jenaphile

Hi Music Girl! Have you started the acne regimen? When I was in my mid-20s I had much worse cystic acne (yours looks pretty mild) and the regimen has kept me clear since. I'm 41 now! Please let me know if you have any questions and I'd be happy to help.

Hi everyone. My name is Jen and I haven't been to this forum in a while, but every now and then, when I'm buying my benzoyl peroxide, I take a quick peek to see what's new at acne.org. I am 38 years old, and my acne struggle started when I was 21. I had always had good skin growing up, and began to break out with cystic acne all of a sudden in my 20s. I went to a dermatologist and was put on antibiotics, which cleared my skin somewhat, but not 100%. I discovered Proactiv when it first hit t

You can mix 1-2 drops of Jojoba oil into your moisturzier and use daily. You can use it forever if you want. Jojoba is great for your skin. The dryness usually subsides quickly once you start that routine. Since all skin is different, and we live in different climates, it's hard to say how long it will take for you. But once I started to use jojoba I saw a big difference right away.

Just wondering why you'd want to replace it. BP is cheaper and OTC.

I recommend against meds in the first place. They did nothing to help me.

You do not have to use the full amount. Use what will cover your face, rub it in, and you're done.

Keep doing the regimen as usual. Sometimes there is a rough patch of time where you will break out anyway, due to other factors, like stress, hormones, medication, diet and lack of sleep.

You should not be adding AHA this early on in the regimen. Period. AHA can make your skin purge, burn, peel, etc. AHA is when you are all clear and at the maintenance phase of keeping your skin clear.

Most likely, your skin would go back to exactly the way it was before you started the regimen.

Maybe you got a bad batch. It should not be drying that fast. Mine is like lotion.

Remember, bp makes your skin extremely photo-sensitive, so even if your skin doesn't seem to be reacting badly to not using moisturizer, you will most likely be causing long-term damage by not using it.

Try adding a few drops of jojoba oil to your moisturizer. When you become more acclimated to the regimen, start exfoliating 2-3 times a week. I use St. Ives Apricot scrub. Dan's AHA also helps cut down on any flaking. But don't start adding any exfoliation products until you're all clear.

Yeah, keep at it for a while longer. : )

Are you following the regimen exactly? Often, new regimen users encounter problems when they deviate from the outlined products and steps. Tell us exactly what you're doing.

I wouldn't recommend a bath soap for the face. Dan recommends his cleanser, or you can use Cetaphil or Purpose. The regimen specifically recommends using a soap-free product, since soap can be drying to the face.