I've essentially been using benzoyl peroxide on my face for about a year and a half now. I used to have amazingly clear skin until the summer of 2011 (junior year of high school) when I broke out really bad.
I started out in the summer of 2011 with some generic Pan Oxyl 4% wash, which didn't do much good. I also started taking tetracycline around that time. I changed to Proactiv with Clindamycin wipes and minocycline sometime around the beginning of 2012 and my acne had cleared up pretty well by April of 2012 or so.
My dermo then switched me to doxycycline, and I continued with Proactiv and Doxy until November or December of 2012, when my dermo took me off antibiotics and told me to stop using Proactiv because he said he didn't believe in such harsh, benzoyl peroxide washes . Instead, he told me to use a gentle cleanser, followed by Benzaclin (1% clindamycin 5% benzoyl peroxide) cream and Tretinoin .025% a few hours after.
Stupidly, I thought "gentle cleanser" meant whatever "sensitive face soap" my mom had lying around, which happened to be a bar of Clinique face soap. Needless to say, it dried me out pretty badly, and I broke out a good amount after that. It wasn't a severe breakout, just a step backwards.
So I ordered some Dermalogica all-natural acne face wash (tea tree, balm mint, a lot of other stuff) and moisturizer, which helped a bit. But I found the acne wash too drying and ordered a more sensitive Dermalogica wash- their "special cleansing gel" with only balm mint and lavender later. I also got another prescription for doxycycline, which has helped a bit.
So for the past month I've been using this sensitive Dermalogica wash, the Benzaclin gel, and Tretinoin. It's kept my acne under control, but it's not nearly as well controlled as when I was on Proactiv. Plus, the Benzaclin is 5% BP, not 2.5%, and I think it's a little too drying for my skin.
SO- I ordered Dan's Regimen and his AHA+
What should I expect? My acne isn't too severe, and I've been using benzoyl peroxide for awhile now, but I've never moisturized regularly, I've never used AHA before, and I've never used his cleanser before.
Oh, and can someone explain why shipping is so expensive and why The Regimen isn't on Amazon Prime like everything else? I bought it on Amazon, but it wasn't eligible for two day free shipping.
Hi. It sounds like you we're using too much stuff at once in the past. Your face needs to breathe sometimes and not be caked with all kinds of medications and chemicals. As my mother says, less is more.
-Just follow Dan's directions exactly and you should be fine. I would still start at slowly with the BP even though you've used it in the past. You're going to be using A LOT more now so you don't want to overwhelm your face all at once.
-Also, wait at least 4 weeks until you start with the Aha+. It's pretty much a chemical exfoliant and that will be too harsh right away on Dan's regimen. Waiting will give your face time to adjust to everything.
) Please