Say Goodbye to Acne

If you are looking for an acne medication solution, there are many over the counter treatments to choose from. But what is the best acne treatment? This gives you a quick OTC acne treatment comparison, so you can choose the OTC acne skin care product that works best for you.

Over the counter acne products should be used for mild, or Grade I acne. If you treat acne during this stage, you have a better chance of controlling it before it progresses to the next stage.

It is typical to find blackheads and whiteheads with mild acne. There may be some papules and pustules at this stage, but they are more infrequent. Mild acne can improve quite a bit by the application of over the counter topical treatments.

Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl Peroxide is probably the most common acne medication. It works by killing the bacteria that causes breakouts. It also unclogs pores and can reduce inflammation. You can purchase Benzoyl Peroxide over the counter in strengths from 2.5% to 10%. It is the main ingredient in many popular acne treatments, including Proactiv.

Benzoyl Peroxide is extremely drying to the skin, so you should always use it along with acne face moisturizer. It is always best to get your skin used to it gradually by using lower strengths, and applying very small amounts to begin with. You may even want to only use it every other day in beginning. Over a few weeks time, you should be able to build up to using it more frequently and can opt for a strength that is stronger, if you think you need it.

Resorcinol and Sulfer

Recorcinol and sulfer are typically found together in acne products. Resorcinol helps remove dead skin cell buildup. Sulfer has been used for a number of years to prevent acne. Resorcinol usually comes in strengths of 2% and surfer usually comes in strengths of 5% to 8%. These ingredients are found in some Clearasil products.

Salicylic Acid

Salicylic Acid corrects abnormal shedding of skin cells that block pore openings to reduce breakouts. This product works very well for those who have blackheads and whiteheads. The typical strength is .5 to 2%. Some Oxy, Noxema and Stridex products contain salicylic acid.

Alcohol and Acetone

Alcohol and acetone are typically found together in many treatments for oily skin. Alcohol helps reduce bacteria and acetone removes excess oil in your skin. You typically will find these two ingredients in astringents, toners and cleansers.

Now when you are looking for an acne medication solution, you will be better prepared with this quick OTC acne treatment comparison.

By: Eileen Childs

About the Author:

Solve your acne & skincare problems at http://www.acnepimplezits.com

Many people who suffer from a severe case of acne often drive out, spend a chunk of money on over-the-counter acne treatments, and they hope for the best. Inexperienced acne sufferers often fall for the common trick acne companies like to play on them: these companies promise acne free skin in just a week or two, permanently. However, these products are often packed with harmful chemicals that actually slow the healing of acne, irritating and damaging the skin in the process.

It is important to examine the acne treatment ingredients, but with so many ingredients listed, it’s often difficult to separate the good chemicals from the bad. Also, even if the chemicals do help treat acne without side consequences, it is unclear as to whether those chemicals won’t “backfire” on your skin, leading to an acne breakout. Unfortunately, since everyones’ skin type is different, no doctor can know for certain which acne treatment will work for your skin type. The mainstream acne treatments often cost much more than acne treatments that work for your skin, and they often don’t yield the expected results.

There are a bountiful variety of acne – mild acne, whiteheads, blackheads, cystic, nodule, moderate – these acne all must be treated in different ways. When these acne are treated in the wrong way, acne scarring often results, leaving permanent marks on the face for years to come.

However, is there a real cure to acne? This really depends on the person. Some people have been suffering from severe acne for over twenty years. Now, don’t think those people weren’t trying to get rid of their acne. In fact, those people are the ones trying the hardest to remove their acne, trying every acne treatment, spending thousands of dollars each year on a variety of acne treatments. From laser surgery to strong medications, none of them work. But, hopefully you’re not this worst case scenario. There are, in fact acne treatments that work for your skin type, however you need to carefully examine just what your skin needs to be acne free.

The majority of acne treatments take time to work, but when you find your miracle acne treatment, that is when your acne gets clear the fastest. There are many acne treatments that initially treat acne, but in the long run the acne comes back even worse, and more difficult to treat than before. The average time for a permanent acne cure is six to eight weeks, but expect up to half a year with a good acne treatment. You’ll also probably receive a pimple here and there after the treatment, but those individual pimples can easily be treated with a good acne spot treatment.

it’s important to be wise with your acne treatment purchases, and always be alert for the next acne treatment research. There are very unique acne treatments being developed each day, and one of these new acne treatments may work for your skin.

The Not So Dirty Truth About Acne

If you’re looking for an acne treatment, it’s best to know where to start. What exactly is acne and why does it happen. You’ll learn that the emotional toll can be worse than the potiental physical scars. Find out what you should know about prescription drugs for acne treatment. No need to panic, there’s still hope and with the proper game plan and tools, you will be more than prepared to confront this nemesis.

The Basics Of Acne

There are basically four types of acne; whiteheads, blackheads, pimples and nodules. Whiteheads are when the sebum (oil) and resulting bacteria are trapped below the skins surface and you can actually see a white head appear above (or near popping out of) the skin. Blackheads are when the sebum and resulting bacteria are only partially trapped, slowly draining out the surface and turning black because of your skins melanin or pigmentation. In the absence of either white or blackhead are generally (but not always) smaller pimples. And the often deeper, boil-like lesions are referred to as nodules.

Acne And Stress, Why It Happens

Lets take a look at some other popular notions about acne to dispel any other hearsays; for example, stress. Is it true that contributed stress spreads acne? Not exactly. What is true is that ultimately stress can have a very minimal or minor influence all by itself. It cannot actually cause acne, but it can influence reoccurrences of acne as stress increases the bodys creation of a substance called cortisol that in turn causes your sebaceous glands to produce increased amounts of sebum oil that can be blocked in pores. Note, however, that some medications people take when trying to deal with or treat stress can have a large influence on acne as the result of medication side effects.

The Emotional Toll

Acne is just on external result or surface deep; i.e. people shouldnt make such a big matter out of it, myth or reality? Myth. In reality, yes, it basically is only on your skin (and underneath the surface a little bit). Even so, the effects run much deeper than that in many instances. Any acne treatment should take into account that more than 50 percent of those suffering acne problems reported negative comments and other feedback from members of society, regardless of whether or not there was any scarring left for others to see afterwards. And ensuing internal depression and low self-esteem can be adverse emotionally not only short-term but over a persons lifespan. So acne can indeed be a very big issue involving healthcare treatment and support.

Over Prescribing Of Antibiotics

Non-rational prescribing of oral antibiotics in acne is common, and there is currently an unmet need for up-to-date guidelines that specifically address these issues. Presented here is a set of recommendations on the use of oral antibiotics in acne, developed by a group of European acne specialists, designed to be considered by dermatologists and general practitioners in their daily practice throughout Europe Recommendations cover optimal choice of antibiotic, drug doses, duration of treatment, combination treatment, and maintenance therapy.

Stop Before You Pop

People who are dealing with acne are often tempted to pick at or “pop” pimples or blackheads, either because they have a misconception that this is part of effective acne care or out of a simple desire to get rid of blemishes. If you are a parent with teenage children you will be reminded of what a toll dealing with acne can have on their lives. The most important thing to remember when dealing with acne, is not to get too stressed about it. A dermatologist can help you find the treatment method that’s best for you and can also give you lots of useful tips for dealing with acne and caring for your skin type.