Have acne? Beat it!

I've been on a new acne regimen lately and my acne has pretty much disappeared. Yes, really.

I have used Proactiv, Murad, drugstore kits, countless acne products and prescriptions...no avail. Then I read Treat and Beat Acne by Robert K. Matsuura. In it, he details an easy, cheap, EFFECTIVE acne regimen that ANYBODY can do. What is this regimen, you ask? Let me tell you.

Step 1. Find a cleanser made for sensitive skin. I used Clean and Clear Foaming Cleanser Sensitive.

When I wash my face in the morning in the shower, I let the water wet my face. Then I put 2 or 3 pumps of cleanser in my hand, foam it up and GENTLY massage on my face. You do not want to tug or excessively rub your skin, just let your fingers glide over your skin. You only need to wash for 10 seconds, then let the shower water wash the cleanser off your face-NO HANDS! Blot your skin gently with a towel and let the rest of the moisture evaporate. At night, I actually dry wash my face...I don't wet my face before adding the cleanser. This means the cleanser doesn't get diluted and it also adds a very mild exfoliation since the cleanser isn't gliding as much. Same rules apply though, be very gentle!

Step 2. Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%

The next step is to apply benzoyl peroxide ALL over your face. When you start this regimen, start with one fingertip full and gradually work up to two fingertips full. Apply over your face like your cleanser, letting your fingers glide over your skin. Apply the cream to your whole face but don't rub it all in...let it soak into your skin. When you rub in a product completely, you are aggravating your skin from excessive rubbing and most of the product winds up on your fingers, not your face. If you can afford the time, let the cream soak in for 10-15 minutes. If not, let it soak in until your skin is dry, about a minute or two.

Step 3. Moisturize

Moisturizer is really important because benzoyl peroxide is so drying. You need to look for a moisturizer for sensitive skin that is non comedogenic. I use Aveeno Positively Radiant moisturizer but I have also used Olay Beauty Fluid Original. I found that this step usually is a step that needs tweaking a little until you find a good moisturizer since everyones skin reacts differently to benzoyl peroxide. Cetaphil and CereVe are also good choices. Just experiment and don't give up!

That's it! This regimen is really easy and under $20 which is great. And I saw results in a week! From what I've read and researched, this regimen works because most people with acne prone skin tend to pile on acne products. What a lot of people don't know is that allergic reactions and irritation can result in more acne in some people. So naturally, we add in more products or switch them up. This regimen uses products that won't irritate your skin and will actually promote healing. Since benzoyl peroxide is a drying agent, its more gentle than salicylic acid which is an exfoliant. 

What I did when I started this regimen is I stopped using ALL face products except these 3. Scrubs, masks, even make up. Then, I added in things one at a time, to make sure that my other products weren't breaking me out and irritating my skin. This regimen is also customizable based on your skin type. For example, I actually use the Aveeno Positively Radiant cleanser in the morning and the Aveeno Skin Brightening Scrub at night and I've had no problems. It just depends on what your skin reacts to.

I would recommend using this regimen for a month or two and then tweaking it if you feel like you need to. I really like using a scrub so I added one in. Good luck!

Have any questions or a post request? Leave me a comment!

-AmieeJoy<3