For You Personally: What’s the Best Over the Counter Acne Treatment?

January 22nd, 2010 admin Posted in Acne Questions and How-To's, Acne Treatments, Adult Acne, Effective Prevention Techniques, Over-The-Counter, Research and News No Comments »

When you survey what's generally available today in non prescription acne medicines, what you'll find is the following: Creams & toners, masks, pads & wipes, spot treatments, cleansers, lotions and moisturizers and astringents. So just what is the best over the counter acne treatment today? The best for you personally?

Some, you no doubt may have already heard of, while others you may not have. Also even to this day, new treatment strategies are being developed and tested. New ways for people like yourself to get the upper hand in their personal battle to reclaim their skin as it was.

So then, with all that's currently available today, which product or set of products should you use? To start off with you have to understand that in most cases, it will be more than one acne treatment product that you finally attain results with. However; this is not to say that you may be one of those lucky people who get optimal results from just one treatment product.

Step one in your quest to locate the best over the counter acne treatment product should be to learn what all of the most common and most effective active ingredients are in over the counter products themselves. By doing so you can expedite your search, learn to manage side effects and also keep from being bamboozled by tricky advertizing techniques that are meant to mislead.

Benzoil Peroxide - Examined Close Up


So lets take a close up look at benzoil perioxide. Possibly the most common and definitely one of the most effective killers of acne causing bacteria. This cheap and effective acne wonder drug functions by killing bacteria deep inside hair follicles and skin pores and also by exfoliating the skin, even far beyond the surface.

So just how effective is benzoil peroxide? The answer to that is, as of date, medical researchers have failed to come up with any other substance, (over the counter or prescription) that can even match benzoil peroxide in overall effectiveness. Not even powerful prescription antibiotics work as well.

Two other important facts worth knowing are as follows: Acne bacteria can't build up a resistance to benzoil peroxide and also its overall effect is magnified when used in conjunction with (clindamicin), a common acne treatment antibiotic thats also found in some of the best over the counter acne treatment products.

Benzoil Peroxide: Potential Side Effects

The fact is that benzoil peroxide is not a benign substance. In fact it's rather harsh and decades ago was even used as a fabric bleach. Even under normal circumstances it can lead to mild redness and skin drying but in most cases of more severe negative reactions, it is overuse that's to blame. However; some people can experience a sever (allergic reaction). ( Blistering, swelling, burning)

You would be well advised initially avoid gravitating towards products containing the highest concentrations of benzoil peroxide. You may have already heard some adds for “allegedly” some of the best over the counter acne treatment products with concentrations as high as 10%. The fact is, numerous clinical studied have shown that in the vast majority of cases, a concentration of 2.5% will deliver the “exact same” results as a 10% concentration but with far less risk of side effects.

How to Use Benzoil Peroxide Products

No matter what any add says, benzoil peroxide is only effective proactively, (which means to prevent). This also means that once a blemish takes hold and begins to develop, any amount of benzoil peroxide will have “zero effect” on it. Also, products containing this substance deliver the best results if used consistently and even then, can take up 7-10 weeks to produce their optimal effects.

Once you find and start in with the best acne treatment product for you, if it contains benzoil peroxide its always best of you start off gradually then work your way up. It's the drying & irritating effects that will determine how much and how often you can apply it, so take it easy at first and in the long run you'll be glad that you did. This particularly holds true if you have sensitive and or dark skin.

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Does Steaming Your Face Help Acne?

July 28th, 2008 admin Posted in Acne Questions and How-To's, Top Story No Comments »

You've come here to find out the answer to the question: Does steaming your face help acne?

Steam Your Face Helps Acne!

Steam Your Face - It Helps Acne!

In short, yes, it does!

The reason for this is because it helps to open the pores on your face. Under most circumstances, steaming should be done 2-3 times each week. If you go beyond the recommended number, it is likely your skin will become dry. As a result, your body will compensate by producing more oil. The extra oil can clog your pores and cause even more problems.

Steaming should be followed by an appropriate skin care procedure that includes cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing. Doing this on a regular basis will help improve your skin.

The primary advantage of using steam is it will open your powers. In turn, this allows the natural sweat your body produces to flush out toxins from the skin. This will kill some of the bad bacteria that causes acne. For this method to work best, you should cleanse your skin both before and after steaming. By cleansing your skin before steaming, this will ensure your skin is pure of impurities from makeup. As a result of that, the steam can begin working right away. It is also recommended to cleanse your skin after the cleaning because the warm water helps to soften the skin. This increases the effectiveness because it makes it easier to clean and remove dead skin cells.

How often should you do this? It is recommended no more than 2-3 times each week. If you go over this limit, your skin will likely become dry, which can cause the body to produce more oil. That would defeat the whole purpose of what you are trying to accomplish.

As you can see, steaming your face does help with acne. This is an excellent natural substitute for helping to unclog your pores and cleanse your skin.

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How to Get Rid of Acne on the Nose

July 26th, 2008 admin Posted in Acne Questions and How-To's No Comments »

Many people suffer from acne. Many of these acne sufferers have wondered how to get rid of acne on the nose. There doesn’t seem to be a standard procedure for treating this type of acne. We can examine real life cases and find out what has been effective for some people.

Some people simply recommend a good skin care regimen. Cetaphil has proven to be effective by quite a few people. Cetaphil is a gentle water soluble cleaner that is taken twice a day. Then use a good exfoliator that will penetrate the pores and unclog it.

Others have recommended using Biore patches. For some, using the batches have proven to be more effective than washing alone. It can also help minimize the size of the pores. It is recommended you don’t use it more than once every three days as it can irritate the skin if used too frequently.

Some have used a treatment called HydraFacial, which is performed in a doctor’s office. This procedure can remove blackheads and other impurities. It can also reduce pore size, improve skin tone, and help with wrinkles.
If your skin is sensitive, some have used the Burts Bees line of skin care quite effectively. They have both a facial cleanser and exfoliator scrub. The scrub should only be used once a week because it can cause your face to break out and obviously that defeats the whole purpose of using the facial cleanser.
As you can see, there are several methods for treating nose acne. There are many other methods besides the ones mentioned here but this will get you off to a good start. It is recommended you try a few of these methods and find out which one works the best for you. It might take a small amount of experimentation but eventually you will be acne free.

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How to Stop Squeezing Acne

July 20th, 2008 admin Posted in Acne Questions and How-To's No Comments »

How can you stop squeezing acne? Well, obviously the best way is to avoid getting acne in the first place. If you already have acne, how can you get rid of it? Here are some tips that have proven to help many acne sufferers.

  1. As hard as it may be to resist, resist the urge to squeeze or pinch a pimple. This can leads to scars. Also, it will cause the infected area to become more inflamed and red. In addition, it could cause the bacteria to spread and infect other areas of your face.
  2. Use a concealer to hide your acne. If you are in a hurry, this can help hide your pimples and give you more self confidence. Then later, you can begin using methods that will help get rid of your current pimples and help prevent new ones from forming.
  3. Acne Treatment Soap, Aloe Vera, 3 oz. From At Last NaturalsClean your skin 2- 3 times each day with an acne cleanser or a mild soap. I recommend a specialty acne soap like Acne Treatment Soap From At Last Naturals. Make sure these products have no harsh chemicals.
    Scrub your skin gently with a wash cloth, making sure not to rub too hard. If that happens, you may remove the natural oils from your skin, which helps to naturally clean the buildup on your skin.
  4. In order to decrease the redness and swelling that is often associated with a pimple, you can apply an ice pack every 30 minutes, for two minutes each time.
  5. Apply an ointment containing benzyl peroxide directly on your acne and around the entire blemished area. Make sure you follow the recommended dosage so your face does not become too dry.

These are just a few of the suggestions for controlling and getting rid of acne. If you follow these suggestions, you will likely see relief happen rather quickly, often within days.

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How Do I Get Rid of Blackheads?

June 29th, 2008 admin Posted in Acne Questions and How-To's No Comments »

Despite their annoyance and cause of embarrassment the answer to the common question of “how do I get rid of blackheads” is actually quite simple and doesn’t usually require any specialist treatment from a doctor. To understand how to get rid of them it is best to understand how they develop.

The skin is made up of thousands of tiny little holes called pores. These are used by the skin to take in nutrients from the sun and to sweat (release water) from the body. They are also used to secrete oils in order to keep the skin healthy and smooth.

During adolescence and sometimes throughout adulthood this creation of oil becomes excessive in correlation with hormones and growth, causing greasy skin and the renowned cases of teenage spots. When excessive oil is secreted from the pores and forced out of the skin it dries out and scabs over causing tiny little black specs known as blackheads. So “how do I get rid of blackheads?”

The easiest option is prevention. Keep the skin clean and don’t overuse cleaning products or makeup which can clog up the pores. For a lot of people this isn’t enough, so if that is the case you can buy special blackhead facial scrubs which clean out the pours and dry the skin of excessive oils. Even then scrubs aren’t always affective so turning to a blackhead strip may be a better option. These stick to the affected area (usually the nose) and physically pull them out of the routes. This is the most effective option but can be painful and leave redness.

If none of the above options work it is best to visit a doctor or an expert dermatologist that can give you more advice and treatment that isn’t available in the shops.

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Does Regular Soap Cause Blackheads?

June 29th, 2008 admin Posted in Acne Questions and How-To's, Features No Comments »

People often ask “does regular soap cause blackheads?” There is no straight answer. It really depends on how you use soaps and what soaps you use. Generally the answer is no it doesn’t. Using regular soap on your face with clean wipes or flannels should just clean your skin. The problem occurs when you begin to overuse soap, or when you use loads of different soaps, cleaning products, makeup and moisturizer all at the same time. The skin was never designed to take on so many chemicals and it can clog up the pores, in turn causing blackheads.Does Soap Cause Acne?

Blackheads develop when the pores produce excessive oils, which secrete and scab over. So when you apply lots of different products to your face these can speed up the clogging up process and make your skin worse, causing blackheads. If anything, regular soap on its own can reduce blackheads because it dries the skin out, although this can have its own problems, such as itchiness and sore skin, which of scratched or rubbed may cause regular spots.

Regular soap however can be quite harsh on delicate teenage skin and it is better to use a specially designed scrub aimed towards clearing spots and blackheads. You can also buy blackhead strips or pads that remove blackheads, or for the more adventurous out there you can make your own homemade remedies.

Consulting an expert is always a good option if you have excessive blackheads. They can answer all of your questions and give specially prescribed scrubs that aren’t available commercially. You may want to ask your local doctor or a dermatologist (which is somebody that specializes in skin care). If you are looking for a quick fix many salons and beauty parlors offer treatment that remove blackheads professionally and a small price.

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