I’m sold out of Acne.org Cleanser right now (I’m expecting to have more in stock in a couple/few weeks), but you can still successfully perform The Regimen with alternative cleansers.
(I am not associated with any of the companies, brands, or products listed below and receive no affiliate payments. They are simply the best alternative options I have found.)
When Choosing a Cleanser
Avoid:
- Soap: Soap will dry and irritate the skin. One tell-tale sign of whether something is soap is a lack of an ingredient list. Soap manufacturers are not required to list ingredients on the package. However, often ingredients are listed. In that case, avoid any product that contains any of the following ingredients: Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Palmitate, Sodium Palm Kernalate, Potassium Olivate, Potassium Castorate, Triethanolamine Stearate.
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): SLS strips the skin, damaging its protective barrier, and introduces irritation. Avoid it altogether.
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate: Not as big of an offender as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate should still be avoided if it is one of the first 3 or 4 ingredients in a cleanser. If it is far down in the list of ingredients, it should be okay.
- Scrubs: Scrubbing beads, seeds, shells, sugars, or anything else that is made to “scrub” the skin is the last thing inflammatory acne needs. Scrubbing irritates the skin and should be avoided at all costs. Unless you have only non-inflammatory acne, the kind that never gets red and is under the surface of your skin, or unless you only get blackheads, avoid scrubbers entirely.
- Pore-clogging Ingredients: Researchers have tested many ingredients one at a time on either rabbit ears or human skin, and a list of ingredients to avoid has started coming into focus. But to be safe, avoid the biggest offenders. See below for a complete list of ingredients to avoid or to consider avoiding.
- Scents: Some fragrances irritate some people, and some do not. If you are sensitive, try your best to avoid scented products. But this is usually not a huge deal, so no need to overthink it.
Look for:
- The words “gentle,” “non-overdrying,” “for dry, sensitive skin,” and similar words alluding to the gentle nature of the cleanser.
- Liquid cleansers, which are usually milder than bar cleansers and leave less residue on the skin.
- A cleanser made specifically for the face.
Products I have found to be adequate:
The following four adequate liquid cleansers are widely available in the United States, but there are many other cleansers that should work if you can’t find these or if you live outside the United States. Just remember to wash very gently with any cleanser you use, and for 10 seconds or less.
- Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Baby Wash
- Olay Foaming Face Wash (Sensitive)
- Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser
- Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash (note: this is nearly identical to Clean & Clear Foaming Facial Cleanser and made by the same company, but is more expensive)
You can use a gentle cleansing bar if you are on a strict budget since they tend to give you more bang for your buck, but be careful not to ever use soap. The four gentle bars which I have found safe to use (but less preferable to the liquid cleansers) are:
- Basis Sensitive Skin Bar
- Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar
- Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Antibacterial
- Purpose Gentle Cleansing Bar
You can also take a look at Acne.org user reviews for Acne.org members’ opinions of drugstore products. Keep in mind, however, that not all of the reviews are from people who are using the products while on The Regimen.
Men (shaving):
Try using the lather from your cleanser as your shaving cream. I’d rather see men shave with the lather from a cleanser than introduce a shaving cream, which may or may not be irritating to the skin.
