Last Updated on October 12th, 2020
By Dr. Jaggi Rao, MD, FRCPC, Double board-certified dermatologist
The best way to treat acne isn’t with one singular product, it’s with a gentle but effective acne treatment system that cleanses, treats, and moisturizes your skin. There are countless acne regimens on the market, making it nearly impossible to determine which ones actually work.
That’s where we come in. 🤜🤛
We’re happy to help you find acne treatments that actually work, starting with the Acne.org Regimen. Acne.org is an incredibly helpful site for anyone dealing with acne. They explain the basics of acne, why it happens, and common products used to treat and prevent acne, including their own specially developed treatment regimen. Before trying out their products on your own skin, let’s take a look at the product formulas and ingredients, the customer service of Acne.org, and common issues people have with these products.
Article Table of Contents
One of the most important ways to evaluate acne treatments is to analyze the formula for each product.
The Acne.org regimen contains three products: a cleanser, a treatment gel, and a moisturizer. Let’s take a look at the key ingredients in each product.
The Acne.org Cleanser:
The first step is the cleanser, which is meant to clear away excess oil and dead skin cells to better allow the treatment and moisturizing products to reach the pores and do their jobs. One of the best ways to do this is with surfactants, which are chemicals that bind to oil and dead skin cells and then foam up, removing them from the surface so they can be rinsed away. However, surfactants can be very harsh and cause irritation, which ends up making acne worse, not better.
Thankfully, the Acne.org Cleanser uses very gentle surfactants like sodium trideceth sulfate and sodium lauroamphoacetate, which remove oil and dirt without irritating the skin. Plus, this cleanser also contains several soothing ingredients like sage extract, glycerin, and cucumber extract to help reduce any potential irritation.
The Acne.org Treatment Gel:
When it comes to acne treatment, simpler is better. And the Acne.org treatment gel follows this guideline perfectly. It contains only 8 ingredients, one of which is benzoyl peroxide, a very effective acne treatment ingredient.
Products that contain benzoyl peroxide work by killing acne-causing bacteria by bringing extra oxygen below the surface of the skin. This kills the bacteria because acne-causing bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they can’t survive for long in the presence of oxygen. The biggest problem with benzoyl peroxide treatment products is that many products use far too high of a concentration. Any benzoyl peroxide treatment with a concentration of 5% or higher can lead to dryness and irritation which can actually lead to more acne. Acne.org’s treatment gel contains a 2.5% concentration of benzoyl peroxide, which is high enough to work but low enough to be gentle on the skin. However, it is worth noting that of the 7 other ingredients, 3 of them can be irritating, which could actually cause more acne.
The Acne.org Moisturizer:
The most commonly skipped skin care step when it comes to taking care of acne is moisturizing. Many people with acne assume that their skin is so oily, they don’t need to moisturize. But the truth is, acne treatment products can be harsh, making moisturizing even more important. But in order to moisturize without causing more acne, you have to use the right ingredients. The Acne.org moisturizer contains several ingredients that are good for acne-prone skin, but because they have long confusing names, it’s sometimes hard to tell what helps and what hurts.
So here is a brief explanation of some of the more confusing ingredients in the Acne.org moisturizer: jojoba oil (a non-pore-clogging oil), tocopheryl acetate (a vitamin E antioxidant), PEG-12 glyceryl distearate (an emollient, which helps soften the skin), sodium hyaluronate (a humectant, which helps the skin absorb more moisture), cetearyl alcohol (an emulsifier, which keeps mixtures mixed up), Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root extract, also known as licochalcone, an antioxidant), methyl gluceth-20 (an emollient), saccharide isomerate (a humectant), and sorbitan olivate (an emulsifier).
Overall, there are a lot of great ingredients in the Acne.org moisturizer. If you have very sensitive skin, some of the emulsifiers may cause irritation, but for most people, this moisturizer is a great option.
Before buying any acne treatment products, it’s important to make sure that they actually work, which means they need to address the 4 main causes of acne, which are:
Products that only address one or two of these issues are unlikely to treat your acne long-term. So we compared the Acne.org regimen to the Basic Kit from Exposed Skin Care, a different acne treatment regimen that meets all of the requirements for effectively treating and preventing acne. Let’s see how Acne.org measures up.
Based on our comparison, the Acne.org regimen is actually a fairly effective acne treatment. It removes excess oil and dead skin cells without overdrying, it kills acne-causing bacteria, it unclogs pores, and it prevents future breakouts. But it won’t be able to prevent everything, because even though it can clear away excess oil after it’s produced, it doesn’t actually reduce the overproduction of oil. Plus, if you tend to get scars from your acne, this regimen does not feature many ingredients to help lighten those scars, balance your skin, or clarify your overall skin tone.
Based on the products alone, we would say the Acne.org regimen could be a good treatment option as long as you don’t have very oily skin. But when you buy acne products, it’s important to take a look at the company as well. If the products turn out to be horrible, will you be able to get your money back? Does the company specialize in acne, or do they mass produce all kinds of things? Finding this information can be tricky, which is why we’ve done it for you in the next section.
As a company, Acne.org is actually fairly trustworthy. They are accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and have an A+ rating. The whole regimen was actually developed by the creator of Acne.org, Daniel Kern. His whole business is about sharing research-based, reliable information about acne and providing the proper products to help people get the clear skin they want.
The entire business revolves around acne treatment, so you can rest easy knowing that Acne.org actually has your best interests at heart.
Acne.org demonstrates this faith in their product with a relatively generous return policy. You have 60 days after placing your order to submit a request for a full refund for any reason at all. They are so confident that their regimen can help, that they are willing to put their money where their mouth is. If the Acne.org regimen doesn’t work for you, you can get all of your money back by simply emailing returns@acne.org. From there, a customer service representative will guide you through the returns process.
So far, these Acne.org products sound like a high-quality, trustworthy acne treatment option, but before buying, it’s always important to check out the negative reviews. Some people simply had a bad experience, but if there are several common complaints, there is a good chance it could present a very real issue with the product itself.
We know scanning reviews isn’t exactly fun, so don’t worry, we’ve taken care of everything for you. We analyzed 50 reviews from Amazon and Acne.org’s own website and identified the 3 most common complaints among 1-star reviews.
The Number One Problem: Increased Acne
By far, the biggest complaint is that it actually caused more acne. 23 out of 50 1-star reviews said that using these products actually made their acne worse. It’s normal to go through a “purging” process any time you try a new skin care routine where you actually break out more as you adjust to the new ingredients. But it should only last a week or two, and many people who left negative reviews said the worsened acne lasted for months.
Watch Out for Hyperpigmentation and Scarring
We briefly addressed the next problem when comparing Acne.org to the Exposed Skin Care Basic Kit. Unfortunately, the Acne.org regimen doesn’t contain any ingredients to help prevent or reduce acne scars or hyperpigmentation (dark spots). 7 out of 50 1-star reviews said this was a major problem for them. Some people even said it caused their skin to darken significantly wherever the products were applied, turning their skin tone several shades darker than normal.
A Surprising Number of Allergic Reactions
6 out of the 50 1-star reviews said their biggest problem with the regimen was that it gave them an allergic reaction. These people described intense irritation that required medical intervention to treat. They said their face became red, painful, inflamed, or rashy, beyond the normal purging process. Based on our investigation of the ingredients, we aren’t sure what’s causing these allergic reactions, but if you have sensitive skin, we recommend being cautious and testing out each product on a small area before applying it to your whole face.
Real 1-Star Reviews
1 out of 5 stars
when i started this product i was so excited because i had seen a youtubers video saying it changed her life. after one month nothing happened. after two months my skin was horrific. i had more acne scars then i had ever in my life, and i was so broken out i was embarrassed to go out in public… ever. i cried myself to sleep because i finally had hope for clear skin, and after the money i spent with no results, i am truly saddened and disappointed.
1 out of 5 stars
I have struggled with acne for five plus years and I wanted to try this regimen before I decided to go on accutane. I have tried a million and one prescriptions and other over the counter products (seriously not an overstatement) and I thought this might just work but sadly it didn’t. I was on it for 2 months and had to stop because I had developed cysts around my chin that I had never had before. These breakouts were very painful, deep, and have left a ton of hyperpigmentation and some scars. My skin was horribly dry despite putting on 3+ pumps of moisturizer and 6 drops of jojoba oil. I wanted this to work so badly but my skin just did not react well to it. I have very oily, but easily reactive, sensitive skin for reference.
1 out of 5 stars
This regimen made my face flaky and will not use it ever again. My skin tone got terrible and not natural. I started getting large pimples although I used to have only 5-6 tiny ones. I don’t recommend this regimen to anyone as it makes your skin get addicted to the product and your skin will be 10x oilier when you stop using it. Now it has been 5 months after I stopped using it and my skin finally looks like before although I ended up getting few scares because of this regimen.
1 out of 5 stars
It didn’t work for me. I used it for 3 days and had to stop. My entire face is broken out in a rash. My face is blotchy, red, and swollen from an allergic reaction to this treatment. And it’s extremely ITCHY. I’m miserable.
1 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to love this product and was hopeful after reading all the great reviews. I followed the instructions on the bottles and watched the tutorials no the acne.org website. Unfortunately, I had a horrible allergic reaction to acne.org products. I woke up with a rash on my neck, that itched like crazy, and my face was swollen. It took a few days for the swelling to finally go down and for my face to return back to its normal state.
So let’s review the pros and cons of the Acne.org treatment regimen. After all, no treatment is absolutely perfect, and some treatments are better for some people than others. Before buying any new skin care items, it’s important to get a sense of how well they will work for you specifically. Here’s the breakdown:
✔️ Pros:
❌ Cons:
If you aren’t totally convinced that the Acne.org treatment regimen will be able to clear your acne, then there are other options out there. Based on the research, the best option for nearly everyone is the Basic Kit from Exposed Skin Care. 🥇
As you can see in the comparison chart above, the Basic Kit addresses every single cause of acne, plus it helps balance skin tone in a way that Acne.org just can’t. How does it manage to check every single box? Their ingredients. Exposed doesn’t limit themselves to “all-natural” or “chemical” ingredients. They use whichever ingredients are most effective for treating acne, which means all of their products contain both natural and scientific active ingredients.
Like the Acne.org regimen, the Exposed Skin Care Basic Kit uses benzoyl peroxide to kill acne-causing bacteria, but Exposed also includes responsible amounts of tea tree oil, which also kills acne-causing bacteria. Exposed Skin Care also uses salicylic acid to help unclog the pores more effectively, and sulfur to help absorb excess oil without excessive dryness. And even if you have sensitive skin,
Exposed products are safe for you. They contain a multitude of soothing ingredients that help prevent irritation, like green tea extract, sage extract, and aloe vera.
Best of all, trying Exposed is completely risk-free because of their 1-year money-back guarantee. If you aren’t happy with your acne one year after purchasing exposed, you can return your empty bottles for a full refund. This means you have nothing to lose by trying Exposed, but it also means that their treatments really work. After all, a company isn’t going to offer free refunds if their product doesn’t work. They wouldn’t make any money.
We have recommended a kit from Exposed since day 1 and still do today. Here's why...
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