How To : Treat Acne (Continued)

 

Neutrogena Complete Acne Therapy System

 

 

In this article I am going to delve further into the carious Over-The-Counter medications and treatments you can use if you'd like to expedite the process of getting rid of acne. Keep in mind, you aren't going to want to use all of these nor are you going to want to use the highest strength available, less is more! Let's start with some of the more common active ingredients in each medication. Each of these will be available in difference face washes, cleansers and creams.

Salicylic Acid - This is one of the most popular ingredients I've seen in all different sorts of treatments. salicylic acid helps break down black and whiteheads and helps prevent more acne by slowing down the shedding of cells that line the follicles of the oil glands. It also helps treat inflammation and swelling.

Benzoyl Peroxide - This is another very popular ingredient that kills bacteria and slow down oil production. It also works as a "peeling agent", basically making your skin turnover faster and cleans out pores helping reduce bacteria.

Retin-A - This ingredient helps to unplug pores and contains an acidic form of vitamin A. Similar to benzoyl it works as a chemical peel and is used to combat the aging of skin.

Azelaic Acid - This chemical help strengthen cells around the follicles, stop oil eruptions and reduces bacteria. It is commonly used for patients with darker skin who have dark patches or whose acne spots leave brown marks..

Types of treatments

There are various types of treatments that each of these ingredients can be used in, and they all work in different ways and will have varying effects depending on your skin type.

Gels - Gels are best for people with oily skin as they are usually alcohol based and dry up the skin. Neutregena makes a great oil free gel, and it's great to start off with. It contains 2% Salicylic Acid and is therefore less likely to irritate your skin then some of the maximum strength gels with a higher content level.

 

Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Gel Cleanser, 6 Ounce

 

Neutrogena makes a great gel cleanser, it comes in a 6oz tube and is great to wash your face morning and night to help treat and prevent acne.


Cleansing Pads - Cleansing pads are one of my favorite, but much more common to irritate skin. They typically come in a round container with 60 or so pads moistened with medication. Typically these contain Salicylic Acid and work well in areas that have chronic acne.



Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Night Cleansing Pads, 60 Count

 

These cleansing pads also contain 2% Salicylic Acid but are more direct and you don't wash it off leaving the treatment on the skin. Start with 1 treatment a day, as it can drastically dry and irritate your skin if it's too sensitive.

 

Soaps - If you are using the other treatments, soap is the one I wouldn't get any medication in. If you're using multiple treatments it's a lot of irritation in your skin and can make things much worse. Instead, I would get soap-less cleanser to use every day in the shower.

 



 

Aquanil Soapless Lipid-free Cleanser, for Sensitive Skin - 16 Oz (Pack of 3)

 

Soap-less cleanser can sometimes be difficult to find in smaller stores, and this is a great way to stock up. It's a pack of 3, and is eligible for Amazon Prime to save you on shipping.

 

These are just a few great examples of different types of treatments, give them a try but ultimately it depends what works best for you and your body. As always remember, less is more!

 

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