The
Four-Step Guide to Choosing an Acne Skin Care Product
The wise buyer will not rush to the mall to buy the most expensive, new
fangled acne skin care product
around. No matter what the packaging or brand name a product possesses,
it is the inside that counts. The wise one will conscientiously study
the product to see if it truly lives up to its hype.
Here are
some tips
on choosing the proper acne skin care products for your acne condition.
1. Look at the
Recipe. Most acne
products will advertise their main active
ingredients. Most of them will contain ingredients such as
Salicylic
Acid, Tretinoin, Lanolin, Hydroquinone, Triclosan, Alcohol, and even
vitamins and minerals. Here is a quick rundown of what these
ingredients do.
Salicylic acid effectively dries up a pimple so that it heals faster.
It also sloughs off dead skin cells to reveal healthier, clearer skin
from beneath.
This solution is found in varying amounts in different preparations.
The guide here is that if you are trying to burn just a few offending
pimples, you may use a high-strength, fast-acting solution. If you are
looking to treat a large area over a long period of time (as in chronic
acne), go for milder solutions.
Astringents help tone skin and close pores so that they are not as
prone to bacterial growth. It also helps reduce oil production.
Triclosan can kill bacteria, but in dosages found in cleansers, they
could even promote the increase of resistant bacteria.
However, just because a preparation contains the active ingredient
doesn’t mean it is just as effective as other preparations with the
same ingredient. The amount, and quality grade of the ingredient used
is also a factor. That is why the best way to really gauge a product is
to see actual results from other people, or results from rigorous
testing – which is something hard to come by.
2. Go for Oil
Free. Most facial cleansers and washes are oil-based. This might
not be a good idea if you are acne prone since you are trying to reduce
your oil production in the first place. Most acne treatment skin care
products bandy an oil-free constitution. This is good news for those
battling acne.
3. Go for
Hypoallergenic. Make sure that whatever product you use on your
skin, it should be gentle and hypoallergenic. One of the most common
offenders against clear skin is the proliferation of harsh elements in
the environment. If your facial wash adds to this by irritating your
skin further, then you will find your self in deeper acne trouble.
Make sure you look for the hypoallergenic tag on a product as much as
possible. You could also contact a customer representative to ask
whether their product has been tested for this.
4. Don’t Go
for Overkill. Some people want their acne off so badly that they
splash layer upon layer of skin products on their acne trouble skin.
This could actually be bad since you are never sure of the chemical
reaction of all of those preparations.
Also, these products are carefully measured for optimal effect. And
many products contain the same ingredients. Adding them up together
could have nasty results. True enough, many people that do this often
have irritated, sensitive skin.
Conclusion:
Treating
acne requires patience. You should think carefully about the
regimen you are about to undertake and the products you are to use on
your skin. In all, you can have acne-free skin if you make prudent
choices on your skin care regimen.
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