A Quick Survey of Acne Skin Products
When you pop into your local drug store and take a look at the acne skin products that are available, you might be surprised at just how many there are. There are acne products for oily skin and acne products for dry skin. There are moisturizers, concealers, kits, and creams. And all of them try to attract your attention with different packaging, prices, and claims. Where in the world do you start?
Well, let’s start by categorizing the various acne products. Knowing how they relate to each other is important. And knowing what to look for in an acne product is even more important.
Acne Cleansers
This first category holds products that are usually the first ones actually used in any comprehensive acne treatment regimen, namely cleansers. Cleansing acne skin is the fundamental treatment necessary for controlling your acne. All other products and treatments come after.
In this grouping you’ll find bar soaps, liquid soaps, and also cleansing pads. They’ll all come with instructions for use, which usually will say to use them once or twice a day. And they’ll all come with a particular active ingredient.
The most common active acne ingredients are Salicylic Acid, Tea Tree Oil, Zinc Pyrithione, Sulfur, and Alcohol. Each of these is used in conjunction with the other ingredients to produce both an acne-fighting effect and a moisturizing effect. They’re all trying to clean your skin and pores without leaving any residue that can further clog them.
Best Acne Cleansers
This product uses Salicylic Acid as its main active ingredient to fight acne. It cleanses deep into your pores without drying your skin and it has a very pleasant fragrance. People love Aveeno because their products are natural and free of any chemicals that could harm your skin.
This product uses Salicylic Acid as its main active ingredient to fight acne. It cleanses deep into your pores without drying your skin and it has a very pleasant fragrance. People love Aveeno because their products are natural and free of any chemicals that could harm your skin.
Another active ingredient used in acne cleansers is Tea Tree Oil. It cleanses deep into your pores without drying your skin and it has a very pleasant fragrance. People love Aveeno because their products are natural and free of any chemicals that could harm your skin.
The next category is where you’ll find most of the acne products on the market. These are the acne creams and acne gels that are meant to be applied directly to your skin. Their job is to attack your pesky acne breakouts head on and reduce or eliminate your blackheads or whiteheads.
There are three common active ingredients in these products – Salicylic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide, and Sulfur with Resorcinol. Salicylic Acid is effective at helping to remove the dead skin cells that have clogged up your pores. Benzoyl Peroxide goes after the bacteria that inflame your breakouts (Propionibacterium Acnes or P.Acnes for short). Sulfur with Resorcinol work together to open up clogged pores and break down acne pimples.
Basically all three of these active ingredients attack your acne problem from slightly different angles. At some level they all work to unclog pores, knock down whiteheads, blackheads, and even acne cysts, and soak up the excess oil on your skin. Also, they all can cause dryness and skin irritation if used incorrectly.
Acne Cover Ups
There is another basic category of acne product that contains products designed to help you cover up your blemishes. These are the makeup and pen-shaped “concealers” that come in different shades to match your skin shade. The reason these aren’t just considered makeup items is that they often have some additional acne-fighting benefit; they’re designed to be products for acne prone skin.
What’s important to understand about these products is that they promote clear skin by first being oil-free and second being non-comedogenic. The best acne skin products are oil-free to insure that they don’t leave behind any residue that can seep into your pores and clog them up. And the non-comedogenic label is simply an industry term used to state that same fact – that the product won’t block pores. If you suffer from acne, you should never use a cover up that isn’t non-comedogenic.
Moisturizers
Working through any acne treatment regimen can easily dry out your skin. The simple intention of the treatments themselves is to dry up your acne so it’s not a surprise that your skin could become irritated from their use. But there are a number of products that fit into the moisturizer category that are also in the anti-acne family.
As with the acne cover ups, the important fact to remember is that you don’t want to use anything that could end up just contributing to your acne by further blocking your pores. So any moisturizer you choose should be oil-free and non-comedogenic. If your skin is on the sensitive side, there are sensitive skin acne products that will moisturize as well. Look for products that don’t contain fragrances and are hypo-allergenic.
Acne Kits
The final category is acne kits. These are the packaged products that contain multiple products from the above categories. For instance one kit might have a cleanser, acne treatment gel, and a concealer. Another might have an acne soap, an acne cream for daytime use, and another acne cream for nighttime use.
If you see them on your drug store’s shelves you’ll notice one recurring theme – they all begin with an acne cleanser of some kind and then move on to the topical treatments. In a nutshell, this is the outline for any acne treatment program. First you clean the skin and then you treat it.
Kits can be a very useful way to become introduced to acne skincare products as well as the correct method in which to use them.
Summary
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer number of acne treatment products on the market. But don’t let the number intimidate you. Every basic acne treatment plan has the same elements – a basic cleanser and a basic treatment. If you truly don’t know where to begin, you can try an acne kit.
But the key element in using any skin product or acne treatment is to take note of the active ingredients that are contained in the product. Your skin is unique and so each product will affect it differently. By observing how your skin reacts to different products you can make adjustments and find your way to the best acne skin products for you. For instance, you may find that a 10% concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide in an acne cream is too harsh for your skin but that at 5%, your skin reacts just fine.
Making your way through the labyrinth of acne skin products can take time and effort, but finding what works for you will make it all worthwhile.
Leave Your Response