Acne.org Products
Someone called this the best thread in Acne.org history.
He is close to right.
Someone also said:
Without a doubt the best thing i've encountered on this site, it should be pinned somewhere.. it shouldn't be necessarily accepted as gospel, nothing in the world should be, but no doubt the person does mean well and has done their homework and its very much worth the read.
I'd cut out the introduction, which sounds prophetic enough to cause anyone who isn't skeptical to become so. While you have some good information, you echo what other people have already said.
In my opinion, the cure is to realize that the is no cure. When you understand that no philosophically minded system of health will help you, you'll forget the bullshit and go back to the basics. No special diets -- good food, but no special diets -- and simple, non-invasive treatment, exercise, and obeying your Circadian clock. Read about the real research on PubMed and other sites. Don't let anyone sell you their snake oil, whether they're a doctor or a "healer." Since so many people have this genetic trait, it's a big industry, and there's plenty of misinformation.
very nice bobmckee.. how do you feel about moisturizers? no matter what soap i use, yes ive tryed dozens, they all leave me extremely dry, no matter what i do. i have oily skin, not too oily, but pretty oily. but after i wash my face, im really really dry. to the point where i cant even start the smile without the dryness tight feeling or burning..what do you recommend for this?
very nice bobmckee.. how do you feel about moisturizers? no matter what soap i use, yes ive tryed dozens, they all leave me extremely dry, no matter what i do. i have oily skin, not too oily, but pretty oily. but after i wash my face, im really really dry. to the point where i cant even start the smile without the dryness tight feeling or burning..what do you recommend for this?
I would say wash only twice a day, don't use really hot water because that will take more oil off the skin.
Complex 15 is the best moisturizer, but again you don't want to be dependent on it. Use very little. Less is more, you need oil on your skin for healthy function. Try also eating healthier oils (flax, borage, primrose) every day.
aright thanks...what about exfoliation? tryed it with a few soft toothbrushes, still EXTREMELY irritating on my skin. what else could i use that would be good for exfoliation? been doing it with just my hands. thats the only thing that hasnt been irritating
The baking soda alone creates an exfoliating environment. The toothbrush can be rough. Just try to think of something a bit softer, use your creativity. Your mind has the answer.
I really liked your post. Everything about it was very logical.
-- Cetaphil & baking soda exfoliator = I've been using this for a year and wouldn't trade it for anything 
-- I switched off dairy, and I DO feel alot better.
-- "Exercising to get your blood moving faster to heal" = No one could have put it better Now that its Christmas break, I'll add 20 minutes of jump-roping into my daily activity. Its fun and they say its just as good or better than jogging. I always feel better after exercising.
At first, after reading the introduction, I thought you were selling something 
However, your post was really good . Thank you
Very dry skin/chapped lips = use Desitin. Everyone know's it RAPIDLY helps baby's bottoms from drying out and having a rash. If you have SEVERELY dried lips, Desitin will make them go back to normal in 2 days.
Bob you rated exercising 5-6 times a week as very important...when you are clear, does exercising only 3-4 times a week contribute to u breaking out? or can u vary the other stuff as long as u take the oil supplements?
I rate exercising 5-6 days as excellent. Exercising 3-4 times a week is very good AND if you do the extra couple days it will pay off.
You asked the question: Will it still contribute to you breaking out?
No.
I am serious about that whole dodging bullets thing...
Once you have put all the pieces together for a few months (2-3 months) there is little that can stop you from having clear skin.
You can only exercise 1-2 days a week, eat not as well, etc.
It is just like the rich get richer and the poor get poorer saying. Once your skin is clear it takes so much less to maintain, it is just hard to get there. So I recommend doing everything UNTIL you have clear skin.
Once you have it then you get to see where you can start to cheat. But arrive there first.
This was a really great post Bob. Thanks for taking the time to post it.
You seem to have some strong views on diet being a factor. Do you have any views on apple cider vinegar as being an internal treatment for acne?
And onemore question: what are your views on jojoba oil, as i see you've tried it already?
thanks dude, im definitely going to try this! its logical and not insane to do, cuz u can still have a relatively normal life. this is prob one of the best personal regimens i have ever seen on here
I like what you said, "logical and not insane to do"
NO ONE can ever do something insane for a long period of time. Like high doses of B5 or other silly things like that. Do those of you taking b5 think you will be doing it 5 years from now?! I remember b5 days, taking it like 4 times a day. It is unhealthy too.
What I talk about is making your body/skin healthier in a variety of ways which will eventually lead to clear skin.
The borage oil I buy is:
http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/now-borage_oil_240mg_gla.htm
and the primrose is:
http://www.allstarhealth.com/f/now-super_primrose_1300mg.htm
I take each 2 times a day for a total of 4 pills a day.
I don't wish to sell anything and I have no affiliation with allstarhealth. They are just the least expensive with a low shipping charge of $5.
You can buy this stuff wherever OR you can buy different brands. I really don't care where you get it, I really just want you guys to get clear.
This was a really great post Bob. Thanks for taking the time to post it.You seem to have some strong views on diet being a factor. Do you have any views on apple cider vinegar as being an internal treatment for acne?
And onemore question: what are your views on jojoba oil, as i see you've tried it already?
If you read my diet section I don't really draw too much of a conclusion or giving any specific advice. This is for a reason.
You won't catch me saying, "apple cider vinegar works" or that it doesn't. Because it is different for everyone. I talk about foundational advice that works for everyone and then I tell you to operate off the tenates of a healthy diet. Trust me that when you are clear, diet doesn't have a HUGE effect on your skin. But I would be stupid to say it has no role. Just eat as healthy as you can without going crazy. This is one reason I like Dr. Weil, he understands that we aren't robots and that part of eating is to have it TASTE GOOD and be fun. And the second best part is that you can do both of those AND eat healthy. Most people think TASTES GOOD means unhealthy, but that isn't true.
Internal treatments for acne take a LONG time depending on your specific situation. If I could give really basic diet advice it would be this:
1. Eat more natural/less processed foods. In other words more fruits/vegs/beans and less things in packages or cans.
2. Eat better fats. Look at your ratio of good fats vs bad fats. If you don't know the difference then you really need to study. (good fats are in olive oils, almonds, walnuts, and flax oil. Many other things too)
3. Eat less processed sugars. I didn't say eat NONE. That is pretty impossible in America, just watch if you are eating a lot of flours and high fructose corn syrup products. I avoid these.
I like a lot of Dr. Andrew Weil's diet advice and I would say avoid dairy UNLESS you are clear. If you are clear then you can truly see if dairy is slowing you down, if not then you can't chance it.
ON jojoba oil:
sure I've tried it. I noticed on MY skin that it would cause a break out within 3-7 days after I used it. That doesn't mean jojoba oil is bad, it just means that my skin likes to produce oil and adding oil is bad.
I would say in general to avoid oils but I did used to read that so many people loved it. So you pretty much have to make an individual decision. Let me say this though, if you are breaking out then DON'T use it, because oil causes problems for a lot of people who break out. Once you are clear then you can test and say, "is this making me worse or better?"
After spending close to a year on this site you start to notice patterns:
1. There are those that are looking for the SECRET culprit that causes acne:
These are the people that blame candida, or think that meat causes acne. They figure that there must be this ONE thing that is causing it and if they deal with it, they will be clear. There is a new one every week! You can find these people by looking at their post titles: "I found the cause" or "___ causes acne" then they single out one cause that equals the effect of acne. nonsense.
2. Then there are those that just say it is all diet. They may promote some special diet in efforts to get you clear, the problem is that these diets are typically IMPOSSIBLE to follow if you are a sane person.
3. The third group are the people I will call ON THE SPOTTERS. They believe if they use enough topicals everything will be ok. They think if they can just find the propper combination of products that they will be clear.
4. Fourth are the cleansers. They are always trying some new flush to get clear but are often met with mixed results.
NONE of these groups will get you clear, but the disciplines I talk about in this post WILL make you clear.
MOST everyone is just trying one approach. They try their new products OR they try this new flush, etc. I've tried them all. It wasn't until I combined all the COMMON sense approaches to skin care that I got clear.
NOTICE EVERYONE WANTS IT NOW, ACTUALLY THEY WANT IT YESTERDAY. So if you tell people about a plan that will clear them up in 3-4 months they run away. All the while they kept trying gimmicks that say they will clear up in a week or two but then they start breaking out again!
I guess I will just bump this post every couple weeks so that the people actually searching can find a path that will get them clear instead of reading all the nonsense on these forums. 80% of the stuff people talk about on these sites is counterproductive and it will waste people's TIME and MONEY. Try what I'm talking about, it's real, it takes time to implement, it takes actual work and discipline. It isn't expensive.
Be excellent,
Bobby
McKee
Bobby thnx again for the info, im trying to get the supplies together to implement this, just wondering, do u exfoliate 2x per day or just once? it seems like a lot of rubbing. as of now i only exfoliate once or twice a week with this gentle organic thing from Kiss my face brand. i was wondering if i can keep using my stuff at least till its done, since my cleanser and stuff like that is pretty expensive.
Bobby thnx again for the info, im trying to get the supplies together to implement this, just wondering, do u exfoliate 2x per day or just once? it seems like a lot of rubbing. as of now i only exfoliate once or twice a week with this gentle organic thing from Kiss my face brand. i was wondering if i can keep using my stuff at least till its done, since my cleanser and stuff like that is pretty expensive.
I think I used that exfoliator from Kiss my face before. I think it also has a bunch of oils in it, look at the ingredients. I wouldn't recommend using it anymore even though it is expensive. Don't worry about the cost because you are going to start spending so much less on acne stuff after you start doing what I described.
It is a lot of rubbing to exfoliate twice a day but I do it. If you feel irritation then stop, the goal is to exfoliate and not hurt your skin.
If you are irritating then I guess only exfoliating once a day would be ok. BEST scenario is to find something that doesn't irritate your skin (softer brush or something) and use it twice a day.
Don't worry though, if you use baking soda it should create a bit of friction and also a gentle rub with a towel can also improve exfoliation.
Definitely atleast one time a day with the softest brush you can find (also keep the brush clean, rinse it heavy and make sure it doesn't sit wet with soap. Then bacteria can get on it. Just keep it clean).
How often are you supposed to exfoliate when you have acne? I regularly use a body brush to exfoliate my body and its quite effective, but do you think it would be good to use on the face or would it be too much?
It's your call. If it is for the body it will likely be too much.
Try the softest little brush you can find.
People who want to have clear skin should brush their skin one to two times a day, very softly and gently. Do not irritate.
Body brushing is great for health and I try to do it daily also.
How often are you supposed to exfoliate when you have acne? I regularly use a body brush to exfoliate my body and its quite effective, but do you think it would be good to use on the face or would it be too much?
It's your call. If it is for the body it will likely be too much.
Try the softest little brush you can find.
People who want to have clear skin should brush their skin one to two times a day, very softly and gently. Do not irritate.
Body brushing is great for health and I try to do it daily also.
Well it isn't strictly called a 'body brush' but its just a back brush i bought designed for use in the shower but I use it as a dry brush.
