Over The Counter Ideas For Treating Your Acne

There are many products designed to treat acne. Some of these products are formulated to serve a specific purpose while others are dedicated to treating the general symptoms of acne.
This article discusses some of the basic products sold over-the-counter that can help prevent and combat acne. Remember, if products sold in most drugstores aren't helping your condition, it may be advisable to seek medical attention.

Soap and water is the most basic product to help fight acne. Depending on your skin type, sensitivity, and possible allergies, you may want to choose a soap carefully so as to prevent further breakouts or irritation.

When you wash your face, you are removing excess oils that build up on your skin, clogging pores and causing pimples to form. Although it is strongly recommended that you not wash your face too often, and that you don't scrub vigorously, as this can remove too much oil and irritate the skin, washing your face twice or even three times daily can remove unwanted dirt and oils and help control your breakouts.

Benzoyl peroxide is another very common remedy that can be purchased over-the-counter to help fight acne. It is often recommended by physicians, it is usually used to treat mild forms of acne. It is present in many acne treatment products, and was the first product to be proven effective in treating acne.

Benzoyl Peroxide is helpful in fighting bacteria and stops excess oil from clogging pores. It is available in the forms of a lotion or a cream.

Salicylic acid is commonly used in many over-the-counter acne cleansers and treatments, and when applied to the skin, helps to correct the abnormal shedding of cells. In milder forms of acne, it helps to unclog pores and prevent lesions we know of as pimples.
Salicylic acid does not stop oil production. Like Benzoyl Peroxide, it must be used continually in order to see its effects.

Sulfur is also another common product found in many over-the-counter acne treatments. It has been used for years in conjunction with other products to help combat acne. Due to its unpleasant odor, sulfur is less often used by itself to treat acne.

Although it is widely used, and common in many treatments, it is not known exactly what characteristics help heal acne. Nevertheless, results have been shown and it continues to be used.

Herbal and natural products are often available for purchase over-the-counter to treat acne. Most of these products are organic, and have not been tested clinically to determine their effectiveness. In spite of this, they are sometimes preferred, and their usage is said to be increasing.

There are many over-the-counter options available to help heal and prevent acne. Different products react differently to different skin types, and the effects are different for everyone. It is important to find what works for you and stick to it.

For more acne treatment education, visit our post on Acne home treatments.

Treating Your Acne Scars

Without a doubt, one of the most challenging effects of acne is the physical scarring it can leave behind. Even the mildest type of acne can scar, but the more severe types can leave very visible scars that won't go away on their own.

There are things you can do to try to minimize these scars, like properly cleansing your skin, or refraining from popping zits, as this can cause scarring, but this doesn't mean scars won't develop. This is particularly true in more severe types of acne where the lesions are on the skin for longer periods of time than in milder forms. In cystic acne, the nodules or cysts can stay on the skin for weeks, or even months, and can leave behind very visible scars.

There are different types of acne scars, and differing treatments available for each.

• Ice pick scars for example are characterized by the appearance of deep pits on the skin and are a most common sign of classic acne scarring.

• Boxcar scars are angular scars, usually occurring on the temple and cheeks, and can be superficial or deep. They are similar to the scars left by a bout of the Chickenpox.

• Rolling scars give the skin a wave-like texture.

• Hypertrophic scars are thickened scars


To get rid of acne scars, seek treatment through a dermatologist. A combination of treatments are available that show positive results for many people. Treatment for acne scarring depends on the number of scars you have, as well as your skin type.

Most of the success of treating acne scars has been for those on the face. Back and chest scars are more difficult to treat and do not react as well to treatment.

One of the optimal ways to prevent acne scarring is to prevent acne. Taking steps to fight and prevent this condition will minimize the chance for scarring. Also treating the acne you do have as quickly as possible after it appears can help prevent acne scars.

It is also prudent to seek the help of a physician when you aren't sure how to best treat your acne or its scars. Some scar treatment requires medical attention, and a physician can help you find the treatment that will work best for you.

knowing your skin type, type of acne, and type of scarring associated with it is also important. If you treat your specific type of acne from the onset, you can prevent the rise of deep, lasting scars.

In some cases the scar can be removed by laser treatment, but this is only in more serious cases where the scars are deep.

Understanding your problem will help you work toward a constructive solution.

For more information on Acne Education, visit www.acne-education.com

Facing Acne: How to Cope With its Effects on Teenagers

Facing Acne:

As we are all aware of, there are various emotional effects caused by acne. More than the physical appearance, there are effects of acne that are at times not as easily healed by any cream or acne solution.

Severe acne can leave emotional scars. As much as they might try, dermatologists cannot always address the difficult emotional impact caused by acne.

For teenagers experiencing the pains of acne, it is especially difficult to face the social impacts. Depression and self-pity can easily arise. As a parent of a teenager who faces this problem, it’s important to remember that while acne isn’t a life threatening disease, to the teenager that suffers from it, it certainly feels that way.

Remind your child that acne is temporary

Give encouragement to your child. Remind them that it will not last forever.

Most importantly, don’t wait for your teen’s acne problem to get worse before you go and see a dermatologist. The earlier the better, this may be cliché but very true for this matter and you could realize the truth behind this.

Be with your teen as you have visits to the dermatologist. Also, help your teen follow the reminders and instructions of the dermatologist.

Guide your teenager

There are some things that may worsen acne. See to it that you are near your teen to remind them what is the right thing to do and it would just cause bad effects. Explain the cause and effect of acne problems and be sure t answer questions that your teen has.

Boost your teen’s self-confidence

Self-confidence can fall drastically when acne flares up. Be there to boost the esteem he or she has inside. Be generous with praises but do not use them just to flatter. Tell your teen about how wonderful they are, but most importantly show them that you understand the difficulty and depression they feel.

For more information on Acne Education, visit www.acne-education.com