Effective Acne Products and Ingredients

Effective acne products contain one or more of the ingredients known for preventing and fighting acne. There are a variety of products on the market today and it can be confusing to sort through and know which is the best for you.

One place to start is figure out which type of acne you have. Your age and oil level of your skin will make a difference as well. Another factor is how severe your acne is. For severe forms of acne that can leave permanent scars, you may want to see your dermatologist immediately for strong prescription medication to control your acne as quickly as possible and prevent permanent scars from occurring.

If you do not have scars yet and would like to try to tackle your acne yourself at home, effective acne products will contain one or more of the following ingredients which have been proven safe and effective:

Benzoyl peroxide

Salicylic acid

Sulfur

Resorcinol

Azealic acid

Benzoyl peroxide is the big gun in over the counter acne fighters. This ingredient has been used for over 30 years because, quite simply, it works. The strength typically has been 5% or 10% but research has found much lower concentrations just as effective for many people with the added bonus of being less drying and irritating. This is important because acne prevention requires continual daily use of the product for months or years. This was the great discovery of the Proactive product which uses only 2.5% benzyl peroxide in a non-irritating lotion.

Salicylic Acid is another popular ingredient and often found in products for adult acne. It is a beta-hydroxy acid BHA (fruit acid) and works by exfoliating or removing the top layer of skin. This exfoliation helps remove dead skin cells and prevent them from clogging pours. BHA’s are also unique in that they can penetrate oil and unclog pours. It is only approved by the FDA in over the counter preparations at 2%. Unfortanately this low percentage is not very effective for moderate to severe acne and is less effective than benzoyl peroxide for blackheads and whiteheads. It does work for some people with mild skin breakouts and can be less irritating for some than benzoyl peroxide and can be worth a try. It is often combined with sulfur or resorcinol and the combination can be much more effective.

Sulfur has been around for over 50 years and can be quite effective. It works by dyring out the skin and causing it to peel, preventing clogged pours. Sulfur is yellow and has a smell of “rotten eggs” therefore it is not used frequently by itself in acne preparations.

Resorcinol has also been around many years and also encourages your skin to peel. It is often combined with sulfur to increase the effectiveness. These products do work for some people but neither has proven to be as effective for most types of acne as benzoyl peroxide.

Azelaic Acid is a newer ingredient used to treat acne and rosacea. It is available by prescription but some over the counter preparations contain it as well in lower concentrations. It can lighten the skin and is therefore included to help with redness.

You may find effective acne products with other ingredients but look for one of these that has a proven track record of success when evaluating whether a product is worth your money.

Effective Acne Products and Ingredients

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