All About Over The Counter Acne Treatments

The most popular Over the Counter Acne treatment products include face cleansers and washes, moisturizers, pads, wipes, lotions, strips, astringents, and toners.

The over the counter acne skin products are mostly available in all leading drug stores and online pharmacies. However, you must check the ingredients carefully before using any of these products on your skin.

CLICK HERE for our Recommended Guide to Clearer Skin

So, how to know which over the counter acne products are good for you? Here’s some useful information that can help you choose the best skin care products while trying to get rid of acne.

But, it is important to remain patient and learn what is good for your skin type. You should also try to find out the exact cause of acne if you want to get rid of this problem forever.

Nearly all over the counter acne skin products target some of the main causes of acne outbreak. The main cause of acne is the overproduction of oil by the sebaceous glands, which causes accumulation of dead cell debris and other dirt particles at the mouth of the hair follicle.

The acne products target the removal of dead tissues through a process called exfoliating and eliminate the surplus oil. In some cases, the acne rashes are due to inflammation and bacterial invasion.

The medicines for acne treatment have anti-bacterial property, which reduces the further growth of bacteria.

Let’s explore various active ingredients that work well on the acne.

Active ingredients in over the counter acne products

Almost all over the counter acne skin products contain one or a combination of the following ingredients to fight and prevent acne:

• Benzoyl peroxide - This ingredient is present either in the form of cream, gel or lotion. The gel suits an oily skin type whereas the lotion suits the normal skin type. The ingredient is present in different capacities in each medicine ranging from 2.5% to 10%.

You can consult the medical practitioner to choose the range that suits your condition best. The medicine containing Benzoyl Peroxide may cause a mild drying effect, which helps in reducing the oily feeling and killing the harmful bacteria.

•    Salicylic acid - Salicylic acid is found in the range of 0.5% to 2% in the various over the counter acne medicines. Other than acne, this ingredient is also used to treat corns, warts, and dandruff. Salicylic acid slows down of the shedding process in the skin, and thus prevents clogging and development of acne.

•    Sulfur – Sulfur is found in soaps, creams, and face washes. The sulfur promotes drying action and reduces the growth of blackheads and whiteheads.

•    Acetone and alcohol – Acetone and alcohol found in various over the counter acne medicines. They work as mild antimicrobial and degreasing agents.

•    Resorcinol – This ingredient is found along with sulfur in most of the acne remedies. It can control mild acne and also prevent the growth of whiteheads on your face and other parts of the body.

There exist a large range of herbal and organic products, which are available as over the counter acne remedies; but their ability to clear acne is not proven yet. If you want a step-by-step guide to clearer skin using natural therapies and treating the cause of the problem for long term success, then follow the link below