Final Up to date on December 30, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
In the event you’ve handled zits for any size of time, you realize the drill: slap on some benzoyl peroxide, watch your face flip into the Sahara desert, and hope the breakouts cease earlier than your pores and skin barrier utterly provides up. It’s exhausting, and truthfully more often than not it doesn’t even work that properly. So after I got here throughout the DMK ACU System and noticed it doesn’t use benzoyl peroxide in any respect, I used to be curious but additionally skeptical as hell as a result of we’ve all been burned by merchandise that promise they’re “completely different” after which ship the identical disappointing outcomes wrapped in fancier packaging.
The factor is, the DMK zits therapy takes a singular method to zits, at the least on paper. As an alternative of the scorched earth technique most remedies use, they’re working with this concept that zits occurs when your pores and skin can’t operate the way in which it’s imagined to, so that you must repair the underlying downside reasonably than simply nuking every thing on the floor. Sounds nice in idea, however does the science again it up? Can it actually offer you clear, wholesome pores and skin? Let’s discover out.
The Concept Behind The System (And Whether or not Science Agrees)
Based by Dr Danné Montague-King, DMK’s entire philosophy is constructed round this four-step course of they name take away, rebuild, defend, and preserve for acne-free pores and skin. The concept is that your pores and skin isn’t damaged or faulty, it’s simply out of steadiness, and if you will get it functioning correctly once more the zits will resolve by itself. Listed here are the 4 phases:
Section 1: Take away
Step one is eliminating lifeless pores and skin buildup, which everybody agrees that you must do when you’ve got zits as a result of lifeless cells clog your pores and create the right atmosphere for breakouts. DMK makes use of one thing they name enzymatic hydrolysation as an alternative of scrubs or acids. The way in which they clarify it, these enzymes dissolve the lifeless pores and skin cells and switch them right into a weak acid that your pores and skin can flush out naturally, and supposedly that is gentler since you’re not bodily scraping at your pores and skin or burning it with harsh acids that may injury your barrier. Right here’s my concern although, I went on the lookout for research that truly show enzymatic exfoliation works higher than common acids like salicylic acid or glycolic acid, and I couldn’t discover something. So I’m positive it really works, however there’s no science proving it’s really superior to different exfoliation strategies.
Section 2: Rebuild
That is the place DMK claims their merchandise work at a deeper stage to repair the precise dysfunction inflicting your zits. They are saying they’re focusing on sebum manufacturing with out shutting it down utterly, killing zits micro organism with out destroying your whole pores and skin microbiome, and normalizing cell turnover so your pores don’t get clogged. This appears like advertising and marketing converse till you have a look at their substances, they’re utilizing niacinamide, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and zinc oxide. The science on these substances is definitely strong. Research present niacinamide reduces oil production and inflammation whereas strengthening your barrier, salicylic acid exfoliates and reduces zits with out over-drying, and azelaic acid kills bacteria and helps with each lively zits and the darkish marks left behind.
Associated: 3 Little Known Ingredients That Fight Acne
Section 3: Defend
This section is about utilizing antioxidants to guard your pores and skin from environmental injury that may set off irritation and make zits worse. Issues like air pollution, UV publicity, stress, all of that creates free radicals that injury your pores and skin cells and might worsen zits. DMK merchandise embrace antioxidant substances to neutralize this injury and maintain your pores and skin from freaking out each time you step outdoors or have a anxious week. Is that this revolutionary? No, it’s simply good skincare apply. But it surely is sensible as a result of in the event you’re coping with zits and likewise continuously exposing your pores and skin to issues that trigger irritation, you’re preventing an uphill battle.
Section 4: Preserve
That is mainly simply saying that you must maintain utilizing the merchandise constantly and observe a routine that helps what you’ve already achieved. It’s not likely a section with particular science behind it, it’s extra concerning the actuality that zits is normally power and in the event you cease treating it the breakouts come again. DMK needs you to make use of their merchandise long-term as upkeep reasonably than simply utilizing them when you’ve a breakout after which stopping.
DMK Skincare Merchandise For Pimples Evaluate
Let’s check out how this distinctive zits therapy system that steers away from typical zits substances works and if it’s actually the most effective for an zits sufferer who has tried every thing to no avail.
Acu-Therm
This spot therapy is meant to create warmth that melts the waxy crap blocking your pores whenever you get these terrible deep painful pimples. The substances are clove, cassia, capsicum (yeah, like scorching peppers), and dong quai extract, and the entire level is that they heat up your pores and skin to melt the hardened sebum so all of the gross stuff trapped in there can drain out. Right here’s the factor although, skincare merchandise can’t actually warmth up pipes, you realize what I imply? Each capsicum does have antibacterial properties whereas dong quai is anti-inflammatory, so that they do one thing, however there’s no proof they work in addition to different anti-inflammatory zits brokers like salicylic acid. You’re imagined to dab this solely on the precise pimple with a cotton swab and go away it for 2 minutes then wipe it off, and apparently it will probably really feel fairly heat which is sensible given there’s literal scorching pepper extract in there (and if that’s how they’re heating up pimples, not a good suggestion. It simply causes irritation).
Actrol Powder
This powder retains oil beneath management all day while not having touch-ups, which is wild as a result of most powders both stop working after an hour or dry your pores and skin out so badly it overcompensates by making much more oil. It really works for 7-8 hours straight even beneath make-up in humid climate, and that’s with the best ingredient record you’ve ever seen, simply corn starch, goldenseal, vitamin C, thyme, and preservatives. No silica, no mica, no BS filler substances attempting to make you glow whenever you’re already drowning in oil. It may well double as a setting powder or you possibly can combine it with water to make a masks for treating spots, and it creates this antibacterial layer in your pores and skin that supposedly prevents new breakouts from forming. A fantastic discover for acne-prone pores and skin.
Acu Creme
The bizarre factor about this cream? It’s loaded with oils (soybean, avocado, chilly liver and sadly, lavender oil too). Placing oils on oily pores and skin sounds backwards however some oils really assist regulate oil manufacturing. Let me clarify. Oily acne-prone skin is actually missing certain fatty acids, specifically linoleic acid, and when your pores and skin doesn’t have sufficient of it your sebum will get thick and waxy and clogs your pores extra simply. So placing oils which might be excessive in linoleic acid like soybean or avocado oil in your face can really make your sebaceous glands produce much less sebum as a result of it’s getting what it wants and doesn’t should overcompensate. The system is non-greasy and imagined to steadiness oil whereas refining pores and it helps defend in opposition to water loss after remedies like peels, however this appears extra for upkeep than treating extreme lively zits. An uncommon approach to clear zits, however the science does again it up. Nonetheless, patch take a look at it to ensure it’s not comdogenic for you.
Acu-Klenz
This cleanser has salicylic acid, aloe, tea tree, castor seed, thyme, and rosemary extracts, and it’s sulfate and paraben and benzoyl peroxide free so it’s not utilizing the tough stuff that strips your pores and skin. Salicylic acid will get into pores and breaks down the gunk plus reduces irritation, It really works, but it surely’d work higher and do a lot better deep pore cleaning if it had been allowed to remain in your pores and skin for a very long time, as an alternative of simply being rinsed off don the drain, know what I imply? DMK says that is good for individuals who can’t get to clinic remedies frequently which is telling as a result of most zits techniques want you coming again for skilled remedies to see outcomes, and that is supposed to manage breakouts throughout that preliminary section the place typically shit will get worse earlier than it will get higher. I don’t consider that. The factor is, any salicylic acid therapy does this. The truth is, as soon as the zits is gone, utilizing salicylic acid constantly provides you clear pores and skin long-term.
Acu-Mist
This toner restores your acid mantle which is the protecting barrier that retains micro organism out. Once you’re treating zits, that barrier will get tousled making your pores and skin extra susceptible. That is salicylic acid too and for as soon as, it does one thing right here. It may well deal with two of the foundation causes of zits: irritation and clogged pores. You’re imagined to spray a ton of it on particularly earlier than moisturizer as a result of it helps the moisturizer really take up as an alternative of sitting on oily pores and skin. This is sensible as a result of zits pores and skin is usually dehydrated though it’s making tons of oil, your pores and skin pumps out oil to compensate for lack of water so in the event you get hydration in deeper you may cut back oil manufacturing. It’s beneficial for early zits therapy phases and in the event you’re dealing extra with scars than breakouts you turn to a special mist, so it has a particular position within the timeline not endlessly.
Acu-Klear
That is the primary zits fighter. You’re hitting zits from a number of angles without delay, lowering oil with niacinamide, killing micro organism with salicylic and azelaic acid, calming irritation with zinc and niacinamide, and fading marks with vitamin C and azelaic acid, so the “clearer pores and skin in days” advertising and marketing is aggressive however not utterly unrealistic given what’s in right here. You apply it morning and night time after cleaning and use Acu-Moist after to forestall over-drying, and the actual fact this changed their outdated benzoyl peroxide merchandise suggests they’re shifting away from the scorched earth method towards formulation that deal with zits whereas supporting your barrier, which inserts with present pondering that nuking your pores and skin isn’t the most effective technique. Bonus factors: azelaic acid additionally helps with uneven pores and skin tone. Nonetheless, it’ll take just a few weeks to see seen outcomes.
Availability
The DMK vary is barely obtainable by prescription by an authorized DMK Practitioner. You could find one near you on their website.
The Backside Line
The DMK ACU System isn’t gonna magically repair everybody’s zits however at the least they’re attempting one thing completely different as an alternative of simply torching your face with benzoyl peroxide and crossing their fingers. Their therapy technique is unconventional, however in the event you’ve tried every thing with out success, restoring your pores and skin’s well being might doubtless velocity up the therapeutic course of. In the event you’re exhausted from remedies that destroy your pores and skin and also you don’t thoughts coping with the entire clinic prescription problem as an alternative of simply clicking purchase on a web site, could possibly be price it. Simply don’t anticipate miracles in three days as a result of zits’s a bitch and what works on your good friend may do jack shit for you.
