Acne Treatment Products Explained
If you have ever gone into a pharmacy to look for products to help with your acne, you might have been amazed or surprised by the number of products available. There are creams, gels, masks, pads, sponges and other products all claiming to help remove or prevent acne. There are products for removing dead skin cells, fighting bacteria and removing surface dirt from your skin. Many contain the same or similar concentrations of active ingredients, while others contain all-natural or ingredients you have never heard of. This article will touch on the more common acne products widely available without a perscription.
Topical creams or gels are one of the most popular types of acne products. Most of these products include benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid among their ingredients. If you are going to treat your own acne using over-the-counter products instead of seeing a dermatologist, these are likely to be effective and straightforward to use.
Acne soaps, rinses and washes are another type of acne product. They are available almost everywhere and are promoted quite heavily. In terms of active ingredients, many contain mild concentrations of salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. If you apply such a product and then immediately rinse it off, you may not get much benefit from its use. You may wish to use soaps or rinses in conjunction with another product such as a cream or leave it on your face a bit longer before washing it off.
Products designed to exfoliate are often marketed as being effective in preventing acne. These products work by actually rubbing dead skin cells off the surface of your skin and can be irritating to your skin. Exfoliants can cause redness and irritation so they are not a very good choice for people with sensitive skin. Exfoliants appear on store shelves under many names and in many forms such as scrubs, masks, pads or sponges.
Medicated facial masks are yet another form of over the counter acne product available. Masks may contain all-natural ingredients like green tea and/or established acne fighting ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide. They are often more costly than simple creams. You may also find it time consuming and impractical to apply a mask to treat acne on a regular basis.
Adhesive skin cleansing strips, commonly referred to as pore cleansing strips, are another form of product used to clear up your skin. They stick to your skin and are pulled off taking blackheads and dead skin cells with them. I have used them in the past and while they do remove dirt and dead skin, I felt a bit silly using them and they hurt a little when removing. Pore cleansing strips seem a bit gimmicky to me and I get similar results from creams or soaps containing benzoyl peroxide so they are not something I continued using.
The selection of over-the-counter acne products for home use is dizzying. The easiest and often less expensive option is to avoid products that seem too good to be true, make excessive claims or carry an exceedingly high price tag. If you intend to fight acne yourself without the aid of a dermatologist, then buy a product containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, both of which have been proven effective over time. Consult your pharmacist or doctor for a product recommendation or if you are unsure about a particular product's suitability for you.
More Free Body Acne Info
Filed under Acne by Fran Anderson
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