Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit™

Acne treatment needs to be adjusted for patients with sensitive skin. In my 25 years of practice, I've found that 2% glycolic acid, 2% Salicylic acid and 2.5% benzoyl peroxide clear acne but are tolerated by most sensitive skin patients. Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit for Sensitive Skin contains these three effective ingredients, making it one of the best acne products for tough acne on sensitive skin.

These acne medicines unclog blocked pores and kill the acne causing bacteria p. acnes. This means that they get rid of blackheads and prevent pimples. Plus, to prevent acne scars you have to prevent pimples, making Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kits an important part of all acne scar treatments.

For my patients, Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kits work better that most topical prescription products, making these kits an integral part of my professional skin care for acne patients.

Dr. Cynthia Bailey Wants You To Know

There are many acne treatment products on the market making it difficult to choose. It helps to understand how acne medicines work; in general, they either kill the acne causing germs or unclog pores. Acne cleansers remove oil and dirt and may leave a layer of medication that stays on after washing. Astringents and medicated pads usually remove additional oil and leave behind medicine. Lotions, creams and solutions leave medicine on the skin.

The best acne products and acne medicines made today are a little irritating to most people's skin which is why I have a stronger kit for tolerant/normal skin and a milder kit for sensitive skin. The best acne medications include glycolic acid and salicylic acid (which unclog pores), and benzoyl peroxide (which unclogs pores and kills acne causing germs). Higher concentrations of these acne medicines work better to treat pimples and blackheads and to prevent acne scars and my kits have the maximum strength of acne treatment medicines to clear acne fast. 

In treating thousands of acne patients I've found that Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kits work better than most prescription acne medicines and all other over-the-counter treatments!

Please note, use of products with glycolic acid, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can irritate the skin. If irritation develops discontinue product use and consult a physician. Additionally, the benzoyl peroxide medicine in the Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 2.5% can and will bleach fabric! Do not apply it under colored clothing and do not wipe it on colored towels. It is also best to sleep with a white pillow case since it will bleach colored cases as well.

For more information about treating acne, please see Acne Treatment/Specific Advice for Your Skin Type.

Product Details - The Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit includes:

Foaming Acne Treatment Cleanser (2% Glycolic acid and 2% Salicylic acid foaming cleanser)
The acne treatment medicines in this foaming cleanser are strong enough to treat blackheads and remove oil while remaining gentle for most sensitive skin. Please note, glycolic acid and salicylic acid can be irritating to the skin. If irritation develops, discontinue use and contact a physician.

Salicylic and Glycolic Acid Acne Treatment Pads (medicated pads containing 2% Glycolic Acid and 2% Salicylic Acid)
The medicated pads remove oil and lift pore clogging debris to treat blackheads. The 2% glycolic acid is less irritating to sensitive skin or very young skin that the stronger 10% in the Salicylic and Glycolic Acid Acne Treatment Pads, Extra Strength.

Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 2.5% (alcohol and oil free 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream)
In my opinion, benzoyl peroxide is the most effective topical acne medication for killing the acne causing bacteria p. acnes because this acne causing germ is now resistant to prescription topical antibiotics. It also treats blackheads.  2.5% is the ‘sweet spot’ for benzoyl peroxide; it treats p. acnes as effectively as higher strengths but is just below the threshold for irritation of sensitive skin.

Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit can be used to treat acne on all areas of your skin where you have pimples and blackheads including your face, neck, chest and back. Don't just spot treat pimples! Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit prevents new breakouts before they occur, and preventing pimples is how you prevent acne scars!

General Use Instructions

Twice a day: Wash with the Foaming Acne Treatment Cleanser, rinse well with warm water and then towel dry. Swab the skin with a Salicylic and Glycolic Acid Acne Treatment Pad and wait several seconds for the medicine to air dry. Finish by applying a very thin layer of the Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 5%. Additional medications, oil-free sunscreen, moisturizer, make-up or other products may be applied after the cream.

Please note: The benzoyl peroxide medicine in the Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 2.5% can and will bleach fabric! Do not apply it under colored clothing and do not wipe it on colored towels. It is also best to sleep with a white pillow case since it will bleach colored cases as well.

Tips For Success

Trouble shooting and other things you should know when using the Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit

General recommendations for strong acne treatment products:

• Always start on the lowest concentration products if you think you may have sensitive skin (Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit). It is easier to work your way up in strength than to figure out why your skin has become dry.
• Never apply acne medicines to chapped, injured skin. This includes sunburns, windburns, or after procedures such as face peels, harsh facials, waxing, harsh facial masks etc.
• Some parts of the face may be more sensitive to these acne medicines than others. Use milder products on sensitive areas. For example, the cheek bone and jaw line are sensitive in some people, for others it is the cheek area along the sides of the nose.
• Do not use medicated acne products if you think you may be pregnant since they have not and never will be tested for safety in pregnant women and so we cannot assume that they are safe.
• Glycolic acid acne products can be irritating, but allergy is not typically an issue.
• If the treated skin becomes dry and scaly, use the products less frequently or use products with lower/milder concentrations of glycolic acid.

As with all medicine, some people can develop allergic reactions. This can occur to the benzoyl peroxide or the salicylic acid acne medicines. Allergic people develop a dry irritation with redness on the treated skin within several days after applying one of the medicines. The reaction occurs every time they use the medicine. Some dryness with the Kit is normal since the medicines are strong. To determine if dryness is due to allergic reaction or irritation, do the following 'use test':

• Stop using the Kit for several weeks. Wash your face with a mild soap and do not use any harsh products on the skin.
• When your skin feels normal, restart the Foaming Acne Treatment Cleanser and the Pads (they contain salicylic acid and glycolic acid) If you get dry and red with these, then you are most likely allergic to salicylic acid (glycolic acid can be irritating but people aren't usually allergic to it). If you are allergic to salicylic acid you may be able to tolerate benzoyl peroxide or glycolic acid acne treatments that do not have salicylic acid in them.
• If you think you are allergic to the Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 2.5% do a use test with it. As above, let your skin rest several weeks until it feels normal. Then restart the Cream. Continue washing with a mild soap and applying the Cream after. If you again develop the dry irritation then you are allergic to benzoyl peroxide. You can probably tolerate the Foaming Acne Treatment Cleanser and the Salicylic and Glycolic Acid Acne Treatment Pads. Let your skin rest for several weeks then resume the Cleanser and the Pads.

Treated skin can also become scaly and dry due to irritation from the drying effect of the products. Irritation can occur to these products due to the strong oil removing soaps, the oil removing ingredients in the pads or from the medicines themselves. To test if irritation is the reason your skin is dry and scaly, do the following test:

• Stop using all the medicated products until your skin returns to normal. To do this, use a mild soap to wash and apply a non-oil containing moisturizer.
• Once your skin has returned to normal, use the soap, pads and cream only once every other day, use the mild soap and moisturizer the other times you cleanse. If no dryness develops increase to once a day for all 3 products. If your skin remains free from dryness, you can use the 3 products twice a day IF your skin is not dry. If it ever becomes dry, for any reason, stop using the products until your skin normalizes, then resume again.
• If you are unable to tolerate the products every other day then stop using the pads since they are the most drying. Use the cleanser and cream every other day as above and advance to once a day then twice a day as tolerated. You may be able to tolerate the pads in your tough oily areas of the forehead and around the nose and mid chin. The cheeks and jaw line are often more sensitive.

Commonly Asked Questions

Can I use the Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit with my other skin care products?
Usually you can. You should always use OIL FREE products on acne prone skin. Oil free moisturizers, sunscreens and makeup may be applied after the Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 2.5%. Allow the Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 2.5% to dry then apply your products.

Can I use the Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit with topical medicines my doctor has prescribed for my acne?
Usually yes. Ask your prescribing doctor.

What do I do if my skin becomes dry or irritated while I am using the Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit?
Give your skin a short break. Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit is strong. If your skin begins to feel dry, stop using the Kit and just wash with a mild soap for a few days. When your skin feels normal again begin using the kit just once a day for several weeks and then increase back to twice a day. If you still develop dry skin, you may be sensitive to one of the ingredients. See above for trouble shooting advice.

Can I use the Ultimate Acne Solutions Skin Care Kit if I become pregnant?
No. The ingredients have not been tested on pregnant women and no one will ever be bold enough to test things on pregnant women. The good news is that acne often clears up when a woman is pregnant.

Can I use a wash cloth or buf puf with the cleanser?
Yes. I particularly like buf pufs since they help remove loose blackheads from clogged pores. Always make sure anything you wash your skin with is clean and dries between uses since they can harbor germs.

Foaming Acne Treatment Cleanser, 6.7 fl. oz.: 2% Glycolic Acid/2% Salicylic Acid Foaming Cleanser.  Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Glycolic Acid, Linoleamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, PEG-150 Distearate, Polysorbate-20, Propylene glycol, Purified Water, Red 40 (CI 16035), Sodium C12-15 Pareth-15 Sulfonate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Triethanolamine, Yellow 5 (CI 19140). Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2%.

Salicylic and Glycolic Acid Acne Treatment Pads, 60 pads: 2% Glycolic Acid/2% Salicylic Acid medicated pads.  Acetone, Ammonium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Glycolic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel), Water, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Polysorbate-20, Purified Water, Sodium Benzoate, SD Alcohol 40B (13% v/v). Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid 2%. Caution, this strong product can be irritating to skin.

Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Treatment Cream 2.5%, 1.5 oz.:  Carbomer, Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxymethyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate. Active Ingredient: Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5%. Caution, this strong product can be irritating to skin.