It wasn’t that long ago when acne (Zits) was considered a curse for the many individuals that suffer from this problem; but that doesn’t mean it’s something that cannot be tackled. Research into the causes, and possible treatments, for the condition is ongoing; the result of this effort is new, more effective, treatments are becoming available. We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories:

OTC Preventative Products

Over-the-counter: Treatment

Prescription: Issued for specialized medication from a doctor etc.

General or preventative acne products form a large section of the skin care market; products like skin cleansers and toners fall into this category. Whilst many sufferers use these products there are even more who just want to keep their skin clean and conditioned; often this is irrespective of whether or not there is a problem condition.

There are acne skin care products that are more specialized in there approach; they clean out the pores to help stop sebum or oil which can clog these areas. Excess oil needs to be stopped from clogging the pores as this oil make it easier for bacteria to grow, exacerbating the condition.

Skin care treatments such as exfoliation skin peels, clean the skin and help control the spread of the condition; these can be bought easily over the counter or on the internet. They work by reducing oil plus other contaminants from the skin and in the pores; this can reduce harmful bacteria and stop their chance of growth.

Many different, specially formulated acne skin care products designed to reduce the problems have now been made available without prescription. Treatments that are effective contain the ingredients benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid; these ingredients are used to remove the additional oil in the pores of the skin.

It is preferable when you first start using this type of product to keep the concentration of it low, around 5.5 percent is best; an alternative to this includes products which contain alpha hydroxy acid. Because we all have different types of skin, more than one type of acne skin care product may need to be tried; if none of them work then you would be advised to contact your skin specialist. On-prescription treatments are prescribed by a dermatologist and can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical ointment.

Your doctor can recommend that in order to extract the contents of the pustules that a small surgical procedure could be carried out; however, sufferers are warned never to attempt this as it could lead to serious skin problems. Your doctor could prescribe a hormone-based treatment to treat your skin problem; this type of skin care treatment has been very effective in many cases. Tackling this skin condition is not the problem it once was and if treated properly permanently marked skin does not have to happen.