Customer Reviews

The Acne Prescription : The Perricone Program for Clear and Healthy Skin at Every Age

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food. ~Hippocrates

Dr. Nicholas Perricone is a pioneer in reversing skin damage and has finally solved one of the mysteries of my life. When I lived with my grandmother, she cooked salmon on a weekly basis and we always ate tuna fish sandwiches on a regular basis. Then, I got married and my husband insisted that I stop cooking fish because he disliked it. That was when my skin changed. For years, I've wondered about the effects of diet on our skin and The Acne Prescription reveals the need for advanced care and a healthy dose of antioxidants and Omega 3 supplements. He explains how skin disorders are caused by a systemic inflammatory disease and explains the details of sebaceous glands and how corneum cells block pores. I learned about oxidative stress, foods to avoid, foods to get into my diet fast and why I should look for creams containing DMAE.

After reading this book, I went to the grocery store and found some Wild Alaskan Salmon which was on sale for 97 cents a pound. I baked the entire fish and tried to follow the three day diet in which you eat mostly salmon. The diet in this book is filled with tasty choices from the sea. If you enjoy scallops, salmon, crab, tuna and shrimp, you will love this diet. I also purchased the pomegranate juice as recommended and you can normally find it in the produce section of your local grocery store.

Other moments of enlightenment occurred while reading about how chocolate can cause your skin to break out, but it is more the sugar than the actual cocoa butter. So, I did not notice any changes in my skin after eating a Hershey's Low Carb bar and then this book even made more sense. It is the sugar, not the cocoa. Another great product he recommends is Pycnogenol which can be rather expensive, but seems to work very well.

Overall, this book emphasizes the need for antioxidants, essential fatty acids and a healthy lifestyle. Avoiding stress is essential and a series of yoga postures are recommended.

At least a third of this book is filled with tasty skin-clearing recipes like:

Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon, Seared Tomatoes, Asparagus and Lemon Olive Oil Hollandaise

Spiced Diver Scallops with Ecuadorian Tabouleh and Lemon Myrtle Oil

Pomegranate Citrus-Glazed Apricot and Garlic Roasted Chicken with Apple-Spinach Stuffing and Garden Vegetables

So, this all sounds very gourmet, but the ingredients are relatively easy to find and the directions are uncomplicated. The recipes were all created by executive chef Bernard Guillas.

The glossary is excellent and if you read one book on how to care for your skin from the inside out, this should be it.

This book is more about lifestyle change than a quick solution. I have only read one other book that is on this level and that is The Metabolic Plan. With those two books in hand, you will have a wealth of information and also understand why lifestyle changes will improve your health. Nicholas Perricone, M.D. has included so many solutions to the problem of Acne that I can only say I'll be reading this book over and over again. Even if you just suffer from occasional breakouts this book will give you the information you need to encourage a clear, glowing complexion. Many of the ideas in this book will also help you live a more healthy life. I definitely want to read all of Dr. Perricone's books. He really is an expert on antiaging and skincare.

~The Rebecca Review

Dr Perricone's advice worked for me, and though it's nice to have the book for reference, you don't really need it. Just cut out all sugar and sugar substitutes, and follow a low-glycemic index diet. Ta-da! Seriously, it did miracles for me.

Perricone's diet/book serves as a great guideline. I have stuck pretty well to the diet -- not necessarily the diet plans -- but have used the foods on his okay list and worked with them to create my own meals. The Salmon I make a key part of my diet and occasionally create some of his recipes. This has worked fine with me. Although, because I was also concerned about fatigue, I picked up another book, The Mid-Life Miracle Diet -- that I thought would address my fatigue. I found Perricone's recommendations very similar to this book -- in both diet as well as supplement recommendation. I combined the two --and battled both acne and fatigue. The Mid-Life book isn't as adamant about elimating carbs from the diet -- only restricting them to later evening eating. So I compromised. I didn't eat bread often but if I did -- I kept it small and later in the day. Perricone's supplements are DOUBLE the cost if you were to just go to a very good quality health food store and put together the supplements yourself. I combined recommendations of what is in his book with the Mid-Life recommendations. The initial cost may be alot -- but will last longer than a month supply of Perricones -- and thus comparitively, cost less to do it this way. Once you spend time figuring out what is in the supplements and getting the supplements -- it's easy. All you have to do is replace when you run out. Mid-Life book recommends TwinLab and Country Life -- there are other good supps. And then there are bad supplements. So go to a health food store, and ask the advice of one of the workers there -- he/she will tell you which brands are best quality. (I have found the owner won't help as much as a friendly employee who knows his stuff.) I followed the diet and took my put together supplements before trying his products. A major difference took place without use of his products -- increased energy, better mood and skin health. I do not like Perricone's acne products at all. Instead I do like his Vitamin C Ester wash and his other products are okay. I give the Perricone book 5 stars because out of the many things I've tried for my acne -- this is the only thing that has ever really worked.

I was so excited to read Dr. Perricone's book. I recently purchased this book for my 11 year old son. It was not until I read his book that I really understood what had happened to me. I'm a 32 year old mom. I never experienced acne problems until my first pregnancy. I was one BIG walking pimple. You couldn't touch my face, chest, breasts, or back without touching a pimple. I was ashamed to go out in public because people would always stare at me as if I had leprosy or something. After my second child, I weighed in at 285 pounds. My doctor told me to go on a diet and cut out anything white (starches, sugar,etc.). Well, I did just that. In about 5 months time, I lost over 90 pounds. Also, people at work would always compliment me on my clear skin. I just figured my skin cleared because I was exercising (walking on my lunch break). I never realized until now that my previous skin problems were due to my overall eating habits. This book gets two thumbs up from me. If I can clear my skin and lose weight by just a few changes in my daily life, anyone can!

Overall, this is a good book. The author clearly understands the connection between healthy lifestyle choices and healthy skin. His advice is good, and the book is an easy read.

I agree with the reviewer who suggested getting it from the library. The author's writing style is repetitive, and I found myself skipping paragraphs or pages often. The core information provided in the book is simple and doesn't take much explanation. If you're familiar with anti-inflammatory diets, you're probably familiar with the gist of this book. If not, and you plan to strictly adhere to the author's recommendations, you may want to buy this book as a reference.

I haven't bought the book yet, but I get Perricone's newsletter. I read that a women followed his suggestion and started taking ALA Alpha Lipoic Acid every day and her acne cleared up!
I was skeptical because my 15 year old son has pretty bad acne. I've tried a lot of things, even pro active. He wouldn't take anything orally he only would use topical things. He did try antibiotics. They did nothing.

I said what the heck, and bought some 100 mg ALA caps at GNC. My son started taking them along with a multi and 500 mg of vitamin C every day. He would take vitamins for me.

Withing one week I noticed his face was clearing up and now about a month later, his face looks about 75%-80% clearer!!! I'm amazed and so is my son! I've decided to buy the Acne Prescription to learn more. Dr. Perricone is GREAT! Thanks!

I tried the 3-day challenge and looked and felt fabulous, so I bought the little notebook and put the diet to the test for a month. People everywhere I went were commenting on how radient my skin looked! And this coming from someone who has suffered from terrible skin problems since I left high school. I felt better than I have ever felt before and this diet is well-balanced and delicious. When glancing at the menu, it looked as though I would starve to death, but when I actually implemented the program I found that I was very satisfied and couldn't even eat all of the food recommended for any given meal!! I have severe hypoglycemia, which vanished on this diet.

The problems are that the suppliments are very expensive, so I bought my own at a local co-op and used Aubrey Organic cleanser instead of his recommended products, which are outrageous in cost! Plus, the salmon is expensive, so I just ate less overall. It still worked!! Going out to eat tends to be challenging, but I have tried to limit that in order to save money as well. I think that once you discover this diet it isn't too hard to make adjustments to your own budget and tastes.

Since that beautiful month, I have gone back to my old eating habits and am, again, embarrassed to leave the house without makeup. So, as my New Year's resolution and in preparation for my upcoming wedding, I am planning to return to this wonderful program! Highly recommended if you want beautiful skin, high engery, weight-loss and control over hypoglycemia.

I have always had problem skin and have tried an incredible number of things. This is the only thing that has worked for me. It does take discipline to change your diet, but it is well worth it. I eat helathy normally, but i have improved greatly because of the diet regulations. The recipes are fabulous if you like to cook. They are so savory and delicious!! I have gotten numerous compliments on my skin. Like anything, it takes work. But it is well worth it. The book is fabulous!!! If you are tired of acne or problem skin give it a shot.

What an uplifting experience. For those of you who have suffered from depression or low self-esteem due to acne, this is a must read. I have battled acne for 15 years. I have tried over the counter products, infomercial products and prescriptions, all to no avail. Within ten days I saw a dramatic change in my skin, however I waited two months to write this review because I wanted to see if the results would last. AND THEY HAVE!!! Dont let the gourmet dinners discourage you, I have yet to make one of them. I have been substituting with other foods for dinner. This book has all the info you need and is right on the money. Not only is my skin in its best condition in years, I am also waking up in the morning with no more backaches and my arthritis is practically non-existent. For the best results I recommend the supplements and topicals also. Dr. Perricone has changed my life.

This is a good book. It is filled with information that is helpful for everyone. Even though it is apparently targeted to acne sufferers, it contains a wealth of information about improving the appearance of the skin at any age and it sets you on the right path to achieving great health overall.
The author's style is simple and straightforward. The program he outlines is excellent and within a few days of following his advice on diet, I had already noticed dramatic improvements in my skin. While the book may not be a thrill to read like many other novels or reading material you enjoy, it lives up to its claims quite elegantly. I recommend this book to anyone interested in improving the appearance of her/his skin and overall health.