Acne Articles
Different Skin Care Treatments Clarified
There is an overabundance of acne medications currently on the market. Some of these are prescription medications, such as accutane. Some treatments are over the counter chemical compounds, such as Proactiv solution and Clearasil. There are even natural based acne treatments, such as tea tree oil. However, many of them are not as effective as advertised.
The number one problem with finding the right acne medication is that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to skin care. Different people respond in various ways to some medications. However, there are several skin care treatments that have been proven in the fight against acne, and these are the medications that will stop acne for most people.
Prescription Skin Care Products
The best prescription medication is Accutane. Sometimes referred to as the miracle product of acne treatments, Accutane contains vitamin A. Accutane is most effective in the treatment of severe cystic acne, and not to be taken lightly. For some people, the many side effects can be worse than the acne itself. However, Accutane is one product that works.
Retin A and Renova are also prescription products. These acne medicines are topical derivatives of vitamin A, and are also good for clearing up fine lines, wrinkles, and slight skin discolorations. One of the biggest downsides is sunlight and other topical acne treatments must be avoided while using either of them.. However, both products work very well
Birth control pills and antibiotics round out the acne medications most commonly prescribed. Birth control pills are used exclusively by women to help regulate hormones, and therefore lessen the hormone related acne that some people suffer from. Antibiotics help by fighting of bacteria growing deeply in the skin that can result in a skin condition
Over the Counter Acne Products
There are some over the counter acne treatments that work well. The two that work for most people are benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid.
Benzoyl peroxide kills acne causing bacteria located deep in the pores. Benzoyl Peroxide is the most commonly used acne treatment because it is affordable, easily available, and nearly as effective as most prescription medication.
The second Most popular acne product is Salicylic acid. It is used to remove the dead skin and renew the face quickly, helping to reduce future breakouts. A very popular product Proactiv Solution uses this in their three step program.
Natural Facial Products
There are so many natural acne treatments that it can difficult to find one that works for you. This is because there is no regulation on natural treatments. The best recommendation is to go the OTC direction to prevent confusion.
With all the organic treatments available there are only two that will treat skin conditions: Tea oil and Green tea
For centuries a special tea tree oil from Australia was said to be the best cure all, and is still used today on acne, however penicillin has replaced it for most uses. However, tea tree oil has seen a recent come back due in part to study conducted in the 90's that proved it to be as effective in treating acne as 5% benzoyl peroxide. Furthermore, it had none of the side effects that benzoyl peroxide does.
The other natural treatment is green tea cream, found useful in 2003 at a dermatology conference. It was proven that green tea is as effective in treating acne as a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution. though it is not 100% proven, it demonstrated that there is another herbal treatment besides tea tree oil.
These are some of the acne treatments proven to work. For those who have a skin condition, any of the above treatments would be well worth purchasing.