Product & Treatment Reviews

I've been on two, 2 month courses of doxycycline in my life, using it as a way to pump the brakes on the cycle of acne when it's been out of control. The first time, I had never ever been on any oral medication for my acne and wasn't on birth control. Doxy cleared most of my acne in that time and after getting off it, my skin was relatively under control for a year and a half, with good skincare practices and a regimen that worked for me. I got back on it recently for less severe acne than before, but just because I was switching birth control pills a lot at the time and my skin was understandably reacting. I just wanted to calm things down immediately rather than waiting for the birth control to even out, and it worked great for that. I will note that I did *not* experience any side effects, except increased redness and sensitivity when I got my eyebrows/upper lip threaded which went away in a few hours. Doxy isn't a permanent solution to your acne, but if you have out of control breakouts and don't want to go on Accutane, it's a great choice to get your skin possibly to the point where it can be managed with a good skincare regimen.

I will begin my review by saying that from the dermatologists I have spoken with and gotten advice from, added-fragrance and physical scrubs are not beneficial ingredients for acne prone skin, or any skin for that matter. Yes, some skin types can tolerate both fragrance and physical particle exfoliants, but in the end they are not a great idea and probably do more harm than good. The ingredients in this scrub are somewhat more "natural" than most other drugstore brands, and the particles are finer and less abrasive than others on the market. That doesn't make it a great option. Just because you aren't in pain rubbing this on your face doesn't mean it's gentle on your skin's natural barrier. I used to use this religiously but have since switched to *occasional* chemical exfoliants (fruit enzymes are a great option if you are trying to be more natural) only and using a Foreo luna with my face wash. That combination has worked much better for me and been much less disruptive of my skin's natural barrier, thus triggering fewer breakouts.

This product is great if you know how to use it, but in the hands of an impatient or anxious acne sufferer can be dangerous. This product ONLY works on superficial pimples that have a head near the surface of the skin. Deep pimples will not be affected, and you will only dry out the skin. ONLY apply this product until the pimple is no longer painful/active. There might still be a residual bump or red mark, but that will heal on its own once the underlying problem is addressed. Applying this product after that will only irritate and try out the skin further. Remember, you do NOT need to have a glob of spot treatment on every imperfection on your skin. If you feel like having something there will stop you from picking at pimples, I would recommend the Korean acne dots (you can find them at most drugstores or Amazon).

I had very stubborn acne in high school and had been trying to use salicylic acid to solve my problems. I used a variety of SA washes and none really helped. In fact, the exfoliation of SA might have even irritated my skin further. My doctor recommended me to try benzoyl peroxide and I picked up this one because it has moderate concentration. I now use this at night (a more gentle and natural cleanser in the morning) and my skin has never been better. Because of the creamy texture I don't find it overly drying, and I typically spend around 60 seconds massaging the product into my face with my Foreo luna before rinsing. My skin tolerates this product better than salicylic acid, but everyone's skin is different. This was also great because I live a very active lifestyle and work out a lot, and the sweating made my skin a haven for bacteria, meaning that the antibacterial properties of BP were much needed. Bottom line, this is a solid, proven product that is worth trying if salicylic acid isn't cutting it for you. Would recommend using it once a day rather than twice if you want to be gentler on the skin.