Improve Your Acne With An Over The Counter Acne Treatment
You're probably wondering which over the counter acne treatment is the one for you. And to find out which acne treatment to use, you need to know which active ingredients are in the most common products and what these substances do to your skin.
An active ingredient you'll see often in most over the counter acne treatments is benzoyl peroxide. It has an antibacterial effect on your skin. It also makes your skin cells turnover more rapidly, which clears pores and prevents them from becoming clogged again.
The most well tolerated concentration of benzoyl peroxide is 2.5%. Even though you could buy a 5-10% cream, it is better to start with the lowest concentration; your skin tolerates it much better. The 5-10% cream hasn't been noted to be more effective anyway, and the extra skin dryness and inflammation you get won't be worth the effect it has on your acne.
Benzoyl peroxide does have side effects: skin dryness, irritation, but most persons develop tolerance within a week or so. Once your skin has developed tolerance to the current dose, you may want to gradually increase the amount you apply so as to attain tolerance at a higher dose; this will clear your skin more rapidly. But if you apply too much or too frequently, this could cause excessive dryness and irritation of your skin.
Present in white willow bark, most salicylic acid is commercially prepared--biosynthesized from phenylalanine, an amino acid. In plants, salicylic acid helps cells signal other cells when in trouble (under attack by bacteria); it also helps plants signal other plants when in danger. It is a plant hormone, a phytohormone, and salicylic acid helps mount resistance against bacteria and infection.
Many over the counter acne treatments contain salicylic acid (oral salicylic acid is also known as aspirin). When applied topically (to skin), it functions as a keratolytic, causing the skin cells to slough off more rapidly. Fewer pores become clogged, and there is more room for new cell growth which translates into clearer skin.
To learn more--read part 2 of this article on over the counter acne treatments at Dr. M's website or blog.