EDIT: Note--> I use Dan's 2.5% BP

I just thought I'd share this with anyone who suffers from really dry, red, irritated, or inflamed skin as a result of The Regimen. It has worked well for me-- but I realize everyone responds differently, so this may or may not help you!

I have rather dry skin and almost no oil. I found that by washing my face twice a day I was drying the heck out of my skin, which was causing tons of flakiness and redness. It may have even contributed to more breakouts although it's hard to say for sure. For me, irritation generally = breakouts.

I stopped and wondered, "Why am I washing my face twice a day when my skin isn't oily? What exactly am I washing off?" I realize there is "dirt" and stuff I can't see, but washing my face so much seemed like overkill.

So I resumed the regimen, only I completely dropped out the cleansing routine. I apply BP twice a day-- NO cleansing, and after nearly three months my skin is almost crystal clear. The only time my face gets wet is when I shave, and I shave every other day-- so basically 3-4 times a week. I don't use any cleanser, either-- just shaving cream. Lather, shave, and rinse. That's it.

I feel like cleansing can be more irritating than any topical. My hands get really dry during the winter, especially when I wash my hands a lot. I've found that I can prevent my hands from cracking and avoid eczema by limiting the amount of hand-washing. Similarly, this is how I approach my acne.

This is maybe the 3rd or 4th time I've been on The Regimen over the past 5-6 years, and I always had to previously stop because my skin would become overly irritated, red, and flakey. Sure, I wasn't getting zits-- but my complexion was horrible. My face was always pink.

So now my routine is to just apply BP in the morning at night-- that's it. And if I get any big zits or cysts, I apply a HUGE dollup of BP right on top of it-- I don't even rub it in-- I just let it sit there overnight and it seems to REALLY speed up the drying/healing process.

Maybe it is just coincidence-- maybe I am just outgrowing my acne-- I can't say for sure and I don't want to sit here and act like I know for sure. But I just wanted to share this in case anyone else 1) has a face that isn't oily but gets breakouts and 2) has skin that gets overly irritated, red, and dried-out from The Regimen. Maybe try dropping out the cleansing stage and just apply the BP-- just a thought!

Best of luck to all of you in finding something that works for you.