Kurt Naulaerts asked:


For most of us that take pride in the way we look, the thought of suffering with acne or Zits may at first seem awful. But there are now many treatments available which can help to make it more bearable. Scientific research into this area is intense. The acne skin care products available fall into these categories:

- Internet or drugstore: Over the counter treatments

- Internet or drugstore: Treatments that do not require a prescription

- Specialized, on-prescription acne products

General acne products are used as a preventative measure and include cleansers, make-up removers and other similar products that can help prevent acne. Whilst many sufferers use these products there are even more people who just want to keep their skin clean and conditioned.

There are acne skin care products that are more specialized in their approach and are formulated to reduce and limit the amount of oil in the pores of our skin. These products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and can hamper the growth of bacteria.

One particular skin care treatment is an exfoliation skin peel which cleans the skin and helps control the spread of the condition. The peels clean the skin by removing all surface pollution and dead skin cells which can block the pores.

There is a huge market for these types of acne skin care products as they do not require a consultation with a dermatologist. Skin care products have been formulated to extract the excess oil that bacteria need to develop acne. These products have benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as ingredients which the bacterium reacts badly too.

You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds. Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as a skin care regime. It might just be a case of trial and error. If nothing seems to work speak to your dermatologist for any advice or try a different acne skin care product.

Products that your dermatologist or doctor will recommend will only be available on prescription, they may include antibiotics or topical ointments. In some case your doctor may suggest the pustules are drained of harmful contents under local anesthetic. This is a minor procedure which if carried out by yourself could result in skin damage.

An alternative that has been shown to work well is hormone therapy. Studies have shown that acne and skin care treatments that are hormone based have proven to be effective in many cases. There is no longer any reason to despair if you have this skin complaint. Science has produced many effective treatments.