Skin Care Products for Acne

One of the most used facial products, especially by teens and young adults, is acne cream and other acne medication. But do these acne creams actually work? When you’re a young adult dealing with horrible blemishes, you may say no. However, if you do a little research first, you’ll find that there are some acne creams out there that are medically proven to help combat acne and other blemishes. There are many different products out there that say they combat acne, but some actually are only facial washes that don’t have anything special to combat acne. The prices vary, too. However, while you can purchase prescription acne medication, these products are often not any more effective than over the counter products. But how can you tell which ones are going to help clear up your skin and which are a waste of money? Check the ingredients. One of the key ingredients in acne medication is benzoyl peroxide. This is the most common ingredient in over the counter acne creams, and it’s one of the most effective ingredients, too. There are other ingredients that work just as well, but benzoyl peroxide is the most well-known and often used chemicals, and most likely, it’s the one you’ll see in over the counter ingredients. Generally, a five percent benzoyl peroxide solution is all that’s necessary to treat acne, and it has virtually no side effects. You can actually use products with benzoyl peroxide for years with no effects. In fact, you can’t even build up a tolerance to it. This means that a person can use acne creams for their entire life and not have any issues. In addition to this benefit, benzoyl peroxide has actually been shown to be just as effective, if not more effective, that some acne antibiotics and other prescription medications. It’s cheaper, too. Looking for products that have a five percent benzoyl peroxide content is one way of finding a good acne cream, but there are some other very useful ingredients other than benzoyl peroxide. When you browse the various products in the skin care section, look for salicylic acid as well. It’s a beta hydroxyl acid that does several things. Mostly, however, it removes dead skin cells. This helps to unclog your pores and works with your skin to renew itself. By draining the sebum and other bacteria that builds up in your pores, you can prevent acne from even forming. You’ll also find salicylic acid in makeup remover. Sulfur is another active ingredient in acne medication. Sulfur is an old acne remedy, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Sulfur makes your skin dry out and peel off. This helps get rid of blackheads and the sebum that builds up in your face by drying them up, thus stopping the bacteria from growing underneath blocked pores. There are some downsides to sulfur based products, however, such as harsh reactions and the strong odor.