Frequently Asked Questions

The complete Protocol includes three clinical-grade products formulated together:

• Step 1 – Androgen Receptor Blocker: Shuts down the "doors" that trigger oil overproduction
• Step 2 – Bacteria Clearing Treatment: Wipes out the buildup trapped inside your pores
• Step 3 – Skin Barrier Rebuilder: Fades PIE, redness, and post-acne scarring

Developed with a U.S.-based skincare lab that specializes in hormone-related skin conditions, and already used by over 2,000 women in Dr. Sarah's own dermatology practice.

Think of androgen receptors as tiny "doors" sitting on your oil glands. Androgens — a hormone your body naturally makes — are the keys that open those doors. Every time a door opens, the gland is told to pump out more oil → clogged pores → trapped bacteria → the deep, painful cysts along your chin and jawline.

Clear Fortress shuts those doors topically — right at the skin — without needing to alter your hormones.

Yes. Every formula in the Protocol is:

• Dermatologist-formulated (by a board-certified dermatologist with 12 years clinical experience)
• Free of harsh sulfates, parabens, and drying alcohols
• Balanced with soothing ingredients like Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica, and Ceramides
• pH-balanced for compromised skin

If your skin is very reactive (especially if you're coming off tretinoin or Accutane), start every other night and work up to daily use.

Yes. Clear Fortress is topical — it doesn't enter your bloodstream and doesn't interfere with any oral medication. In fact, many customers start Clear Fortress while still on Spiro or BC specifically to prevent the post-pill flare-up when they taper off.

Always talk to your prescriber before changing any medication.

Clear Fortress is specifically formulated for hormonal acne on the face — chin, jawline, cheeks, and the lower face where hormonal breakouts concentrate. Facial skin is thinner and more reactive than body skin.

For body acne (back, chest, shoulders), we recommend a different approach. Email our team and we'll point you in the right direction.

Clear Fortress was built for the specific type of acne that keeps coming back no matter what you do:

• Hormonal cystic acne along the chin and jawline
• Painful, deep bumps that flare around your period
• Acne that returned the moment you stopped Spiro, BC, or Accutane
• Breakouts that ignore tretinoin, azelaic acid, or benzoyl peroxide
• Post-inflammatory redness (PIE) and scarring from previous cysts

If your acne pattern follows your cycle and lives on your lower face, this was built for you.

Based on Dr. Sarah's clinical observations across thousands of patients:

• Day 1–14: Oil production starts dropping. Skin feels less greasy.
• Day 15–30: New breakouts slow down. Existing cysts calm faster.
• Day 30–60: The monthly cycle breaks — your period comes and goes without the usual flare.
• Day 60–90: PIE fades, scarring softens, skin looks clear in photos.

Women who've been on Spiro or BC for years may take the full 90 days as androgen receptors rebalance. Be patient — the cycle doesn't break overnight.

Based on our current customer data:

• 5,000+ women have used the Protocol to break free from Spironolactone and Birth Control dependency
• 980+ women tracked inside Dr. Sarah's own clinical practice
• 4,000+ verified 5-star reviews on Trustpilot
• Day 30 — the breakouts slow. Day 60 — the cycle breaks. Day 90 — scarring fades.

This is very different from stopping Spiro or BC. Those pills suppress hormones everywhere, so the moment they leave your system, your androgen receptors are unblocked and the flood comes back.

Clear Fortress works locally on the skin. Once the cycle has broken, oil production has normalized, and the skin barrier has healed, most women transition to a maintenance routine:

• Full Protocol daily for the first 90 days
• Maintenance (3× per week, or around your period) afterward
• Bump back to daily during stress-triggered flares

We hear this every day. And we understand the exhaustion.

Here's why this is different: Accutane dries out your oil glands temporarily. Spiro and BC block androgens systemically. Tretinoin works on cell turnover. None of them shut the specific doors on your oil glands that hormonal acne runs through.

Clear Fortress is the first at-home system built specifically around topical androgen blocking. It's a mechanism you likely haven't tried — because until recently, it wasn't available in a simple, at-home protocol.

Some women experience a short adjustment period in the first 2–3 weeks as oil production recalibrates and trapped debris surfaces. This is very different from retinoid or Accutane purging — it's usually mild.

A normal adjustment:

• Happens in your usual breakout zones (chin/jawline)
• Resolves within 2–3 weeks
• Is followed by a clear drop in new cysts

If you experience unusual irritation, burning, or breakouts in new areas, pause and email us. We can troubleshoot or refund.

The full Protocol takes under 3 minutes. Ideal once daily in the evening:

• Step 1 – Block: Apply a thin layer of the Androgen Receptor Blocker to clean, dry skin on your chin, jawline, and cheeks. Let absorb 60 seconds.
• Step 2 – Clear: Apply the Bacteria Clearing Treatment to active breakouts and areas prone to flare.
• Step 3 – Heal: Finish with the Skin Barrier Rebuilder across the full face to hydrate, calm, and fade marks.

Yes — but always finish with SPF 30+ if you're using it in the morning. We generally recommend evening use so the Skin Barrier Rebuilder can work overnight when skin repair is most active.

If you want to use it twice daily (morning + night), that's fine for most skin types. Start once daily and build up.

One complete Protocol (all 3 steps) lasts approximately 30 days with once-daily use across the full lower face.

This is why most women choose the 60-day or 90-day packages — you need at least 60 days for the cycle to break, and 90 days to see PIE and scarring fade.

Yes, but simplify your routine for the first 90 days so you can see clearly what's working:

• Keep: Gentle cleanser, SPF 30+ every morning, simple moisturizer if you need extra hydration
• Pause: Tretinoin, adapalene, benzoyl peroxide, strong AHA/BHA exfoliants, azelaic acid, vitamin C serums — these compete with the Protocol or irritate

After day 90, you can slowly reintroduce actives if you want.

Yes. Every step targets a different part of the hormonal acne cycle:

• Skip Step 1 → receptors stay open, oil keeps flooding pores
• Skip Step 2 → the bacteria trapped from years of flares stays trapped
• Skip Step 3 → skin barrier stays broken, PIE and scarring don't fade

The reason single-step treatments (just tretinoin, just azelaic acid, just BPO) keep failing is because they only hit one piece of the cycle.

All orders ship from our U.S. fulfillment center within 1–2 business days. Standard delivery takes 5–7 business days.

You'll receive a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships.

At the moment we only ship inside the United States. International shipping is in the works — follow us on social for the launch announcement.

Shipping cost is calculated at checkout based on your ZIP code. We run free-shipping promotions regularly — check the cart for current offers.

When your order ships, we email a tracking link. Allow 24–48 hours for the carrier's tracking page to show movement after the first scan.

No. The authentic Clear Fortress Protocol is only sold on our official website. Any listing on Amazon, Sephora, or third-party marketplaces is a cheap imitation without the clinical-grade formulation.

Simple: follow the Protocol for 90 days, and if it doesn't work for you, you get every dollar back.

No forms. No 45-minute phone calls. No re-stocking fees. Our team responds within minutes, 24/7.

No. You don't need to ship anything back. Keep it, throw it out, gift it — we don't care. We trust that you gave it a fair try.

Email your order number and a quick note about your experience, and we process the refund.

Send us a photo of the damaged package or product, and we ship a free replacement immediately. No need to return the damaged one.

Email us at support@clearfortress.com with:

• Your order number
• A short note about your experience

Refund requests are processed within 24–48 hours. The refund typically lands in your account within 5–10 business days depending on your bank.

Don't give up yet — especially if you've been on Spironolactone, Birth Control, or Accutane long-term. Your androgen receptors have been artificially suppressed for years, and the skin takes time to recalibrate naturally.

Dr. Sarah's data shows the biggest drop in active cysts happens between day 60 and day 90 in post-pill users. Email us — we'll help you troubleshoot your routine, or process a full refund, whichever you prefer.