AcneFree Severe Acne Treatment System

*Edit 12/28/2012*This is a look at my 2 years of experience with AcneFree Severe. I found this product because I was looking for a wallet friendly alternative to controlling acne besides accutane or seeing a dermatologist. I want to help you understand the effects of this product but I'll also talk about my routine and I how I use it.(STEP 1) The Antibacterial Cleansing WashThe Antibacterial Wash has Benzoyl peroxide in it which is the standard for fighting acne causing bacteria. Keep this in mind: you are administering a double dose of Benzoyl Peroxide when you use the Antibacterial Wash in combination with the Maximum Strength Repair Lotion in (STEP 3).The Wash itself feels mild, yet creamy, with some granules. I give my face a gentle rub for a couple minutes and rinse with cool water. With the plausibility of dry skin due to the Benzoyl Peroxide, I DO NOT recommend warm or hot water as it breaks down a very fine layer of epithelial lipids that keep skin balmy and protected.(STEP 2) The Renewing TonerThe Renewing Toner is definitely a vital component because its primary ingredient is Witch Hazel. It helps balance the facial PH (reducing oil) and hydrate the skin which is subjected to the Benzoyl Peroxide. When putting on the Toner, you should be able to feel the elasticity of your natural skin return and it should ameliorate any dryness or burning with a few swabs applied from a cotton ball. This step should not be ignored.Witch Hazel is an astringent which can be store bought at any old CVS/Walgreens/Walmart for a few dollars. I am currently experimenting with a bottle to see if there is any noticeable difference between AcneFree's Toner and just a regular bottle of Witch Hazel.(STEP 3) The Maximum Strength Healing Lotion (Benzoyl Peroxide)AcneFree has the 10% Benzoyl Peroxide (STEP 3) which is great. 10% is very potent as another reviewer already stated. It does pack a noticeable "cool burning" sensation and it does feel a little like sandpaper. If you don't cake it on, it won't dry your skin out. I would know because the skin around my mouth gets creases/laugh lines easily if my skin is dry.I advise to start with smaller/thinner applications of the Healing Lotion and let your skin adjust over a week. Like I said, the Toner should really be used in conjunction with the lotion. Another great thing about it (for me) is the bottle for the Healing Lotion seems to last really long. I have left overs from 3 boxes ago which I apply on my back and shoulders and chest with great results. Like I said, you don't need to go overboard. If you find yourself just going through bottles, you might be using to much. Twice a day application should help a lot.STEP 4) The Retinol ComplexThis works great to soften and nourish the skin. I recommend using it after your first week of just STEPS 1-3, to get your skin use to the products. I find myself using it at night and in the morning. The Retinol Complex says it is not to be used in tandem with The Healing Potion (10% Benzoyl Peroxide). What I do is I substitute the Retinol Complex for the Healing Potion a couple days a week or when I have been getting exposed to really dirty conditions or harsh elements (e.g. exercise, winter, beach, dog). I do notice it keeps my skin supple and more colorful. I recently found out retinol is basically vitamin A which is crazy good for keeping skin young looking. My face suffers much less dryness and irritability when I apply it. The Retinol cream is viscous, but it blends into the skin very nicely. It is not oily or noticeable.My InsightsOver the years I have experimented with using The Antibacterial Wash, The Benzoyl Peroxide and the Retinol Complex completely by themselves. I have determined for myself that the while the Antibacterial Wash and Benzoyl Peroxide fight acne, it is the Retinol Complex and the Renewing Toner that will "stabilize" your skin. Without The Toner (STEP 2), the potency of The Wash (Step 1) and The Healing Lotion (STEP 3) may dry you out!The good thing is if you make regular and -light- applications of all the steps, it does well. The sad thing is, since the Renewing toner is basically like a liquid consistency, not cream, so it runs out faster than the other two steps. The Retinol Complex is also a smaller "bottle" so if you use it like the others, you'll run out. I reserve it for night time applications as directed.I had already tried Proactive and the regular Acnefree. I started SEVERE Acnefree since I had no where else to look in my budget after off brand homeostasis pills and whatnot.BTW, Proactiv really does suck. I wish I had a box so I could compare active ingredients and topical strengths but I do not. Back when I was in High School it cost a silly price (39.99) and used a lot of celebrity endorsement to gain false credibility (catalogues featuring Vanessa Williams/Jessica Simpson/Avril Lavigne). I used it for a about half a year before ditching it with mediocre results.Anyway, I'm not sure how they actually measured AcneFree Severe to be 4x better, but YES, it performed INFINITELY better than Proactiv for me. Excellent and cost effective product. It smells slightly but it is not a concern for me. While I gave it 5 out of 5 stars, I CANNOT speak for EVERYBODY's skin. This supposedly niche product has performed very well in both fighting my acne and rejuvenating my skin for a $20 package ($18, now that amazon has the subscribe feature).One kit will last me about 4-ish months. I presume the average/new user may consume it in about 2-3 months. I have learned how much my skin needs and how to effectively apply my products overtime. That will take some practice on your part. The Toner usually empties first but pour about 4-5 drops on a normal size cottonball and it should last closer to the other bottles. Just swab lightly so you can really cover on your face without having to apply more.-FINISHING REMARKS-I'm not going to lie, I do get a bump or a pimple here or there. This is not a miracle product, but it does exactly what I was hoping it could do: control my acne, prevent breakouts, and promote skin health. My face is much clearer and I have much more confidence because I know the regime will provide consistent results. I am not"cured" from acne but I cannot blame this product for that because I have a very active and somewhat stressful lifestyle filled with dirt and irritation. That being said, AcneFree SEVERE is 20 bucks and I'm still using it 2 years after I found it :)Protip: Wash your pillow sheets often. All those dead hair and skin cells on your face and the rubbing of skin on dirty fabrics? Those will cause breakouts, just FYI.If you have any questions feel to drop this review a comment I try to stay up to date.

I never leave reviews but given how much I rely on reviews, I figured it was about time I started contributing!I had fairly heavy acne growing up, especially in my t-zone, which came under control when I began birth control pills when I turned 18. For the past 10 years, I have been fortunate enough to not have difficulties with acne except for the occasional zit. However, a few months ago I stopped taking birth control and I was dismayed to see that the acne had returned, albeit not as bad as when I was a teenager, and had moved more to my jawline/cheeks. I began washing religiously and using toner but it didn't seem to make a difference - as soon as one would go away, two more would pop up. At 28, I felt that I was TOO OLD to be having these problems! But there they were.I tried ProActiv for a month and was pretty pleased with the results. It cleared the majority of my acne and the big cystic ones stopped coming. However, I was still regularly getting very small zits which would typically clear within a few days. All in all, I was pleased and figured I could deal with the occasional small zit that could be covered relatively easily with make up. After about 3 weeks, I noticed that my supply was getting low and it was time to re-order. I wasn't crazy about spending all that money, but was happy with the results so I was ready to do it......until I read the reviews for Acne Free Severe.I was hesitant to try it. I didn't want to go back to the way my skin was and I figured if I was pleased, why rock the boat? In the end, I decided if I was going to get a long-term regime, I should at least try the product that was MUCH cheaper than ProActiv and I am SO HAPPHY that I did!Within 3 days of using AcneFree, it cleared the small zits that ProActiv couldn't seem to keep under control. I have been using AcneFree day and night for the last 5 weeks and have not had a single new zit. It also seems to be lightening the scars left from previous breakouts. I have not had the problems of the product severely drying out my skin as others have noted. I use steps 1 and 2 each morning when I wake up and each evening. In the mornings, I follow with step 3 and at night, I skip step 3 and use step 4.A few observations:- AcneFree is not great at removing make up. I have to start with a make up remover (I use Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser) or I have to use 3-4 pads with toner on it to remove everything. If I start with the make up remover and follow with the 3 AcneFree steps, I get a great cleaning and starting with the make up remover only adds a minute to the routine.- I was a bit concerned after switching from ProActiv to AcneFree because I felt the AcneFree wash did not have as many grains as the ProActiv and was concerned that it wouldn't work as well - it works BETTER. If you're switching from ProActiv, don't let that concern you.- AcneFree didn't come with the many instructions provided by ProActiv. Having using ProActiv, I knew that I needed to wash with a dime sized amount. I wonder if those who have had issues with this product drying their skin out are using more than that?- AcneFree will bleach your clothes or towels if you're not careful. Its not as obvious as when you get cleaning products on your clothes that have bleach on it, but I do notice a slight fading on some of my towels. I don't particularly mind because the towels I use for drying my face aren't my 'nice' towels, but this is something to remember.- You do tend to go through the toner more quickly than the other products. I am going to take the advice of another reviewer and pick up the Thayers Witch Hazel to use in its place.- Make sure you never use all four steps or you will likely dry your skin out. It should be steps 1+2 and then 3 OR 4.This has worked so well that my husband, who has always used Retinol A cream (which is not covered by insurance due to him not being a teenager) has decided to switch to this product. I am very excited to have found this product and I am planning on using it long-term. The price is great for the product - At this rate, it looks like I will go through a package about every 2-2.5 months which makes it less than half the cost of ProActiv for the same amount of product.