Monday, January 25, 2010

How to Choose Acne Treatment Products that Produce Results, Not Frustration

Acne is a skin ailment that can cause much more than just unsightly blemishes. It can have drastic effects on one’s self esteem and feelings of self worth. Acne is just not a teenage problem, either.

Although most individuals begin suffering from acne during their teenage years, many individuals continue to suffer from this embarrassing skin ailment throughout the better part of their lives.

Unfortunately, doctors have yet to find a magic pill to cure acne. However, there are a number of highly effective acne treatment products that can manage acne and clear up the skin on the face and body.

There are a number of myths that have been dispelled, including the fact that your diet affects acne. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as acne is a direct result of hormonal changes. It is also untrue that you need to scrub your face to clear up acne. Instead, most dermatologists will tell you that scrubbing your face with harsh soaps and acne treatments will do little more than further irritate the skin and promote breakouts.

With that said, there are many acne treatment products that have been shown to be highly effective at treating everything from mild to severe cases of acne.
Over-the-Counter Acne Treatment Products
If you have mild acne, you may choose to try one of the many over-the-counter acne treatment products. These include:

• Antibacterial Cleansers – Many of the antibacterial cleansers are quite effective at killing the bacteria on the skin that cause acne. However, they tend to dry out the skin, so use these acne treatment products sparingly until you see how your skin reacts.

• Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid – Both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are popular over-the-counter acne treatment products that come in different forms, including creams, lotions and cleansers. The work by clearing clogged pores and removing excess oil, both of which often contribute to acne.
Prescription Acne Treatment Products
If you have moderate to severe acne, or if you find that over-the-counter acne treatment products are not effective at clearing up your acne then you may want to consider visiting a dermatologist who can prescribe a number of prescription acne treatment products based on your acne and skin type.
Prescription acne treatment products include:

• Retinoids – Retinoids are common prescription acne treatment products that facilitate the shedding of skin cells.

• Topical and oral antibiotics – For those individuals with severe acne that does not respond well to other treatments, topical and oral antibiotics may be prescribed for a specific length of time. They work by killing the bacteria that causes acne.

• Oral Contraceptives – Oral contraceptives have been found to be helpful in the treatment of acne for many women, as they decrease the amount of male hormones in the body.

• Accutane – Perhaps the strongest prescription medication available, Accutane is only prescribed for the most severe cases of acne. This drug can cause serious side effects and should only be taken under the watchful eye of a dermatologist. For more info on Acne please visit
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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Experimenting With Acne Care Products

For many people, trying to get rid of acne totally and completely is something that can be incredibly frustrating, but the truth is that skin care science has reached a point where it is now possible for even the most stubborn cases of acne to be treated effectively. Sometimes, you may need to experiment with more than one line of acne care products before you find the one that works, but by consulting with your dermatologist and testing the various acne care lines out there, you can eliminate this skin problem.

One important thing to remember whenever you try out a new acne care product is to give it enough time to work. Whenever you start using a new skin care product, whether it’s for treating acne or any other skin problem, it is going to take several weeks for your skin to get acclimatized to that product. That means that for the first few weeks it might even irritate your skin, and after that adjustment period, it will still take time for your skin to start showing the benefits of the product. You should really allow a product about six weeks to prove whether or not it is working before you make up your mind on it, unless you are showing an allergic or otherwise extremely strong negative reaction to the products.

There are many different products which have been designed to provide effective acne care, and they might not all work with your particular skin type. Ever person has skin which is possessed of a rather unique type of chemistry, and depending on your own personal moisture balance and the factors which are causing your acne in the first place, certain products might work better than others. A perfect example of this is how resistant certain teenage acne can be to certain acne care treatments, because of the excess oil production being related to the severe hormone swings that teenagers experience. Talk with your dermatologist or skin care professional about your personal acne history, and try the different product lines until you find the one which unlocks the cure to your acne problems.

How to Manage Your Acne

For those of us who have been unlucky enough to have had to deal with the irritation, pain and embarrassment of acne, we realize the importance of good management. As in the business world, and in several other situations, without good management, things tend to go awry. So, obviously, it is just as important to practice good acne management as well, so that you can have the opportunity to control your acne.

In order to manage your acne issues, it is important for you to have products readily available that you can use during your acne care regimen. These products, if you have never used them, should be proven to work. It is wise to consult with a dermatologist to find out what products will best control your acne since it will likely save you time and money in the long run. There truly is no sense in wasting your precious dollars on products that were not designed for your skin when you can purchase something that is going to be effective right off the bat.

A good place to start is with your cleanser. Selecting a cleanser that is specific to your skin, whether it is sensitive, oily or dry; should be your first step because a good cleanser will help to unclog your pores, refresh and soothe your skin. Your next step will be to find a good toner or astringent, and a good moisturizer. Again, be sure to select products that are proper for your skin type. If your skin is prone to the larger blemishes, it may also be a wise move to purchase a spot treatment that doubles as a concealer. Regardless, once you have selected the products that you plan to use to control your acne, the next step is to get into the routine of actually using your products.

In order to control your acne, you will need to maintain a daily routine with your acne treatment. A once a week treatment just isn’t enough to be effective when it comes to acne. So, if you are serious about ridding your skin of acne, get the products, get into a routine and get rid of it!

Home Routine for Acne Care

In order to fight acne appropriately, which means that you will actually see a difference, it is important to first design a routine for your acne care at home. Most individuals have a bathing routine already in place and will choose to administer their acne treatments around the same time; however, in this day and age, our lives tend to be busier and less accustomed to any set routine. This often leads to forgetfulness and altogether chaos when it comes to our skin. Obviously, this is also why it is important to get into a routine when it comes to skin care and, especially, acne care.

So, once a time has been established to administer your acne treatment, you then need to make sure that you have all of the products available that you are going to need to successfully battle this monster. One of the most commonly suggested products is a cleanser. Cleansers that are designed specifically for fighting acne contain fewer ingredients to irritate the skin and instead offer more soothing properties, which is why they are so effective. This is one of the reasons that a good cleanser is important to begin your acne treatment regimen with.

Some individuals find that a good exfoliating product helps to reduce blemishes as well. Products that contain exfoliators usually work best for individuals who are prone to blackheads but also work well for those who have problems with difficult skin. Toners and clarifiers are now being produced in an easy to use pad or wipe form that makes the ease of use almost unbelievable. However, toners can tend to dry the skin so it is highly recommended that they be used in conjunction with a good moisturizer that is made specifically for acne prone skin.

For stubborn, large blemishes that act like they just don’t want to go away, a spot treatment product may work best for both day and night. One such recommendation is the Kinerase Clear Skin Blemish Dissolver. Products such as this deliver a higher concentration of needed ingredients to the area affected, thus providing quicker relief of the blemishes. Many of the spot treatment products also help to conceal the blemish as well as heal it.

Whatever products you choose to aid your skin, your acne treatment regimen should be, at the very least, a daily one. It is important to cleanse and exfoliate first to open the pores for the toner. Then remember to moisturize with a proper cream in order to help soothe that irritated skin.

A Review of Acne Products

When looking for acne treatment products, it is imperative to select a product that will be effective. Since there are so very many acne treatment products available, it can often be difficult to discern which would be best for your skin. However, one thing to remember when choosing a product is to always consider your skin’s current condition. Obviously, there will be several different types of products that are available; ranging from toners and moisturizers to soaps and cleansers, facial masks and spot treatments.

That being said, if your skin is oily, it would likely be best to use products designed specifically for this type of skin, such as the B. Kamins Hydrogen Ion Moisturizing Toner for oily skin. Products like this will help to reduce the amount of oil that builds up on the skin, thus reducing clogged pores. Of course, there are products available for a wide variety of skin types.

Aside from the B. Kamins line, another great product line for the treatment of acne is Obagi. Obagi has a great kit available in their Obagi Clenziderm MD System. There are actually two different kits available; one for normal to dry skin and another for normal to oily skin. Each of these kits has three products within it that, if used properly, should help an individual to achieve healthier, blemish free skin. Of course, there are several great brands available that can work wonders for your skin.

The great thing about many of these product lines is that many of them now contain products that are not just for teenagers, but also for adults. These products are even designed to help fight the signs of aging while ridding the skin of clogged pores and blemish causing bacteria. These products work just as well in fighting acne but give the aging individual the extra special ingredients that they need to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines as well. With a combination this beneficial, it’s difficult to shy away from it.

The bottom line is that, if you are searching for acne treatment products that will work well with your skin type, you should always make sure that the product you select is designed for your skin type. Of course, it is always suggested that you consult with a physician. There could be underlying reasons that your skin is breaking out and some products could irritate the skin even more. A trusted dermatologist can be very beneficial to finding the perfect products for your skin.