Anyone who has suffered from acne will admit to it being a difficult period of their life. While there are of course much worse afflictions one could be struck down with but it doesn’t make it any easier. Nowadays of course there are many acne treatment products available from your dermatologist, doctor or from your local drug store.

You are probably already aware of several acne treatment products thanks to TV commercials and although these ads are targeting the teenage market, adult acne sufferers have also had some success with them.

There are two very common ingredients in acne treatment products; one is benzoyl peroxide and the other is salicylic acid. Obviously just the names alone should give one a clue as to how potent they can be; any type of peroxide or acid applied to the face is going to do something. These ingredients are available in very low potencies in most acne treatment products and so they are usually very safe to use, if the instructions are followed carefully.

Benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria in pimples and works as a cleansing agent. It also seems to work as a drying agent and peels away the skin slightly. This seems to help keep new breakouts from happening. Salicylic acid is a common ingredient in acne treatment products and works by now allowing skin cells to clog up into enlarged pores or hair follicles; if they are not clogged there will be no breakouts.

Be aware that other ingredients in common acne treatment products can actually be so strong that they can and will damage your skin, even the areas where acne develops. For example, sulfur can still be found in some products includes washes and soaps. Sulfur is very harsh on the skin and typically causes redness, dryness, peeling, and even cracking. Some believe that it is so harsh that it may even cause more breakouts because the skin gets so irritated it overcompensates by producing more oil than it was before.

This is true of most acne treatment products when the recommended usage is not followed to the letter. You should be particularly careful in reading the instructions for any over the counter treatments you purchase, looking for any warnings.

It is always best to get acne treatment products from a doctor or dermatologist who can explain in detail to you just what the side effects and risks are if you don’t follow their instructions. A dermatologist should always be seen for severe cases anyway as they will prescribe a full skincare regimen to keep your skin cleansed and moisturized during the use of acne treatment.

This is to prevent peeling and dryness around the effected areas which can sometimes look worse than the acne!

Always be sure you have understood the Doctor’s or Dermatologist’s instructions and as with over the counter drug store products be very careful in following them because if you don’t, there is a good chance they won’t work, or worse, cause a bad reaction.

Have a look around the aisles of any pharmacy or drug store next time you are in and you will find shelf after shelf of various acne skin care products, all promising to not just cure your acne but also to give you beautiful clear skin.  Since they all claim to do the same thing, how can you make a decision as to which of these acne skin care products actually do what they claim to and how can you be sure you are using them the correct way to get best results?

It’s best to have a good understanding of these products because some of the ingredients used in these medications can be serious and potent and almost all of them contain ingredients that are very strong on the skin. While this does mean that they can actually help your acne, it also means they can do damage when overused or used improperly.  Most acne skin care products have an ingredient named benzoyl peroxide and all girls know what peroxide is used for and when you know it can turn your hair bleach blonde, it doesn’t take much imagination to realize it is going to be harmful to your skin.

The reason Peroxide is used in an acne treatment is because it is good for drying up the oil that is caught inside a pore or hair follicle that becomes acne. Like other acne skin care products with Peroxide as an ingredient though, too much of it on the skin is going to damage the healthy skin cells.  Just think of when you apply peroxide to a cut or open sore; it does the job on the open wound but using too much on your skin means that it gets dry, irritated and reddens.  That’s what happens to your face if you use too much of any of these acne skin care products that contain benzoyl

Astringents are common acne skin care products and these usually contain alcohol which helps to dry up the excess oil on the face.  But keep in mind that your skin needs those oils if it is to remain healthy.  If your face did not have any oil it would become scaly and leathery. Te reason we get wrinkles as we get older is because our body slows down the amount of oils it produces.

Again, over using acne skin care products that rely on alcohol as its active ingredient can cause your skin to become irritated, dry, itchy and even scaly. Another annoying side effect of these type of acne skin care products is that because they dry up your oils, your bodies oil glands go into over time mode and start producing even more so you end up in a vicious circle of having to apply even more cream!

When it comes to choosing acne skin care products you need to tread very cautiously.  Many do treat the problems that cause acne but most of them are very harsh as well.  It’s usually a good idea to start with a product that has a very small percentage or concentration of any of these ingredients and see how you get on with that for 4 to 6 weeks. You should also never use more than of these acne skin care products at a time as this can lead to even more problems.

One last thing, when you are next in the drug store and checking out the ingredients like I suggested, pick yourself up a good quality moisturizer as well and that means you too boys! It will help replace all that moisture those harsh acne skin care products remove.

You can learn much more about the many harsh active ingredients found in acne skin care products such as Glycolic acid, Sulfur and Resorcinol in our ebook and we’ve even included a chapter on making your own cleansers. Click here for more details.

The options for acne skincare treatment have come a long way in the last few years. It used to be that if someone was plagued with chronic and consistent acne then their only options were harsh topical ointments or prescriptions. Very often these forms of acne skincare treatments were either ineffective for severe cases or damaged the areas of one’s skin that didn’t have acne. Some even caused rashes and allergic reactions that seemed to be worse than the acne itself!

But today there are many forms of acne skincare treatment that are much more effective and much less harsh to one’s skin. They include topical ointments that you can get at the pharmacy or from a dermatologist, and entire skin care regimens that you can use to not just address your breakouts but to have healthier skin overall.

The first thing you need to think about when it comes to acne skincare treatment is just how bad your acne is. If you only have a mild form with occasional breakouts then there is no reason to go overboard and use the most severe medications and ointments out there, just because you don’t want the few breakouts you get. For not just acne but the overall health of your skin, it’s usually better to opt for the lightest and least harsh acne skincare treatment there is; if you don’t have good results, you can then increase the percentage of medication slowly.

It’s also important when considering your acne skincare treatment that you address your acne but also are mindful of your skin’s health and condition overall. Many who have acne neglect moisturizing their skin, thinking that the buildup of oil is what is causing their acne so any added moisture is just going to be bad for them. In reality, it’s important when using any form of an acne skincare treatment that you moisturize all areas of your skin. If you strip your skin of natural moisturizers and oil, the skin typically reacts by producing even more oil than before, making the problem worse. This is one of the reasons that typical acne skincare treatment regimens leave the skin dry and flaky on top of addressing the acne itself. This of course can be very frustrating to the acne sufferer.

For very stubborn, severe, and chronic cases of acne it may be best to talk to a dermatologist for their recommendation as to what form of acne skincare treatment is best for you. Very severe cases may not respond well to remedies you get from the pharmacy or over the counter. If left untreated, acne can get worse and worse and leave very unsightly scars on the skin, scars that can be treated but not very easily. It’s usually best to get ahead of your condition with the right acne skincare treatment, and a dermatologist that specializes in acne can do a tremendous amount of good when it comes to your condition. You don’t need to be plagued with acne for the rest of your life, so talk to your doctor today.