's so hard to find sunscreen products with those ingredients in them. I said Neutrogena because those are two products you recommend. They're on the first page of this thread: Neutrogena Active Breathable Sunblocks and Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunsblocks. Not sure which i will get yet, but whichever is cheaper i guess.
Also, since you said the AXE isn't good for my skin, what do you recommend i use for the rest of my body?
If you really want to you can keep using the Cetaphil cleanser, I just think it would be better if you were using something else for reasons mentioned last time. However, the product is gentle, so you could be doing a lot worse things to your skin. The other cleansers I recommended are very inexpensive, so if you change your mind about switching cleansers it shouldn't be too much of a problem financially.
The Neutrogena sunscreens I recommend in the first post to this thread are broad-spectrum. However, other popular Neutrogena sunscreen products, like the Oil-Free Moisture with SPF 15 and the Healthy Skin Face Lotion with SPF 15 are not. I wasn't sure which sunscreen you were going to use, so that's why I expressed my concerns.
Here's what I said in a past response to you:
Eucerin Aquaphor Baby Gentle Wash (it is marketed for use on babies but contains the same cleansing agents as cleansers marketed for use on adults)
Paula's Choice All Over Hair and Body Shampoo
The Eucerin product can be ordered on drugstore.com or sometimes can be found at RiteAid (check the baby aisle), and the Paula's Choice product can be ordered off of [Removed link]or [Removed link].
I was recommending products that could be used on both the body and face. Since you said that you were on Accutane, which makes the skin very sensitized, I was trying to find products without fragrance since fragrance is an irritant. However, it's easier said than done to find fragrance-free bodywashes. If you can't get the above mentioned products, Aveeno makes some OK bodywashes even though they contain some fragrance (including the one labeled fragrance-free; it uses fragrant extracts at the end of the ingredients list).
Thanks, but i think i will keep using the Cetaphil as my skin hasn't been oily since using it and it gets a lot of good reviews. Besides i dont' have tons of money to be buying another cleanser!
It's so hard to find sunscreen products with those ingredients in them. I said Neutrogena because those are two products you recommend. They're on the first page of this thread: Neutrogena Active Breathable Sunblocks and Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunsblocks. Not sure which i will get yet, but whichever is cheaper i guess.
Also, since you said the AXE isn't good for my skin, what do you recommend i use for the rest of my body?
If you really want to you can keep using the Cetaphil cleanser, I just think it would be better if you were using something else for reasons mentioned last time. However, the product is gentle, so you could be doing a lot worse things to your skin. The other cleansers I recommended are very inexpensive, so if you change your mind about switching cleansers it shouldn't be too much of a problem financially.
The Neutrogena sunscreens I recommend in the first post to this thread are broad-spectrum. However, other popular Neutrogena sunscreen products, like the Oil-Free Moisture with SPF 15 and the Healthy Skin Face Lotion with SPF 15 are not. I wasn't sure which sunscreen you were going to use, so that's why I expressed my concerns.
Here's what I said in a past response to you:
Eucerin Aquaphor Baby Gentle Wash (it is marketed for use on babies but contains the same cleansing agents as cleansers marketed for use on adults)
Paula's Choice All Over Hair and Body Shampoo
The Eucerin product can be ordered on drugstore.com or sometimes can be found at RiteAid (check the baby aisle), and the Paula's Choice product can be ordered off of cosmeticscop.com or getthatglow.com.
I was recommending products that could be used on both the body and face. Since you said that you were on Accutane, which makes the skin very sensitized, I was trying to find products without fragrance since fragrance is an irritant. However, it's easier said than done to find fragrance-free bodywashes. If you can't get the above mentioned products, Aveeno makes some OK bodywashes even though they contain some fragrance (including the one labeled fragrance-free; it uses fragrant extracts at the end of the ingredients list).
Oh i'm sorry, I saw that part of the post before, but i guess i didn't know it was in reference to body wash. My bad.
I'll probably try getting some Aveeno or the baby wash. Thanks for all your help once again!
Is it okay to use Paula's Choice 2% bha gel and dan's bp at the same time?
Yes, but please don't use Dan's recommended full fingerlength. A small glob is all you need for the entire face; anything more is wasteful and likely to cause unnecessary irritation.
If you haven't been using Paula's 2% BHA Gel and/or Dan's DKR Gel for very long, you might be better off using one product in the morning and the other in the evening rather than using the two products at the same time. As your skin gets used to the two products, you can try applying them together if you need to (apply Paula's BHA Gel first followed by the DKR Gel).
Also, be sure to use a broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher sunscreen regularly since both treatments make your skin more sun-sensitive than it already is (your skin experiences sun-damage long before it starts to tan or burn; this damage can occur when you're sitting near a sunny window or under cloud cover contrary to what many people believe). A broad-spectrum sunscreen provides sufficient protetion against both UVA rays (which are primarily associated with causing skin-cancer and premature aging) and UVB rays (which are primarily associated with causing tanning and burning). Sunscreens are only required to protect against UVB rays, so just because a sunscreen is labeled SPF 15 or higher doesn't mean you're getting sufficient protection. You can find a list of recommended broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher sunscreens in Part II of the first post to this thread.
hello SQ!
i've decided to try PC 2% BHA liquid because i've been using 1% gel for 2 months now and i'm still breaking out 
i'm just wondering how do you apply it to your face? do you use finger or cotton ball?
also...i went to a derm and he gave me 8% glycolic acid toning solution by neostrata mixed with 2% clindamycin. does the ingredient list look good?
Water (Aqua), Alcohol denat., Glycolic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA.
thank you always.
Is it okay to use Paula's Choice 2% bha gel and dan's bp at the same time?Yes, but please don't use Dan's recommended full fingerlength. A small glob is all you need for the entire face; anything more is wasteful and likely to cause unnecessary irritation.
I typically agree with your advice, but your recommendation for the amount of Dan's BP to use is off. I had been using a small glob of BP on my face when I used Proactiv, and for a couple of months I was even doing this without the other two irritating steps in the system. You'd think this would have worked since I wasn't irritating my face in other ways and because aside from fragrance, the Proactiv BP isn't bad. But it didn't, my inflammatory acne persisted, and alas, I came here. The reason why Dan's regimen works whens other BP regimens don't is because he has you use a lot more BP. Does everyone on Dan's regimen need to use the full fingerlength? Probably not, since it seems to depend on the persistence and severity of your acne. Some people may even need more. I know from my many months on the regimen that when I try to use a little less BP than my usual amount for a couple of weeks, my skin rebels with small breakouts. Throwing BHA into the mix is another wrench and will probably affect the amount of BP you need to use (I imagine it would decrease the need slightly). I know that you have had bad experiences with BP in the past, but using large amounts has been the only thing to control my moderate inflammatory acne, and you are doing people a disservice by suggesting otherwise.
Is it okay to use Paula's Choice 2% bha gel and dan's bp at the same time?
Yes, but please don't use Dan's recommended full fingerlength. A small glob is all you need for the entire face; anything more is wasteful and likely to cause unnecessary irritation.
If you haven't been using Paula's 2% BHA Gel and/or Dan's DKR Gel for very long, you might be better off using one product in the morning and the other in the evening rather than using the two products at the same time. As your skin gets used to the two products, you can try applying them together if you need to (apply Paula's BHA Gel first followed by the DKR Gel).
Also, be sure to use a broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher sunscreen regularly since both treatments make your skin more sun-sensitive than it already is (your skin experiences sun-damage long before it starts to tan or burn; this damage can occur when you're sitting near a sunny window or under cloud cover contrary to what many people believe). A broad-spectrum sunscreen provides sufficient protetion against both UVA rays (which are primarily associated with causing skin-cancer and premature aging) and UVB rays (which are primarily associated with causing tanning and burning). Sunscreens are only required to protect against UVB rays, so just because a sunscreen is labeled SPF 15 or higher doesn't mean you're getting sufficient protection. You can find a list of recommended broad-spectrum SPF 15 or higher sunscreens in Part II of the first post to this thread.
Okay thank you!
Hi Snow! I recently incorporated the 2% BHA into my regimen and I have a question for you. I have been applying the BHA and then waiting 2-3 minutes before applying the BP. I thought I remembered you saying that it was ok to apply the BP that soon because the BHA would help the BP absorb better. Was that correct? Should I be applying it sooner or waiting longer? The reason I am asking is because I am in the beginning stages of the purge from the BHA and I have tons of flesh colored bumps. I want to make sure this purge goes as smoothly as possible. It looks like its gonna be worse than the one that LQ experienced. Thanks Bunches! Lorrie
hello SQ!
i've decided to try PC 2% BHA liquid because i've been using 1% gel for 2 months now and i'm still breaking out
i'm just wondering how do you apply it to your face? do you use finger or cotton ball?
also...i went to a derm and he gave me 8% glycolic acid toning solution by neostrata mixed with 2% clindamycin. does the ingredient list look good?
Water (Aqua), Alcohol denat., Glycolic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Ammonium Hydroxide, Polyquaternium-10, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Polysorbate 20, Tetrasodium EDTA.
thank you always.
Hi there,
You can use apply the liquid with your fingertips or with a cotton pad/square/round (I prefer these to cotton balls, which absorb too much product). It really just depends on your personal prefference.
I personally wouldn't use the Neostrata product because it lists alcohol denat as the second ingredient, causing unnecessary irritation. There are other 8% glyolic acid products which I'm guessing are much less expensive and don't contain problematic concentrations of unnecessary skin irritants (Paula's Choice is an example of a company which makes one such glycolic acid product). Definately don't use any glycolic acid product at the same time as your Paula's Choice product; you're likely to cause too much irritation to your skin.
Is it okay to use Paula's Choice 2% bha gel and dan's bp at the same time?Yes, but please don't use Dan's recommended full fingerlength. A small glob is all you need for the entire face; anything more is wasteful and likely to cause unnecessary irritation.
I typically agree with your advice, but your recommendation for the amount of Dan's BP to use is off. I had been using a small glob of BP on my face when I used Proactiv, and for a couple of months I was even doing this without the other two irritating steps in the system. You'd think this would have worked since I wasn't irritating my face in other ways and because aside from fragrance, the Proactiv BP isn't bad. But it didn't, my inflammatory acne persisted, and alas, I came here. The reason why Dan's regimen works whens other BP regimens don't is because he has you use a lot more BP. Does everyone on Dan's regimen need to use the full fingerlength? Probably not, since it seems to depend on the persistence and severity of your acne. Some people may even need more. I know from my many months on the regimen that when I try to use a little less BP than my usual amount for a couple of weeks, my skin rebels with small breakouts. Throwing BHA into the mix is another wrench and will probably affect the amount of BP you need to use (I imagine it would decrease the need slightly). I know that you have had bad experiences with BP in the past, but using large amounts has been the only thing to control my moderate inflammatory acne, and you are doing people a disservice by suggesting otherwise.
I'm sorry you feel that way. While your use of a full fingerlength of benzoyl peroxide seems to have been beneficial for you, there are many for whom it is not. I see countless complaints that the DKR isn't giving the results users want in addition to irritating their skin; I'm trying to offer what I feel is a more effective regimen to users. For those who find that using a small glob of a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide product isn't enough, I recommend using a little bit of a higher concentration instead. However, I respect your opinion and realize that not everyone is going to agree with everything I say.
I don't know if this has already been discussed, but you wrote to not use products with sulfates, yet I looked at the ingredients of some of the reccommended cleansers and they contained sulfates.
I never recommend to not use products with sulfates; I recommend the avoidance of products with sodium lauryl sulfate and TEA lauryl sulfate as the primary surfectants. I recommend the use of cleansers with gentle surfectants like sodium laureth sulfate (there is a difference between this and sodium lauryl sulfate).
Hey was just looking at the ingredients on my biore unclogging scrub, and one of the ingredients is sodium lauroyl lactylate, in the list of irritants there is Sodium lauryl sulfate, I was wondering if that is an irritant also..?
I didn't find anything stating that sodium laroyl lactylate is too harsh, so it's probably fine to use.
SnowQueen, I still have not been able to find this anywhere: Selectively Moisturize with Dove Sensitive Essentials Sensitive Skin Facial Lotion.
I usually buy it at Target. You can also find it on drugstore.com.
Thank you! Mostly great reviews, but why do I always zero in on the bad ones and think this is going to be MY experience???!!! lol
Although it can be beneficial to look at users' product reviews, they shouldn't be the deciding factor in whether or not a product is bought. I only look at them to get an idea of the feel of a product, it's spreadability, etc.... The problem is that many users posting negative reviews (like, "It made me breakout!") often times jump to this conclusion after using the product for a few days at most. Clogged pores take a few weeks to form, and even then it's not always easy to pinpoint the cause of a breakout on one product. With both postitve and negative reviews one must take into account that the reviewer may have been using/excluding the use of other products which led to an improvement or worsening of the skin.
Hi Snow! I recently incorporated the 2% BHA into my regimen and I have a question for you. I have been applying the BHA and then waiting 2-3 minutes before applying the BP. I thought I remembered you saying that it was ok to apply the BP that soon because the BHA would help the BP absorb better. Was that correct? Should I be applying it sooner or waiting longer? The reason I am asking is because I am in the beginning stages of the purge from the BHA and I have tons of flesh colored bumps. I want to make sure this purge goes as smoothly as possible. It looks like its gonna be worse than the one that LQ experienced. Thanks Bunches! Lorrie
Yes, salicylic acid can improve the penetration of other products like benzoyl peroxide. Your breakout doesn't sound inflammatory, though it can become so. Using benzoyl peroxide will help prevent the breakout from becoming inflammatory. If you are experiencing too much irritation, you might prefer waiting to apply the benzoyl peroxide as this will reduce the ammount of irritation you experience.
hi, i've been using dove sensitive essentials cleaser buut i'm not completely satisfied so i've decided to try some other cleansers...which of these products would be a good choice? i have sensitive skin.
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Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, 1,2 Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl 10 Laurate, PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG 120 Methyl Glucose Diloleate, Fragrance, Lactic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil (Lavender), Oenothera Biennis Oil (Evening Primrose), Phenoxyethanol, Polyglutamic acid, PPG 2 Cocamide
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Sodium C14 16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polysorbate 20, PEG 16 Soy Sterol, PEG 6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG 16 Macadamia Glycerides, Glycine Soja Protein (soybean), Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Fragrance
Thanks!
hi, i've been using dove sensitive essentials cleaser buut i'm not completely satisfied so i've decided to try some other cleansers...which of these products would be a good choice? i have sensitive skin.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, 1,2 Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl 10 Laurate, PEG 7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG 120 Methyl Glucose Diloleate, Fragrance, Lactic Acid, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil (Lavender), Oenothera Biennis Oil (Evening Primrose), Phenoxyethanol, Polyglutamic acid, PPG 2 Cocamide
Inactive Ingredients: Water, Glycerin, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Sodium C14 16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polysorbate 20, PEG 16 Soy Sterol, PEG 6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, PEG 16 Macadamia Glycerides, Glycine Soja Protein (soybean), Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Ethylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Fragrance
Thanks!
Neither one looks terrible; the first one looks like it has more fragrance, so maybe the second one would be better, but they both look fine (the second cleanser contains a harsh surfectant, but it's not the primary surfectant used).
Is it okay to use Paula's Choice 2% bha gel and dan's bp at the same time?Yes, but please don't use Dan's recommended full fingerlength. A small glob is all you need for the entire face; anything more is wasteful and likely to cause unnecessary irritation.
I typically agree with your advice, but your recommendation for the amount of Dan's BP to use is off. I had been using a small glob of BP on my face when I used Proactiv, and for a couple of months I was even doing this without the other two irritating steps in the system. You'd think this would have worked since I wasn't irritating my face in other ways and because aside from fragrance, the Proactiv BP isn't bad. But it didn't, my inflammatory acne persisted, and alas, I came here. The reason why Dan's regimen works whens other BP regimens don't is because he has you use a lot more BP. Does everyone on Dan's regimen need to use the full fingerlength? Probably not, since it seems to depend on the persistence and severity of your acne. Some people may even need more. I know from my many months on the regimen that when I try to use a little less BP than my usual amount for a couple of weeks, my skin rebels with small breakouts. Throwing BHA into the mix is another wrench and will probably affect the amount of BP you need to use (I imagine it would decrease the need slightly). I know that you have had bad experiences with BP in the past, but using large amounts has been the only thing to control my moderate inflammatory acne, and you are doing people a disservice by suggesting otherwise.
I'm sorry you feel that way. While your use of a full fingerlength of benzoyl peroxide seems to have been beneficial for you, there are many for whom it is not. I see countless complaints that the DKR isn't giving the results users want in addition to irritating their skin; I'm trying to offer what I feel is a more effective regimen to users. For those who find that using a small glob of a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide product isn't enough, I recommend using a little bit of a higher concentration instead. However, I respect your opinion and realize that not everyone is going to agree with everything I say.
Hmm, then why use a little bit of a higher concentration when you can just use more of a lower concentration, though? If your goal is to apply some amount of an active ingredient, it certainly is easier to get an even application with more gel/lotion/goop to work with than with a smaller amount, which might dry out before you can get it to disappear, especially with as small of amounts as you recommend. I've run into this problem with basically anything in a gel or lotion vehicle (BP, moisturizers, AHA lotion, etc.) where if I don't use more than some minimum amount that I have to find by trial and error, I can't get a complete even application.
SnowQueen, did you switch from 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid gel to the lotion? I could have swore that I ordered the gel because you said the lotion wasn't as good or didn't spread well or something, but now I see you have the lotion listed in your regimen. What's the diff. between the gel/lotion/liquid? Also, maybe this is a stupid question, but does acne ever build up an immunity to these types of products? Do you recommend switching regimens periodically?
Thank you! Mostly great reviews, but why do I always zero in on the bad ones and think this is going to be MY experience???!!! lol
Although it can be beneficial to look at users' product reviews, they shouldn't be the deciding factor in whether or not a product is bought. I only look at them to get an idea of the feel of a product, it's spreadability, etc.... The problem is that many users posting negative reviews (like, "It made me breakout!") often times jump to this conclusion after using the product for a few days at most. Clogged pores take a few weeks to form, and even then it's not always easy to pinpoint the cause of a breakout on one product. With both postitve and negative reviews one must take into account that the reviewer may have been using/excluding the use of other products which led to an improvement or worsening of the skin.
Hi Snow! I recently incorporated the 2% BHA into my regimen and I have a question for you. I have been applying the BHA and then waiting 2-3 minutes before applying the BP. I thought I remembered you saying that it was ok to apply the BP that soon because the BHA would help the BP absorb better. Was that correct? Should I be applying it sooner or waiting longer? The reason I am asking is because I am in the beginning stages of the purge from the BHA and I have tons of flesh colored bumps. I want to make sure this purge goes as smoothly as possible. It looks like its gonna be worse than the one that LQ experienced. Thanks Bunches! Lorrie
Yes, salicylic acid can improve the penetration of other products like benzoyl peroxide. Your breakout doesn't sound inflammatory, though it can become so. Using benzoyl peroxide will help prevent the breakout from becoming inflammatory. If you are experiencing too much irritation, you might prefer waiting to apply the benzoyl peroxide as this will reduce the ammount of irritation you experience.
Thank you for your advice SnowQueen! As always, its much appreciated. I am not experiencing any irritation just some purging that I am trying to minimize. It looks like I am doing the right thing so I'll just keep it up. Thanks again! Lorrie