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The Acne.org Regimen

A step-by-step program to clear skin using only
over-the-counter products. It's not just the products
you use, it's the way you use them.

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What is the Regimen?

Me urging you to follow the Regimen closely

The Regimen is a simple three step process, using inexpensive over- the-counter products. You may have even experimented with these products before. But while the products themselves are important, the quantity you'll be using is equally important. Also vital is reducing irritation. This means applying the products gently, and leaving your skin relatively untouched the rest of the day.

To get started you'll need a mild cleanser, plenty of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and a good moisturizer. Once you have the products you need, follow the step-by-step instructions. It is simple yet incredibly effective. I wish someone had shared this with me years ago.

How I discovered the Regimen

I suffered with acne for all of my adolescence and early adulthood. I experimented with every conceivable treatment, including retin-a, antibiotics, cleocin-t, sulfur, salicylic acid, and several others. Some cleared me up a little bit, but not enough to satisfy me. The best of the products I tried was benzoyl peroxide, but it still didn't totally clear my skin. More about my treatment history.

Roughly 10 years ago, at my wits end one evening, I stood holding a tube of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide while looking in the mirror at new pimples that had shown up that day and I felt pretty desperate. I decided "what the heck--I'm using a bunch of this stuff". I had nothing to lose, so I applied a lot more than usual, in a vain attempt to rid the new spots. I went to bed and hoped for the best. I woke up the next morning and my skin looked much better. I thought it must have been a fluke but day after day of using plenty of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide my spots faded. Over the following weeks, as I perfected the process, my skin finally cleared completely.

Eager to share my success, I made this website. It's been very cool watching the Regimen work for so many other people.

How the Regimen works

  • regimen step 1

    Gentle face wash: A gentle face wash will help prepare your skin for benzoyl peroxide. Removing surface oils allows the benzoyl peroxide to penetrate more easily. Washing very gently helps avoid irritation. While scientists and doctors do not know exactly what causes acne, we do know that irritation alone can make it worse.

  • regimen step 2

    Plenty of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide: Benzoyl peroxide oxygenates skin. Acne bacteria cannot live in oxygenated environments. Benzoyl peroxide is also a mild drying and peeling agent which is thought to help keep pores from clogging. On the Regimen you'll be using 2.5% benzoyl peroxide because clinical studies have shown it is just as effective as 5% and 10% but much less irritating. Remember, irritation alone can aggravate acne. I found that using lots of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide is incredibly effective. Why apply so much? Nobody knows for sure why this works so amazingly well but myself and thousands of others have had great success using this method. My theory is that applying more simply allows it to penetrate more deeply into the skin.

  • regimen step 3

    Good moisturizer: Because you'll be using lots of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, your skin will most likely be dry and a little flaky. Applying a good moisturizer will help keep your skin in balance and allow you to go out into public with non-flaky, normal looking skin.

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