Customer Reviews

The Acne Cure

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Just like many of the reviewers here, I have tried EVERYTHING over the years, prescription medication (oral and topical), vitamins, Proactive, diet, 2 courses of acutane. Nothing worked, and my skin is very sensitive, and naturally very oily, and scars very easily. I bought this book over 1 year ago and finally understood the reasons behind how acne developed, and the need to use different products to control different phases of the acne cycle.

After putting the scientific information in this book together with other books, my routine is this:

Morning: Wash 1x with 2% Salicylic Wash - Oil Free Acne Wash, Neutrogena ($5), then wash again with Proactive's 2.5% BP cleanser. Use Proactive's toner and 2.5% BP treatment cream, then spf 30 sunscreen.

Evening: Wash 1x with Noxema Triple Clean Cleanser--has Triclosan ($5), then wash again with Glycolic Acid - 7% Glycolic Exfoliating Wash, DDF. ($27, Sephora). Then sometimes use a 2% hydroquinone product to slowly remove scars, but usually nothing else at night.

Washing my face twice morning and night with these products has eliminated the severe acne I had for 17 years. All of these products are good in themselves (Proactive is good with BP, because their delivery system gets the BP deep within the pores. The triclosan cleanser is good because it eliminates surface bacteria from the skin, glycolin acid is good because it lifts dead skin cells and rejuvenates skin.) But when I finally understood that they all had to work together to eliminate acne, and stuck to the program, is when I had amazing results. It has been about a year of 97% acne free.

I am using more products now to make it all work than I used to, but I am spending SOOOO much less $ than I used to on acne products it is amazing.

I have never written a review before. . . But this book has changed my life so much that I wanted to let you know what I do so hopefully it can help someone else.

Important information that will help you. Read everything! Long post.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy for you to come your way into a brand new start in life. But before you get into it, let me assure you, it all depends on YOU!

Thats right, you. This book is effective, but only if followed 100 percent correctly. Which is not easy! believe me, especially after loads of failed attempt and relunctant to follow through due to lack of trust and confidence in other "solution". Thats what holding some of these negative reviewer back. The method in this book does work, but only if you follow it consistently everyday at the specific hour and specific routine and all the micro details involved in the process. Terry J Dubrow is a great researcher and doctor, but when it comes to communicating his points, I find that to be his biggest flaw. His Acne Cure Program, the routine is not listed PRECISELY clear, he wrote it under the assumption that we know exactly what to use for morning, night, etc... So let me clarify for you my friends.

Morning: Step 1:

S-Acid first, make sure you add a few drop of water, and leave it on face for at least 2 minutes. The ammount listed is the size of penny. Now don't assume thats enough for your entire face. Thats only enough for one part of your face, I think more is necessary, so work your way through from forehand "top to bottom" face, nose, cheeks, chin, etc. 2-3 penny should be enough. rub gently in circular motion. Leave for 2 minutes. After that, use warm water from shower to wash off the solution.

2) Use G-Acid in the exact same manner as the S-Acid. Make sure you completely wash off the S-Acid first before adding the G-Acid. The only difference in using the G-Acid is, it takes some time for the acid to sink in to effect, so leave it on for 2-3 minutes, then gently scrub off the dead skin cells [you should have quite some since the G-Acid would inevitably help you remove it from clogging" and make sure you cleanse off all the dead skin cells so it doesn't clog up your pores. After you use warm water to effectively remove dead skin cells, move onto step 3.

Step 3: [after shower] Apply OIL-FREE moisturizer with Sunscreen at 30 concentration. Make sure you use moisturizer or it won't work. This is a HUGE step of the cure. By doing this, it will help improve your skin dramatically and actually help remove the acne a lot more effective. So buy a quality OIL-FREE moisturizer with SPF 30.

Thats Morning. I suggest doing S-acid and G-acid steps during shower, and do it everyday EXACTLY THAT TIME. FORCE YOURSELF INTO IT BY MAKING IT A JOB. A NATURAL HABIT WITHOUT EVEN THINKING. Or else you will definitely fail if you don't do so or waste your time and money and dont get significant improvement.

------------------------

Night time,

Step 1: Use the S-Acid process [exactly] the same as the morning one. So meaning the S-Acid needs to be washed off.

Step 2: After you finished washing, heres the tricky part.

Grab your BP Gel from your fridge, it needs to be very cold. So if it's not cold enough, before you take shower at night to apply step 1, put the gel in freezer from the lower fridge and leave it there until you finish showering and using Step 1.
Once it's cold enough after applying step 1, Take out the BP gel from fridge or otherwise freezer. Take at least 4-5 large ice cube. I repeat, large ones. Not mini ones or broken ones. Get some big ones. Grab your face towel. Put the 4-5 large ice cube and bp gel on your face towel. Grab your ice packs. "I seriously suggest people to get AT LEAST 2 ICE PACK. I suggest 3, but if possible get 6! Heres why, this is important. Each time you apply, I suggest using 3 at a time to cover your entire face, so you treat it all together in under 15 minutes. If you only use 1 ice pack, not only do you have to leave it on one part of your face for 10 minutes, you have to leave it onto other parts of your face, which compose of 3 main parts, Top forehead, Left Face, Right side Face. So add that all together, easily 50 minutes. It takes at least couple minutes to apply the gel and ice and everything each time.
Grab all your ice pack, breifly rinse your ice pack with cold water for couple seconds. Dont wash it. Leave the washing at the end when you finish using it, so next time you use it is clean and just briefly rinse it.

Secondly after one use of the ice pack, the ice pack no longer becomes cold. The ice pack im referring to are those "blue" ones or whichever liquid gel color they have. It is usually usable for both hot and cold. So once your blood warms up, or your breathe heats up the pack, it becomes defective. [When you leave the pack over your face, it becomes hard to breathe and you use your mouth to breathe in air, and during that process, it may heat up the ice pack quicker] So imagine reusing one pack thats not even cold after one tiome usage on other parts of your face... It becomes INCONSISTENT! So you need 3 ice packs for 3 parts of your face, leave it on together covering your entire face, that way each pack are dedicated to each specific area of your problem area. In the book it wasnt detailed, because it would have no problem treating a couple of pimples with one pack, but with average sufferers, it's not sufficient.

3 packs. Get extra 3 packs, the reason is, 1 night of cooling is not enough to deeply make the pack cold, so if you have 6 pack, you can exchange the pack for rotation which leaves more time for the packs to absorb the coldness and last longer during that 10 minute treatment. This is extremely important, many times it felt like it wasn't "effective" or not satisfy when it's not cold enough. So you must keep it cold and feel "fulfilled" inside.

Now down to the actual details of application.

After you grab everything, the packs, ice cubes, cold BP gel, lay down on bed with blanket covering yourself [make it comfortable as you can] relax yourself, allow time to relax, release the tension, and start running the ice cubes over your forehead, run one full cube per area. 1 cube Top forehead, 1 cube left side of face, 1 cube right side of face. Rerun it with remaining cube on all area of face and rerun it until all the ice are gone, this should make your skin cold to the touch. with lots of melting water. So place the towel right underneath your face when you run the ice. Make sure you do this until it really becomes cold to the touch, not freezing cold, but cold as in it won't just fade away in matter of seconds. Once it's that stage, apply generous amount of BP GEL that are really cold [dont be cheap, put a lot], onto your face, smooth it out, even it out. Do it gently, once thats done. "try not to take too long, your finger due to blood circulation will heat up the gel" then immediately place all ice pack in position, you should see some small ice on top of the pack, it's okay leave it on. Place all packs onto your face. Rest and relax for 10 minutes, try not to breathe so much, as it will heat up the pack.just relax, place the pack firmly onto your face so it's actually "touching" the surface, dont push it aggressively though, just gentle placement and gentle finger holding to lock down the position of the pack. Dont put entire hand to hold down the pack, that heats it up faster, use fingers to hold the position. let comfortably, so all your pores are open for the BP gel to enter to work itself. Leave it on for 10 minutes minimun [assuming you have entire face covered together]. Once 10 minute is over, I suggest listening to music and knowing the track of the time, so you can guess by which track is the time. Once this is done and becomes your everyday relaxation time, things will go very well. I promise you. Whats hard is the experience of the cold pack, it is not a pleasant experience if you mess up or make it not comfortable, thats why I suggest doing it in bed with some blankets to keep your body warm and comfortable while your face is doing the cooling. try to enjoy it. Once time is up, grab the towel, wipe off the excess BP gel and leave the remaining to work overnight. Do this every evening after night shower or before going to bed. Wash your packs, put it in freezer, put BP gel in fridge. And there you have it. Your night time routine.
--------------------------------


If you follow the day time routine and night time routine EVERYDAY WITHOUT MESSING UP ONCE and doing it ON TIME, it will work, give it at least 6-7 weeks before you say this doesnt work, some people may notice immediate improvement the next day. Sounds easy right? NOT AT ALL! It's a commitment, especially when it requires all that effort. Just make sure you follow the Morning routine and the night time routine every single day of the program, on time on track, not leaving out one single step.
It's not that simple as it sounds, when life and stress comes into play, getting off work all tired, sometimes you just don't feel like doing it, especially the cold pack [more so if you dislike it] so make it through, make it comfortable and relaxing, try to enjoy it, force yourself through and get over it. Conquer your acne.

If you dont do so as told, getting lazy or don't feel like doing the BP gel with cold packs, or only doing morning today, tomorrow night time, etc etc with any inconsistent combination, you are wasting your time and money on the product. Because it won't heal like that, it takes ongoing penetration with the morning routine and the night time routine to work together.It works each time little by little, and by the end of the program, you see a dramatic result. It's not a overnight magic for all people. So if you do it consistent for 4 days, then decides to stop for 2 days, and redo it. Thats not good. You must do it everyday consistently. Thats the key. Thats the difficult part. Thats why I give it 3 star. The morning and night works together. You can't stretch the time between those two. It's meant to be together like a couple, if you seperate it, you will only waste time and get frustrated. So do yourself a favor, get the book, read the stuff, so you get convinced, follow through what I suggest, and do as exactly and consistently, you will see result. It's that simple. It's why it works for those people on the reality TV, because they are forced to stick to the program STRICTLY adherd.



I know all this may seem complicated with so much detail, but believe me, it's worth your trouble, re-read ONCE and try to grasp and memorize the entire stage correctly. It is a lot more simple and well detailed than how the book put it specifically regarding the application of the program.

I hope this helps you guys.

----------------- Overall -------------Terry J. Dubrow is legitmate and what we call "real deal", hes really something. If you ever watch "the swan" from the reality television, he was part of that impressive transformation!

I'm sure if you put yourself into his hands, he will cure you, because he definitely knows how to do it correctly and forcing you into habit. It is not often his book that have issues, it's the reader who have issues following through exactly his routines precisely. I don't blame you guys for that, because sometimes hes not very clear on the actual routine, and it takes quite a few thinking and re-reading to grasp the program correctly. [At first I used it wrong for a long time, I used the G-acid both morning and night and boy was that a silly mistake]
Waste of time and money, because his application instruction is not very clear, but through many thorough reading and research it becomes clear, so dont assume his application instruction are clear, or you'll make the mistake you wont want to make, wasting time and money and growing lack of confidence in a program that works of followed correctly and thoroughly. So I'm making it clear for you. So not everyone reads the same, secondly this book placed a lot of emphasis on the detailed information, the actual indication on the program is very short, but the explanation concerning acne is used to convince and motivate readers to follow through the plan. That is why I still recommend people to buy the book even if you know the "routines" precisely, because following through is a test of character and strong will plus commitment and dedication. If you arm yourself with the knowledge, you'll gain confidence, therefore easier to follow through his program. It takes a lot of commiment. Sorry to say, If you see this Dr Dubrow, not everyone has that "excitement" or intense desire and dedication/trust necessary to successfully and effectively follow through your program. People get burnt out after each failed attempts, which I assume is quite a lot... So the actual performance of applying the materials listed in this book becomes a problem for a lot of people. The idea of putting a ice pack and running ice cube over your face is not a pleasant process for long-term. Not everyone likes that experience, especially if first one didn't go right.

This book works on curing and eliminating existing acne. The trick is, do the other stuff he suggested to prevent new ones from formation. If you can keep yourself from formation, you will cure it. Formation is due to internal aspect of your body. It all depends on the stuff inside your bowel. Ever seen rotten food? Well it's not surprising to get acne when your body cannot successfully eliminate those waste out of your system. What goes in needs to come out, in all parts. Most of the time, what goes in may not come out fully, only 30 percent. So make sure you work on that first, fixing your internal body.

So fellow friends, remember, the key is doing exactly on time and precisely, most importantly consistently. If you read to here, I thank you for reading my review, hope it is helpful to you, wish you the best and you deserve success. :)

I struggled with acne for 17 yrs, and the program outlined in this book gave positive results in less than one week. It has even made those dreaded "cystic" ones a thing of the past. However, I do agree that it is a fairly harsh regimen. I would consider my skin to be VERY durable and not irritated easily at all; yet at about the two week mark, my skin started to peel and get really dried out.

My suggestion to anyone wanting to give this a shot is to use the full protocol sparingly when first trying it out (perhaps every other evening) or try what another reviewer suggested and slowly add each component to your cleansing ritual. I personally use a 2% salicylic wash by Neutrogena every AM and on every other PM (like I said, I have tough skin). On the evenings I don't use the salycylic wash, I use an extremely mild soap and will alternate between using the glycolic acid and the benzoyl peroxide.

Sounds confusing? Well, it takes a bit of commitment to keep it straight, but the results are very much worth it. Up until about 4 months ago when I started this, I had no idea what it was like to wake up in the morning and not dread looking at what had sprouted up overnight. Another reviewer commented that it was difficult to find the acids - I had to go to a skin care specialist to get mine. However, I have noticed that sephora.com sells glycolic acid by several different makers; sephora is on the pricey side, so you might want to look around some more.

I have never had an acne problem until I turned 30. Then, I started breaking out with anywhere from 2 to 7 pimples at a time. I couldn't believe it! It was very upsetting. I bought this book, and it DID impove the existing acne. But I still had breakouts. I started tracking the flare-ups by recording how many I had, and the date. I found it was related to my period and ovulation times, basically every two weeks the acne would worsen.
It seemed as if hormonal imbalance was the cause. I also had other symptoms...anxiety, stress, etc. I started taking an herbal supplement..chaste tree berry..used by European doctors for centuries to treat hormonal problems. After 60 days, my acne is gone! And my stress and anxiety levels have been reduced dramatically.
In summary, this book reduce the amount of acne I had. But it took the herbal supplement to truly end my adult acne problem. I also have noticed if I eat a lot of carbs, I am more prone to flare up.

[Please scroll down to the end of my review for drugstore products used]

Like many other reviewers, I had bad acne for quite a while (about 6 years for me, after age 18 or 19 it's like my face just REVOLTED against me! Something to do with hormones, apparently). So let's see, I tried about a year of Proactiv. It's like they have some kind of a hold on you. It's not working, but yet you keep using it. Finally cancelled that and went to see a dermatologist. First they had me on tetracycline, which worked like a charm, but then she took me off because you really shouldn't just keep taking antibiotics. Then they put me on this expensive vitamin, and the whole time consultations aren't free........ I've also used up my share of OTC acne face products.

So (about a year ago) enter Dr. Dubrow :) I found his information on a website I was surfing and started on the program. Trust me, within one week, my face was clear!! Only down side was the burning AND peeling I got from using a 10% Benzoyl Peroxide product. I had heard I wasn't supposed to use this (especially on Black skin that is more prone to staining), but since I already had it I decided to be stubborn. However, even though when I woke up in the morning, my skin would have peeled, by the time I did the morning wash (salicilic acid) and exfoliation (glycolic acid) and then used my oil-free SPF 15 moisturizer, it's like nothing ever happened to my face.

The downsides of this program are, the consistency necessary for continued results. It's almost like a diet. You start off all excited, but then your enthusiasm wears off. For me the cold got old FAST. I thought that since it was winter it was just too cold and I'd be more willing to do it in the summer, but I'm still not interested. I also get SOOO lazy and not do the nighttime treatment at all, no washing, nothing... because of the part where you have to run the ice cube over your face and then apply the BP that you've kept downstairs in the fridge (you have to) so you have to walk from your bathroom to the kitchen and ARRRRRRRRGHHH!!!! Can you tell I'm a little frustrated?!?! :-) So I stick to the morning treatment only and my face is still under control.

I also decided to adopt his vitamin regimen (which I DO call popping five or six pills everyday a downside), but guess what? If my face breaks out when I don't have enough vits in my system, I figure I'll keep taking the vits at least twice a week just to keep my WHOLE BODY healthy! I ditched the L-carnitine (expensive, didn't see the results as far as fixing my scars), and Selenium (hurt my stomach), and haven't been consistent with my Calcium (meaning I haven't taken it in months), but the others are still holding down the fort!

In all, I'm really glad this book came into my life, I think I just might donate it to my local library... (as against selling it here for moolah.. he he :) ). I'd have to put my acne at 85% cured, but with the minimal effort that goes into doing this program, damn. Totally worth it. My cheeks that used to have the horendous break outs are also completely under control. I just get the occasional pimples on my face and they usually aren't big at all. I'm so low maintenance that the only time I care is when my face is JUST HORRIBLE. So right now I'm happy.

His book did not really help me with dark spots. He says you should wait till you've been COMPLETELY acne free for a year before doing the peels and what not, but that just hasn't happened yet. I'm not really getting any new spots, but I'm still waiting on a miracle for this one! Crazy diets don't count, I'm not even going to bother trying.

I'm also a little peeved that he sells the products READILY available at drugstores on his website, instead of the maintenance anti-oxidant product he recommends. I've bought some so far, but they are pasty (as against liquid, moisturous and just awesome) on the face and clog my pores, or they are stinky, or they irritate my skin and make me scratch. I'm sure if Dr. Dubrow decided to compound the maintenace product, it would be gentle on sensitive skin and non-stinky (I just trust him that much). So Dr. Dubrow, if you're reading this, take a break from liposuction on Hollywood butts and get to work!!! Thank you! :-)

Products I use:

Purpose gentle cleansing Wash (gentle cleanser to be used before salicylic acid for Black skin, which has more "stratum corneum" crap to slough off before applying SA, read the book). 6 oz for $4.99

Neutrogena Oil-free acne wash (lotion, gel made my skin too oily): 6 oz for $4.97

Walgreens Alpha Hydroxy acid ("8% of a 70% solution glycolic acid", but it works, so whatever! :-). $5.99. 6 oz body lotion, or 4 oz face lotion. I've used both.

Neutrogena On-the-spot acne treatment, $4.97 or something for 0.75 oz, tinted or vanishing formula, I prefer vanishing 'cos it's a nighttime treatment, think pillows, but sometimes tinted is all they have in the store.

Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer + SPF 15 $10.97 for 4 oz, OR Clean and Clear morning glow oil free moisturizer + SPF 15, $5.99 for 4 oz

Edit: One year later, I must mention that I have gone off the Acne Cure in favor of Dan's Clear Skin Regimen (google it). It has kept me clear with not nearly as much effort. However, I am now interested in trying some of the Acne Cure maintenance products suggested by other reviewers, maybe they will work?

In all, I feel Dr. Dubrow has been somewhat irresponsible in writing this book, because he sensationalized it. Promised a cure, but would only really detail the first six weeks, and then what the heck should you do afterwards? I have to say, I have been searching the market and still haven't found those maintenance products he recommends! None that are readily available and non-irritating to acne skin, anyway. Right now I'm just trying to take a leap of faith to try some of the products others have been successful with (even though they don't contain all three ingredients), and see if it works. It is just annoying to find a so-called cure, only to start the search for products all over again. Thumbs down, Dr. Dubrow.

I wrote a positive review several months back about this book. I'm surprised to read several reviewers' negative comments. I started Dr. Dubrow's programme, as outlined in the book, just before Christmas. I was amazed that for the first time in my life something that made a claim about helping acne actually WORKED.

Now, seven months later, I have no acne. None. I don't mean less, I mean NONE. I wish I'd had this book twenty years ago when this problem first showed up in my life. Imagine what it's like to wake up every morning and know that when you look in the mirror there will be nothing wrong with your face. That's what I experience now because of what I learned in this book. What's more, while the initial six-week programme is quite involved, in the "maintenance" phase of the programme, where I am now, I have to do nothing more than wash my face in the morning and night.

You're entitled to scepticism -- we all are. Sales of bogus or harmful acne cures are a gold mine, and we're the slaves working it. I don't want to cast aspersions on these other reviewers -- they've had whatever experiences they've had. But I wish I could give every acne sufferer the results I've been so fortunate to have since finding Dr Dubrow's book. If you're hesitating, I'd say to take the risk. It's made a world of difference for me.

I have a fourteen year old son, deep in the throes of acne. I suffered myself as a teen and still have flare-ups, so I know how devastating this condition can be. The last program he tried was ProActive, which seemed to work for a few weeks and then...didn't. He stuck with the program though for six months, to give it time to do its best. Well, my son's face just got worse. I made an appointment with a dermatologist. One day while browsing in a bookstore, I saw The Acne Cure. I was very skeptical and flipped through the book. What I saw did not look promising...I mean, who hasn't used benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid? As I looked further into the daily routine, I saw information which was presented in a different way than ever before. The doctor was suggesting using these products in a specific order along with glycolic acid and cold! I was intrigued and bought the book. I must say, we saw improvement after about 5 days. My son's face after two weeks is remarkably better than before he started the program and after the six weeks, I expect him to have clear skin! My son wasn't even following the program to the letter, but he was definitely seeing results. He is now more interested in following the doctor's specific instructions. I think any acne sufferer will be very pleased with the results achieved from following this program. The best part is you may already have the products in the specific concentrations recommended by Dr. Dubrow at home...we did. This makes it very economical. We have cancelled the appointment with the dermatologist. Do yourself or your loved one a huge favor and give this a try!

After 15 years, I stopped taking birth control and my face revolted in constant acne breakouts. I tried 'the cure' and after just a few days my face did start to clear up. But it was short lived. Now, after 6 weeks on the program my acne is back full force. After a high hopes and a good start, I'm really disappointed.

This book doesn't promote any gimmicks or brands; it doesn't try to sell you anything or put forth any radical approaches -- and that is what make it so refreshing. The specific instructions he gives on skin care really do work and if followed specifically will help get rid of your acne relatively quickly. One thing I would recommend is Paula Begoun's "Don't go to the cosmetic counter without me" book, because she explains which products have enough ingredient (i.e. salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, etc.) combined with a low enough PH level (essential) to be effective.

I'm just getting into this book, and really, the whole routine makes a lot of sense. I can't give a great testimony or anything, simply because I haven't been on the program long enough to know if my skin is really responding well or not. But, I can say that after the first night's treatment, my inflamation was noticably reduced.

While yeah, the routine with the ice, etc. is tedious and cold, and at first I felt sad about putting on medication and rinsing it off after a few minutes, it really seems smart. I've always had trouble with greasiness that comes along with acne meds like salicylic acid, etc. but with this method, I seem to get the benefits without the oil production.

I think some of what the author says is crock--your diet CAN be a huge part of acne, but most doctors seem to be unwilling to sell a healthy lifestyle. (Look at Dr. Perricone, he says you can treat your skin probs through a healthy diet, yes. But he also puts incredible importance upon his insanely priced skin care products.) I don't think I'll ever call this a miracle cure, even if this regimen does clear up my skin, because I think treating acne is a very individual thing dependant upon hormones and a million other things. I have PCOS and that greatly affects my skin, and I'm just trying to find something that will work for me.

When I have been on the program for the whole 6 weeks, I will return here with my experience.

But I wanted to tell anyone who is interested that I dont's think it's impossible to find an oil-free moisturizer with c ester, tocotrienol and alpha lipoic acid. Nutribiotic seemes to make a very fitting moisturizer, their 2-oz. Hydrating Facial Mist for $16.96 which you can view here: http://store.nutribiotic.com/pgi-productspec?1094

I hope that helps some folks.