What's the Difference in all the Acne products on the Market Today?

There are basically 3 different categories of acne products.  We will talk today about these categories.

The first category is preventative or general care products.  These products are what most people start with and usually do a good job in prevention and/or clearing acne.

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne by limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. They do this by preventing the oil from getting trapped in pores and then hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

The second category are specialized acne care products.  These products are also over the counter but are more specialized to the task of clearing acne from the skin. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it. Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist. 

This leads us to the last category of products: Prescription acne products.  These products require a prescription form a physician or dermatologist.  This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics. Dermatologist could also perform a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules(enlarged/inflamed zit). However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin. Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases. 

As you can see there are many products on the market today. I suggest you start with the first category of products and move up the line as needed.  Always consult a physician if you think your acne is worse than a mild case.

Next issue we will talk more about skin care products in general.

Please let us know if you have topics of interest or have questions.

Elizabeth
www.morgans-boutique.com