Acne Products and Common Acne-Fighting Ingredients

There are so many acne products available today that it’s often a difficult task to decide which one you’d like to use. The key to choosing the right product for you is to understand how these products work and how this may help fight acne. There are a number of ingredients that have been proven to be effective in the treatment of acne, so let’s see what some of the most common ones are and how they work.

Acne products that contain sebum regulators work by controlling oil production in the skin. If you’re suffering from acne because of excess oil production, then this type of product may be just what you need. The most common ingredients in this type of acne product are zinc pyrithione and sulfide. These ingredients are also called anti-seborrheic agents.

This complicated-sounding ingredient is really just there to dissolve keratin. When our pores get clogged up, the plugs that form and cause the blockage are made up of keratin, and using an acne product that contains a keratolytic agent will help clear the pores by dissolving the plugs. It’s the clogging of the pores combined with bacteria and a buildup of other impurities and oil that often causes acne.

A number of the acne products on the market today contain antimicrobial agents to help kill bacteria. Getting rid of bacteria can help stop acne outbreaks, because it stops infection of clogged pores. Benzoyl peroxide is a very common ingredient in acne products, because it takes oxygen into the pores. Oxygen kills bacteria, so it’s easy to see why this ingredient is considered to be so effective.

If you’re struggling with acne, you’ve no doubt heard about the benefits of exfoliation, but did you know there are two types of exfoliants? A product that contains chemical exfoliants often helps get rid of dead skin cells through the use of certain chemicals such as salicylic acid or mandelic acid. This type of acne product usually doesn’t contain beads or other micro particles.

The facial scrubs that we’re all so used to fall into this category. These products usually contain something that will gently abrade the skin and help to slough off dead skin cells while the product is massaged onto the skin.

You’ll most likely find that most of the acne products that are available today use a combination of these ingredients. Consider the particular problems you’re having and choose the product accordingly to see the best results over time. If over-the-counter products do not work after a few months of use, it may be time to see your Doctor or a Dermatologist for advice.