Acne is a menace. However, it’s not something that cannot be tackled. There are loads of acne skin care products around.

We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories:

* Preventive or general acne skin care products
* Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care products
* On-prescription acne skin care products.

The general acne skin care products are the ones that are used as acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help prevent acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care products are just those that should anyway be part of your daily routine. However, some of these are more oriented to act like an acne skin care product. These acne skin care products act against the causes of acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing clogging of skin pores. Basically, these acne skin care products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and hence hamper the growth of bacteria that lead to acne. The general acne skin care products also include exfoliation products like skin peels. These work towards removing dead skin cells, hence reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

Then there are specialised acne skin care products that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne). You should start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it. Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also popular as acne skin care products. You might have to try a few, before you zero-in on the acne skin care product that is effective for you. If nothing seems to work, you should contact a dermatologist.

On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. This can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical treatment. Dermatologist could also suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules. However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to permanent damage of your skin. Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care products are known to be very effective in some cases.

So, with all those acne skin care products, tackling acne is not that difficult you just have to choose the one that suits you.

The relationship between acne and aging has several facets. It is well known that acne typically starts at a certain age (around puberty) and tends to either resolve or diminish in early to mid twenties. (Some people continue having outbreaks as late as the middle age.) Less known is the fact that untreated acne contributes to the process of skin aging. Furthermore, some acne treatments, even when they are effective, also accelerate skin aging.

Acne is a chronic inflammatory disease. Acne prone skin spends significant time in the inflamed state. Inflammation is a well-known accelerator of aging. Inflammation generates free radicals, activates matrix metalloproteinases (enzymes that break down the skin’s structural components like collagen and elastin), promotes excessive cell proliferation, etc., all of which contributes to skin aging. Treating your acne, at least to the degree of markedly reducing the number of inflamed lesions, is arguably the best skin anti-aging step you could make apart from sun protection. (more…)