Latest photo taken : 11/9/2012
A bit grainy, but here's a much improved photo in the daylight, after a night of rest :
Strongly urging everyone to try change their diets. If topicals worsen your skin and heal your skin, and acne returns, it really didn't heal your skin because you are still breaking out. You're simply maintaining the skin cell proliferation, oil production, and surface bacteria to prevent most of the surface breakouts. The true underlying problem has not been addressed.
I'm going to be embarking on a journey to stop using BP and documenting my results. I just want to have clear skin without a BP session every morning and night. My skin is so used to BP, but I feel like the texture can be smoother without BP.
I will never give up AHA, though.
Updated Status : 1100 days later, I'm 100% clear. My clarity involved diet.
I'm not going to lie, I'm going to keep things honest right now. Dan's regimen is good. It works, but in the long run, expect some failure. It will get your acne under control, but only if you use it religiously and in copious amounts. The face eventually gets used to benzoyl peroxide and the same old topicals - you will eventually have breakout cycles. In my case, while the surface acne cleared up, I still got cysts - these are the worst kind since they are large and last a long time.
I do not believe that the regimen is a true solution.
I'm now perfectly clear on a low-carb, wheat-free, high in vegetables, high in anti-inflammatory foods diet.
If I could turn back time, I'd have started this years ago, and cut the regimen out.
My revelation
Underneath the skin, I'm more clear than ever. A month ago there were stubborn cystic bumps underneath my jawline and behind the ear.
At the moment, I have no active pimples, and no cysts, due to my diet.
I just turned 30 the other day, and began to consider my food and nutrition intake, as well as general health. Equipped with a bit more research than my last attempt to eat healthy, I cleared out my fridge and filled it with real, unprocessed food. I really wasn't even trying to cure acne, but as an amazing side effect, I experienced true healing underneath the skin.
I urge anyone who is on the regimen that is still having problems with hormonal acne to try changing their diet. Here's my post in the holistic forum :
http://www.acne.org/...-diet-and-acne/
The Past ( ~ 2010)
Status : One zit every few weeks during stressful periods. Acne is quite under control, but now if I even have ONE pimple I flip out. I used to be happy with 3-4 zits only - those were good days for me.
Current Regimen : Dan's BP morning & night, Dan's AHA at night (or every 2 nights), Dan's moisturizer daily. Jojoba exfoliation every now and then. My skin seems to have become accustomed to this regimen. Attempting to find a more refined study on skin cells to make an impact on scar tissue healing and texture. I also exfoliate the entirety of my body's skin to make sure waste is not just excreted through the face, but everywhere else. Dispersal of toxins is key.
Oral care is also very important.
I don't like taking pics near sunlight, but lately I've been having better luck. AHA has definitely improved my skin's texture. You can see two healing red spots on my chin.
I suppose the real key isn't exactly doing what the regimen states, but coming to understand your skin and how to prevent congestion of the pores.
The best medicine for skin is : RELAXATION / DE-STRESS. That is one thing that has been working for me.
So far, so good.
No new zits. I have been on the regimen officially for 37 days now.
Things are as stable as they were with my previous regimen, though this regimen actually seems to be giving much more favorable results and skin texture.
One interesting thing to note... I am a case study - I smoke medical marijuana for an injury sustained on my left arm, as well as insomnia.
I smoke daily and I am not breaking out. There is a connection here - smoking does not make your skin nicer, but the regimen seems to keep acne at bay.
Thank you.
I use Jojoba oil weekly, about one or two days a week.
But primarily I use DKR Cleanser, 5 minutes, then DKR BP Gel 2.5% one finger's length, 5 minutes, and then DKR AHA+.
(also wash hands between each application)
This regimen works, but it's pretty important to do it two times a day. I always do the regimen every 12 hours.
There are blackheads and then there are enlarged pores. You might have enlarged pores and possibly some coloration in the pore - this is not a blackhead. Many people try to get rid of these... everyone has them to an extent.
With that said...
Jojoba oil does loosen any clogged pores if you use it to cleanse. Look up jojoba cleansing on this site!
Yep, I use Dan's AHA+ instead of the moisturizer.
It works great. I feel like the moisturizer really just kinda sits on my skin and feels heavy. My skin is already quite moisturized (naturally, my skin produces a lot of oil). The problem with my face isn't moisture, but sloughing of my skin cells, which combine with the oils to form the ultimate pore-clogging paste, and a breeding ground for p acnes. If my skin's natural oil had no skin cells clinging to my face to combine with, it would simply be oil that moisturizes my skin.
AHA really helps with texture and scarring.
Take note I used to have cystic acne. The worst kind. All over my face. Discovering BP was a great thing. Although BP may be harsh on the skin, I'd prefer to use it over accutane or any other treatment. Until something better, more sound comes out, I'd prefer BP and AHA. I would go holistic, natural, organic, but I feel that side of skin-care is more based on speculation, rather than science. I've tried all the home remedies one can think of - I'll skip all of that and use something that works, and stick to it. It may not be the best method, but it's better than acne creating more and more scars and red marks.
Be cautious about your skin while you use AHA+. I went through a phase where I would alternate AHA+ and the moisturizer (AHA night, moisturizer daytime). Eventually ended up where I am only using AHA+.
Every week or so, one or two days a week, I will skip the AHA+ and use the moisturizer and jojoba oil instead. It's all about reading your skin and what it seems to want or need. If it feels dry, stop the AHA+ and moisturize. If your skin becomes flexible and feels moisturized, break out the AHA+.
Anyways, those are my daily thoughts... As the DKR regimen has helped me so much, my goal in life right now is to help as many people with acne as possible. Dan has done so much for people and it is only fair to pay it forward.
Keep up the good work!
Doesn't seem like I had cystic acne? That is really a good compliment! I feel lucky... Thanks!
I did have cysts all over.
The thing that helped me with my cysts the most is getting regular sleep and changing my diet.
I used to have two types of cysts :
1. Cysts that come to a head in a few days.
2. Cysts that are so deep that they never surface.
I've found that #1 types respond well to the regimen. The #2 types only heal over time, with healthy diet, sleep, and exercise.
Hey supersammie...
Right around 23 or so, I started clearing up with the use of benzoyl peroxide and day/night cleansing.
The key is to be really regular about it. Do not skip any cleansings, and just keep your skin on a cleaning cycle. It takes a few years to clear up cystic acne, and months to clear up surface zits.
I hope this helps. I'll continue to check back on this post if you need any more advice.
When I went on the regimen, I saw results in a month, but before that, I was on my own "regimen" with benzoyl peroxide. So I've been using BP for about 3 years now.
Hey,
Don't start using AHA just yet. Let your skin actually heal and clear up.
By "heal," I basically mean that when you use BP, your skin goes through a process of adapting, acne is brought to the surface because the skin is less congested and more flexible in the surrounding regions.
Keep using BP until your acne heals and you feel like you have some type of control of your breakouts.
Then start using AHA.
Wow! Awesome skin you have there!
I'm 19 year old asian girl from the Philippines. I'm on my 33rd day on the regimen. I had breakouts sometime around Christmas and they're going away now. I'm using coconut oil and Nivea visage regenerating cream as my moisturizer instead of jojoba oil.
Wish me luck! 
I'm pretty scared to veer from the regimen. I am definitely open to trying other things once I feel like I need to move on from the regimen.
I feel like people with acne have skin that tells a story... about what products they went through and how the skin has been affected over the years.
Well, I thought about using other products over the regimen.
The verdict : not yet.
It is not broken and it is working well. I reason that in our age, we use plenty of "synthetic" cleansers and man-made machines that control our very lives. It is a condition that we live in. I personally feel that I must be content with all of it.
Using benzoyl peroxide does not pose many risks for me, except more clear skin and some dryness. Also, Dan's cleanser is not harsh.
acnefree24 : do you have acne? If clearasil and st. ives apricot works for you, then your skin is quite resilient and responsive to what is out there - consider yourself fortunate. I have tried every single natural product out there and nothing compared to a bit of BP on the face. In fact, I consider st. ives to be a serious offense to my (asian) skin. If black african soap and shea butter worked for you, you are very lucky.
ACNE is a problem that occurs over time, and the damage it causes to your face might be temporary, but one must still deal with figuring out what actual anti-acne product (ironically) broke them out. Some products weren't even created to fight acne, yet people still use them - only causing further damage. Using Dan's products does not simply mean using new products. As a whole, you are dumping out your previous regimen, which is crucial to success.
I'm willing to bet that many people out there are only exacerbating their acne by the products they currently use. Some of these products might even claim to cure acne. The best way to fight any of these mishaps is to educate yourself about the products before using them on your face. Get stable, and go with something that works, and then deviate from your stable method of cleansing, treating, and moisturizing.
well actually i ditched the clearasil and st ives i mean i used it for a little while but never got the desired results which was 100 percent clear skin.... Right now i would say my face is 75 percent clear i just started using the african black soap shea butter regiman 2 days ago and i would say im now at 77 percent lol its early so i can give u a better update a couple weeks from now one thing i can tell is my skin tone is looking alot better and its only been 2 days
Definitely let me know how that goes. Start a log or something. I'm always on the lookout for more natural products, but I just want to do more research before continuing.
Yeah ill problably start a log next monday or something but you should do your research on the two products and u will see how effective and beneficial they both are for your skin
I'm now ramping down the dosage of BP.
Ramping down was an accident caused by my tube of BP failing to squeeze out a consistent stream, so I got lazy and just put on what I could squeeze out onto 1 finger.
Each day has been less BP, but my skin hasn't changed. It remains clear.
I'm going to lower the amount of BP I'm using and will report back with results.
I have a theory that ramping up to the full dose is good to clear up all of the different types of acne on one's skin, but ramping back down to a smaller dose to "maintain" will be more effective and helpful in the long run.
Less irritation, redness, flaking, and "micro-swelling." When using BP, I think the skin has a tendency to swell up on the surface. While that won't break you out, I think it makes the skin more splotchy.