i'm not sure if you have to register at acne.org to read forums.. just in
case here is botchla's regime quoted from the board exactly...
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this is an updated version of the original post. most has been unchanged,
but i have changed some parts to make them clearer, and i added the tips
section at the bottom to answer many questions people have.
first off i want to say that i'm not a salesman or here to sling a product.
i have had acne for approximately 10 years. from my early teens until
recently (i'm in my early 20's). i have tried everything and nothing has
worked. neutrogena products are crap. i have finally stumbled upon an
absurdly simple regimen that has cleared me completely.
my hope is that i can help 1 other person get a clearer face, if not a
completely clear one. i know what acne can do to a person mentally, i am
that person. it has destroyed my self-esteem and confidence as it does so
many others. sorry if this post is very long, just trying to be helpful.
so anyways, here's what i did. a friend of mine several years ago
recommended a product to me that he said worked well for him. thinking not
much of it, since i had tried everything else i figured i would give it a
try. so i bought the tube. it is called "clean & clear continuous control",
made by johnson & johnson. here is a picture of the stuff so you know
exactly what it looks like.. (
http://www.drugstore.com/products/pr...UY-PLST-0-SRCH ) i began using
the product and within about 2 weeks my face had cleared significantly. this
product remained in my regimen for about 2 years and did a really good job.
i only got a pimple every now and then. nothing big at all. of course after
a while i got greedy and figured there was something out there that would
clear me 100%. i stopped using the C&C continuous control for about a year,
and had disastrous results with other products. nothing else worked.
then i started reading stuff about the acne cure. i was reading how it is
important to use salicylic acid AND benzoyl peroxide both.
the reason of course is that salicylic acid (or BHA, beta-hydroxy acid) has
a couple of functions. one, it promotes healthy exfoliation by making your
dead skin cells shed off. it clears the surface of the skin of dead skin and
oil. second, it is oil-soluable, so it has the added ability of being able
to loosen and remove oil and dead skin cells from the inside of the pore
itself.
benzoyl peroxide's purpose is to create an oxygen reaction which kills
bacteria on the skin (and if you're lucky, in the pores too).
the problem is if you use only one, it won't work 100%. the salicylic acid
does not kill the p. acnes bacteria. also, without the salicylic acid, the
benzoyl peroxide usually stays at the surface, killing only surface
bacteria. this is because the pores are still clogged with dead skin and
oil, and the BP cannot penetrate the pore.
with this knowledge in hand, i realized i had to do both. the BP i chose was
a product i knew worked about 90%. it was of course the C&C continuous
control. now this is 10% BP, most people tell you to avoid something with
that high of a concentration. ignore it. i can tell you from personal
experience, 10% works better than 3.5% or 2.5% (or, at least this product
does, which so happens to be 10%, coincidence, who knows, but 10% is the
only choice for this product). sure it is more irritating and drying. but
that's only at first. any irritation or dryness you experience will go away
within 2-3 weeks, max.
so i knew i had to get a salicylic acid product. i first tried the
neutrogena oil-free acne wash cream cleanser. crap. didn't work, plus it was
way too drying to use in conjunction with the BP wash.
finally i figured i trusted the clean and clear line, so i decided to get a
second product from them. this is the C&C blackhead clearing scrub. here is
a picture of the stuff.. (
http://www.drugstore.com/products/pr...UY-PLST-0-SRCH ) this is for
three reasons, one it's the C&C brand which i know is good, second it
contained 2% salicyclic acid, and third, it has microbeads to scrub away
dead skin. the microbeads are probably bunk, but they look cool at least,
and the product still does its thing.
anyways, since this is so long, i'll get to the point. i started using these
products together and i have been 100% clear since they began to work. i
have been completely clear for months and months. (completely unheard of for
me) my acne is cured with these two amazing products. that's it!
here's the simple regimen i follow:
wet my face with warm/slightly hot water. wash with the C&C blackhead
clearing scrub (salicylic acid), massage around/into my face for about 45
seconds to a minute. wash it off. immediately apply the C&C continuous
control (benzoyl peroxide) and GENTLY massage that into your face for about
30 seconds to 45 seconds, then wash it off. pat dry with a clean towel.
you will notice that when you apply the BP cleanser to your face, after the
other wash, your skin will feel SUPER smooth. it feels so nice. then, after
you wash off the C&C continous control, you will feel your pores tingling
deep inside for a bit after you wash. kind of like noxema if you've ever
used that. it's a good feeling. you can really tell it's working.
that is ALL. in the morning, use ONLY the SA wash. then, at night before
bedtime, use BOTH.
this regimen is SIMPLE and there is only TWO PRODUCTS for a reason. i
believe less is more when it comes to treating your skin. putting too much
crap on your face can be bad and make you break out more.
i know i talk about these products like they're god, but i truely believe in
them. they are the only two things that have worked for me in 10 years. the
C&C product line is GOOD STUFF. plus, it's cheap (about $4.50 USD for each
tube).
i hope this helps someone out. i really do.
NOTES & TIPS:
-the SA wash is not drying or irritating. almost the opposite, it makes your
skin smooth and nice feeling. the BP is the drying/irritating one. that is
why you use it only once a day.
-it is not neccessary to scrub these products in. in fact, scrubbing hard
will irritate your skin more and it won't work as well. being GENTLE and
massinging it around softly works just as well, if not better.
-some people may need to modify this regimen. this is what works best for me
and most people. some wash with both products 2x a day, because their skin
can handle it. it is up to the individual to judge. for me, using the BP
wash only once a day works just as well as using it twice a day.
-when you use the BP wash, i squirt about the amount of toothpaste i would
put on my toothbrush (for estimate). then, i DO NOT apply this paste
directly to my skin. i rub it around my palms until it's spread around and i
can put my hands on my face and massage it around the skin, evenly. applying
it directly to the skin will cause much more irritation.
-this regimen works MORE the LONGER you use it. it takes a little while to
reach the full effect. you will begin to see very noticable results (almost
clearing of complexion) around 1 month, for some it is less time.. 1 month
is a good average. at this point, you may get 1 or 2 pimples every now and
then. much less that you normally get. keep using it. at the 2 month mark,
it will be fully working and you should never get any new marks, and any
bumps under the skin or blackheads should be gone. by three months, your old
marks should have completely faded and you skin tone evened out. you will be
extremely surprised how much your skin looks like that of (insert your
favorite celebrity here). now, months later after i started this regimen, i
still look in the mirror and it puts a smile on my face. it is still amazing
to me, even after time.
-this one is a HUGE one. here it goes: DO NOT PICK OR SQUEEZE. if you
continue to do this, your face will never get better, and you won't see
nearly as much improvement. TRAIN YOURSELF OFF OF THIS. so many times i
would go to the mirror every morning or night and get up close and pick at
every single thing (even things that weren't noticable unless you get right
up to your face). of course i'd end up with red marks all over my face and
look 10x worse than i did before i started. this is just something you have
to force yourself to stop. as much as you want to, do NOT let yourself pick
or squeeze. (unless it is completely obviously ready to be popped, for
example, an obvious white head that you can open with a pin). if you must
pop it, be as gentle as possible, and STOP as soon as you see any clear
liquid come out. if you can get over the initial month without picking or
squeezing, you will naturally stop within time. when your face becomes
clear, you will have nothing to pick or squeeze at. it kinda works for
itself. i know it's hard to stop, but this is one of the most important
points.
-some people seem to have sensitive skin, and SOME people experience an
initial breakout. most, it seems, do not. this shouldn't last past a week or
two. most people get scared and bail at this point. unfortunate, because
quickly thereafter everything will quickly clear up. those who stick with it
past an original breakout end up very surprised of how it clears things up
and begins working right after that. don't be scared of this, i would say
judging by responses that only about 25% of people experience an initial
breakout.
-for guys, i shave immediately before the evening or morning regimen. after
i finish shaving, i got straight into washing my face.
-add things to this regimen at your own risk. some people want to add in
other things like AHA lotions, this and that. i do not think that other
products besides this are necessary. these two work enough. using AHA or
other acids on your face often times just irritates it more than anything. i
know when i use AHA lotion, it makes me break out. so if you're using my
regimen but also using 5 other things on your face, don't blame me if it
doesn't work.
