You should definitely make sure to wash your face for ONE minute prior to working out and immediately after working out. Never wear makeup during your workout as this exacerbates acne. During your workout, pores open up more than usual. Then you combine the sweat, dirt (if your skin is not washed), makeup, etc., and you allow that to all go into your skin, increase bacteria and cause breakouts.

Depending on the severity of your acne, you may need to see a physician for medical portions of the Obagi Nu-Derm system, the Tretinoin & Blender, or the ClenziDerm OR some medical program.

The ZO Skin Health Acne kit is excellent for use with any topical program you are using OR ones that will be prescribed to you.

The four products you need are the Exfoliating Cleanser, Tepads, Exfoliating Polish, and the Oclipse. All of these are in the Acne Kit, with the exception of the Oclipse Sunscreen.

The polish is used daily (one time), whenever you are in the shower (AM or PM) prior to washing your face. You wet your skin and gently massage with your fingertips for ONE minute. The polish has smooth magnesium crystals, a key element especially for acne prone skin. Most scrubs contain polishing agents that are NOT smooth, so they will irritate the skin and get microscopic nicks all over your face. The Exfoliating Polish features potent ingredients including the polishing aspect to slough away dead, damaged skin cells, and to begin stimulation of healthy skin cells. You need to shed the damaged cells in order to regenerate new cells.

The Exfoliating Cleanser is a pH balanced cleanser that has several features beneficial to your skin type. It does NOT induce breakouts or overly strip the skin. It contains salicylic acid, an effective agent to reduce oiliness, blackheads, and whiteheads. The blue beads in the cleanser dissolve and deliver Vitamin-E to the skin, after about 1 minute of use. The white beads do NOT dissolve. However, these round and smooth beads further help to stimulate the growth of healthy skin cells, and provide deeper cleaning. The cleanser is used 2x a day for ONE minute minimum. Use only your finger-tips to cleanse skin.

The Tepads are by far our most popular item in Dr. Obagi’s clinics. They are VERY effective at killing the p-acnes bacteria, the bacterial source of acne, reducing sebum for approximately 5 hours after use, shrinking pores, and preventing new breakouts (which is key in your skin type). They are used after the cleanser. You remove one pad and swipe your entire face until the pad is dry.

The last step you will perform on your skin in the morning is the Oclipse Sunscreen. It’s an effective sunscreen with primer that does NOT induce acne breakouts. The natural melanin in the Oclipse (the primer effect) will help to cover up acne lesions. It will protect your skin from damage, including pigmentation where your breakouts are present.

The Tea Tree Mask, is applied in a thin layer to clean skin ONCE a week, for 10 minutes then rinse off.

The ABOVE 4 products can be used in conjunction with the topical, oral, or combination of both that your doctor prescribes you. If you need assistance locating a doctor in your area (especially, one that carries the Obagi Nu-Derm system) you can go to the doctor locater at obagi.com.

However, proper cleansing, exfoliation, and a good antibacterial might be all that you need to correct your skin. Try this out initially, and see if it’s enough after 1 month. If you still need topical, this kit can be combined and incorporated into a stronger program.
Best,
Sandra Obagi