The Body Regimen Perform twice per day
Wash Gently (in the shower works best)
- Vital: When washing, your fingers should gently glide over your skin.
[Medical research shows reducing irritation is vital to clear acne.]
A.
Dispense a generous amount of cleanser into your palm and get a good lather going. If using Acne.org Cleanser, use 2 full pumps.
Using a generous amount of cleanser will allow you to generate a good lather. The more lather you generate, the more easily your hands will glide across your skin, thereby reducing irritation.
B.
Very gently wash your body. Stay exceedingly gentle when washing and wash only for a very short period of time. For instance, wash your chest for only 5 seconds. Rinse.
Cleansing is necessary because it removes surface oils which allows the Treatment to penetrate, but you can easily achieve this goal with bare hands and only a few seconds of washing. Washing for this short a period of time reduces irritation and is one of the most important steps in The Body Regimen.
Note: Washcloths are far too irritating and should be completely avoided.
C.
Upon exiting the shower, gently dry your body. Do not rub. Just let the towel sit on your skin and absorb the wetness. You may not get completely dry with the towel this way, but that's preferable to irritating rubbing.
Anything which rubs, scratches, or scrubs the skin can cause irritation. Stay very gentle with your towel.
D.
Allow 10-15 minutes for your skin to completely dry.
Do not begin Step 2 until your skin is completely dry.
A.
Wash and dry hands.
This helps remove any oils that may have accumulated on your hands. Exposure to oils can aggravate acne.
B.
Dispense a generous amount of 2.5% benzoyl peroxide. When in doubt, use more. If usng Acne.org Treatment (2.5% benzoyl peroxide), use 2 full pumps for each side of your chest, or more if treating a larger area. Spread it onto your problem areas, allowing your fingers to very gently glide over the skin until the benzoyl peroxide is more or less absorbed.
Using an extremely generous amount of benzoyl peroxide is the heart and soul of this regimen. When in doubt, use more!
Note: This refers to only after you have worked up your dosage to the full amount (4mL). If you have sensitive skin, start with a small amount of benzoyl peroxide and work up the amount you use over 2-3 weeks.
C.
Wait 5-15 minutes for your skin to completely dry. Do not rinse off the benzoyl peroxide. Once it is applied, you will leave it on the skin.
Benzoyl peroxide oxygenates skin, and dries and peels inside the pore. It is important to give it the time it needs to properly medicate and treat acne.
A.
Wash and dry hands.
This helps remove any oils that may have accumulated on your hands. Exposure to oils can aggravate acne.
B.
Dispense a full fingers length of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) for each side of your chest, or more if treating a larger area.
The body is a large area and requires a lot of AHA to properly treat. Don't skimp!
C.
Apply very gently, allowing your fingers to glide over the body until the AHA is more or less absorbed.
Staying super gentle reduces irritation.
D.
Wait for skin to dry before putting on clothing.
Letting your skin dry completely allows the AHA to absorb.
Important
Benzoyl peroxide tends to bleach fabric. This is the most annoying part of this regimen. Even after the benzoyl peroxide is dry, even a slight sweat during the day can reactivate the benzoyl peroxide and ruin your favorite colored shirts. I recommend wearing a white undershirt while on this regimen. I currently have very light back acne and a regimen which uses only alpha hydroxy acid has proved sufficient. When I had more moderate to severe back acne, the benzoyl peroxide was required to get me clear, and I just wore white under shirts.
Alpha hydroxy acid increases the skin's sensitivity to the sun and increases the chance of sunburn. If you're going to be in the sun, use a sunscreen while using alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and for a few weeks afterward.
