Today’s Reader Request came from David who sent the following email:

I’m 19, white. I have acne on my chin, sometimes cheeks, and forehead. Can you provide me w/ a simple regimen that would work for me, hopefully not too expensive (value/price is good). All I’m using currently is Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash and Oxy Spot Treatment (Clear) targeted at the specific acne(s)?. I read through some of your posts, but it’s ALOT of information and was hoping you could tailor something for me.

Sounds like David has some of the regular skin issues most guys his age have so here is a regimen which is excellent for teenagers and cost effective too!

Firstly, I know the information on this website can be slightly overwhelming but if you find a post concerning your particular skin issue you’ll find that I always recommend the same products for certain complaints. AHAs for exfolation, BHA for acne and blackheads, Retinol for acne and anti-aging… The purpose of my skin care posts are firstly to let you know which ingredients to look out for in your skincare and then reviews of a range of products that contain those ingredients. Not all skin is the same so i’m hoping to offer a variety of choice. To make the blog easier to navigate I have finally gotten round to creating tags for my posts so now you can just click on your skin issue for suggestions!

That said, let’s sort out your regime!

Day

Cetaphil Cleanser
You’re currently using Neutrogena Oil-Free acne wash and my first recommendation would be to ditch it. It contains BHA but the levels are so low that unless you’re washing your face for about 2 minutes a day, you won’t see any benefit from it. I recommend you buy Cetaphil or CeraVe cleanser – this is gentle enough not to clog your pores and create your acne whilst being effective enough to throroughly clean your face.

Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid
As a treatment for your clogged pores and acne, look for anything containing BHA or Salicylic Acid. My favourite is Paula’s Choice 2% BHA liquid, it’s probably the best treatment i’ve found for cleaning up acne and a worthwhile investment. The bottle lasts ages! If you don’t want to mail order there are drugstore alternatives like Clearasil Deep Pore Cleansing Pads, Stridex Pads and any liquid treatments from brands like Neutrogena and Clean and Clear that contain Salicylic Acid. Try and find one that has ‘Salicylic Acid’ high up on the ingredients list. This also makes a great post shave treatment so you’ll have less ingrown hairs and irritation from shaving.

Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin SPF 15
During the day you need to be wearing a moisturiser with SPF. I recommend Olay Complete for Sensitive Skin SPF 15 which is lightweight, non-greasy and won’t make you break out.

Night

First, Cleanse and swipe your face with BHA as you do during the day.

Acne.org 10% Alpha Hydroxy Acid
To moisturise you would definately benefit from using a glycolic moisturiser. This will exfolaite all of the dead skin cells clogging your skin as well as fade your existing acne scars. The one from acne.org is excellent but if you don’t want to mail order you can try Alpha Hydrox for Men 8% which you can buy at Ulta in the States. My advice is to use this once every 3 nights for two weeks and then work your way up to using it every night once your skin adjusts to it. Expect a bit of stinging but if it’s really uncomfortable, stop using it. Remember to use sunscreen with this and it will make your skin look clearer than it has ever looked before.

On the nights you’re not using a glycolic moisturiser I recommend you use cetaphil moisturiser.

Treatments

2.5 Benxoyl Peroxide
Your OXY treatment contains a very high amount of benzoyl peroxide that’s probably doing more harm than good, I recommend you switch to 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide from acne.org or any other treatment that specifically lists the concentration at 2.5%, if you can’t find any you can ask at a chemist – they’ll have some. Apply this about 5 to 10 minutes before moisturiser to areas where you break out. This should slowly become optional, the combination of BHA and AHA will get rid of your acne before it even appears on your skin so just use this for the occasional zit that pops up.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque
This isn’t neccessary but it’s known for being one of the best face masques out there for acne-prone skin. Apply all over your face once a week after showering to keep acne away or you can apply it directly to specific spots to dry them out. This is cheap, comes in a huge tube and it one of the best masques for acne prone skin!

So that should get you started on a skin regime that will drastically improve your acne. All of these items give you a lot of product for the price you’re paying. I highly recommend using the Paula’s Choice BHA treatment to deal with acne and a Glycolic moisturiser to smooth out your skin, fade acne scars, exfoliate and keep your acne in check.

Remember to give products a 2 week testing period before deciding whether they work for your skin. Some products bring out embedded acne so what may look like a breakout after 4 days might be completely clear skin within a week or so. If you skin ever becomes dry from acne treatment, just apply a layer of Cetaphil moisturiser on your face before sleeping or eliminate either AHA or Benzoyl Peroxide from your routine.