Acne Skin Care Products

Acne can be treated with either OTC (over the counter) products or prescription medications. Which ones are right for you depend on how severe your acne is. Acne is caused by skin cells flaking off inside a hair follicle?which are all over the body with the exception of palms and soles of the feet?and plugging the pore. Oil and debris are then forced into the pore, making the site red, swollen and infected.

You can lessen the severity of acne by keeping bacteria away from the site. Benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria that causes acne and is the main ingredient of many acne face washing products. Take care, however, not to use abrasive scrubs or pads as this can aggravate the condition instead of helping it.

Most mild cases of acne can be treated with topical creams available at any department store. Compare the ingredients carefully however, as sometimes the more expensive treatments actually contain less beneficial elements than the cheaper ones. For example, one very popular mail-order treatment contains less of the prime active ingredient than its mass-produced OTC clone at half the price.

Special acne washes and cleansing pads can help as long as they aren?t overused, resulting in skin so dry that it tries to compensate by producing more oil that in turn clogs pores and makes the acne worse. By destroying the bacteria that aggravates acne they give your blemishes time to heal with minimal scarring.

If you prefer natural acne solutions there are essential oils that can be effective acne treatments for mild to moderate acne. Clove Oil and Tea Tree Oil are two such remedies, which many people prefer as they have no side effects or artificial ingredients. These remedies take a little longer to work but are often as effective as commercial OTC products.

Prescription medicine is also an option in severe cases of acne. Many of these medications, however, can have severe side effects both short term and long term. Be sure that they are prescribed by a board-certified dermatologist and only after a thorough discussion that answers any questions you may have about the medication.

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