At one stage of life or another, virtually everyone has searched for cures for acne. Whereas we all expect some degree of acne eruptions during the teenage years, some people sail through these turbulant times, then suddenly get breakouts in adult life.
Regardless of when the acne appears or how bad it is, even if it is just one big zit, the afflicted start searching for cures for acne.
The first stop is often the pharmacy, where a mind boggling array of acne products are on display. Without proper guidance, choosing the best acne products can be a minefield. Price, packaging and pseudo-science often push us into our final decisions.
But is an off the shelf acne product necessarily cure acne?
For mild cases, it can often help. Acne prone skin is pretty sensitive, despite the general oiliness. The wrong products can worsen things. Using a product that is too drying may reduce oiliness on the outside, but this can trigger the skin to produce more oil which is then trapped inside, making the congestion and breakouts worse.
A good acne face wash is the same pH as skin. Your skin feels clean after use, but not squeaky clean, and most certainly not tight. A mild astringent toner then helps to reduce the oiliness, plus prepares it for the subsequent acne creams.
Acne creams often contain salicyclic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide and some form of Vitamin A. These help to reduce congestion, dry up the pimples and reduce acne formation. Most people use these creams to keep acne under control, but may also require a form of spot treatment for the odd pimple that does still pop up. Spot treatment creams and hand held devices such as Zeno or phototherapy devices such as Omnilux Clear-U or Blue-MD will clear up the skin more quickly.
