Acne Magazine : Skin Care, Tips, Treatment Reviews

If you suffer from acne, salicylic acid may prove beneficial. If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, then you know I strongly prefer salicylic acid over benzoyl peroxide. Salicylic acid is a topical solution which can help heal skin that is irritated and inflamed from acne.

Products containing this ingredient may easily be purchased over the counter at a variety of retail stores.  I like it because it relies more on pore clearing and exfoliation, while benzoyl peroxide I feel, dries the skin out.  Salicylic acid, to me, seems more like an exfoliation agent. It is an acid, so it helps clear debris and clear the pores so that they don’t get plugged up with the stuff that causes an acne lesion.

It may come in a gel or liquid form, but some soaps and facial cleansers contain it as well. It is simple to use and can be used daily. It is a good idea to gradually increase the number of times it is used per day.

If any irritation occurs, you will need to reduce your daily usage – perhaps you can scale back to using it once every weekend or maybe twice a week. Using it regularly may also help prevent future breakouts from occurring. The benefits are fewer breakouts and clearer, smoother skin with clear pores.

This product causes the outer layer of the skin cells to shed, eventually revealing the smoother unaffected skin underneath. Continually using this product helps soften and smooth the skin. You will want to avoid using other products which contain the same ingredients, as drying of the skin may occur.

It reduces the size of pimples and can minimize blackheads. By using a product which contains this ingredient, you can have clearer skin that is also smoother and brighter due to the exfoliation component of this ingredient.

There are relatively few side effects from choosing this over the counter treatment and it is generally well tolerated. Those who have had sensitivities to other acne treatments may have success with salicylic acid. Minor side effects include redness or peeling of the skin.

Sometimes a tingling sensation and increased sensitivity to the sun can occur. It is important to use sunscreen if you will be outdoors. This can easily be rectified by choosing a lesser concentration of the product. Most products contain a 2% solution, but if you find this too harsh for your skin you can reduce it to 1%. In most cases, the benefits outweigh any potential side effects.

Some people are lucky enough to only have experienced mild acne – some people are not.  But that is not news to you.  Acne is actually a condition that plagues many people of many walks of life, at any age, and at varying degrees of severity from mild to very serious, deep cystic hormonal acne.

Acne can be caused by any number of things on the surface, but below the surface it is always a hormonal issue since the androgens are overtaking the estrogens essentially. It can be embarrassing and even debilitating for some, and the search for a good solution is one that many are familiar with.

Unfortunately, many over-the-counter and prescription treatments contain ingredients that can be harsh on skin, causing redness and irritation. The good news is, there are some very mild acne treatments available that are also effective for those with just a touch of this embarrassing and annoying skin condition.

Natural oatmeal is not just for breakfast. Interestingly, it has been used in facial scrubs, masks, and home remedies for hundreds of years. It is known to be soothing to a myriad of skin conditions, and it soaks excess oil from the skin. This option is actually quite popular, because it is affordable and easily available.

Mineral soap is another mild alternative to cleansers that contain harsh chemicals. Usually made from organic ingredients, they are soft and gentle to the skin. Mineral soaps contain ingredients like sea salt, which is a natural anti-inflammatory and will remove redness, and even heal some scars that may be caused by acne.

Aloe vera is a well-known plant dirivitive that comes from the inside of the aloe plant. It is normally used to soothe painful sunburns. However, it can also be used to soothe sore pimples on the face and body. Sometimes the skin irritation is painful to the touch, and rubbing some aloe vera on the affected area will bring almost instant relief.

For those who suffer from embarrassing breakouts and painful irritation, these less-harsh and natural treatments – oatmeal, mineral soap, and aloe vera – may be the answer to their prayers. Each of them is completely organic or natural, have healing properties and are non-abrasive. Perhaps the best element they all share is that they can be found in any corner store or supermarket, and they can fit into any budget.

Healthy skin is something most people strive for, however, sometimes it’s hard to achieve – especially if, like me, you’ve struggled with oily and acne prone skin for much of your early adulthood. Many people struggle with dull-looking skin, the accumulation of dead cells, acne, blackheads, and more.

Those dealing with these issues may find relief through the use of glycolic acid peels.  They are a very powerful peel option, to be sure, so they must be considered carefully. If you have extremely sensitive skin, this may not be the peel for you. However, if you have pretty durable skin and are looking for pretty incredibly changes with a little bit of pain and discomfort, they may be just the thing for you.

Glycolic acid is a natural, alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) derived from pineapples, sugar cane, sugar beets, grapes, and cantaloupe. It is widely used and loved for its ability to fade away sunspots, acne scars, and even out wrinkles with its exfoliating properties.

This acid travels into the deep layers, stimulating cell regeneration and increasing collagen production. This helps it to reveal a glowing, younger looking appearance. It is a good alternative to harsh exfoliants that do more damage than good.

The acid peels come in many different strengths from 20 percent all the way to 70 percent. Those who are beginners should start with a lower concentration. Those who are sensitive and worried about irritation should spot test the product before using all over the face.

It can be used regularly with a one to two week break between each usage. Some people use it about ten times at first for fast results. To use, first start out with a thoroughly washed, clean face. Then, dab onto the face and let sit for a few minutes. Wash off.

Since the fresh, new skin is sensitive, plenty of sun protection and sunscreen is imperative especially after the first few days. Many people see results after one use, with even better results with continued use and will start to notice their pores looking smaller and skin looking more radiant, fresher.  Those who have acne mostly under control will love how scars disappear.

Those with wrinkles will notice a more youthful, glowing appearance. Those who spent too much time in the sun will see less sun spots. People will look and feel more beautiful with glycolic acid.

Cystic acne is the most painful and harshest form of acne. It is also referred to as modular acne. Treating cystic acne is actually difficult since it takes longer time to heal. It is believed that cystic acne is caused by hormonal imbalances and accumulation of dirt on the skin. Sometimes it is said to be hereditary.

Adult cystic acne is common with pregnant women. This is because they undergo a lot of body changes that results into hormonal changes. Therefore, we should look at effective ways to completely eliminate this type of acne.

Cystic acne is treatable. If not treated on properly, it can lead to scars and dark marks on the skin which will make you look ugly. In order to treat cystic acne, you can try two effective ways; consult a dermatologist or use natural cystic acne treatment remedies.

When adults are diagnosed with cystic acne, they prefer consulting the skin expert medical practitioners to home remedies. This is because the home remedies may take a longer time to heal the complication and many people do not like those pustules on their skin. Therefore, you can get rid of these pimples by taking drugs and antibiotics prescribed by a specialist.

Taking oral antibiotics can actually get rid of cystic acne within few a days sometimes, however we have talked about the dangers of taking antibiotics for acne. Especially when they are used long term – they have been linked to breast cancer, and they greatly diminish and may permanently diminish the friendly bacterium that inhabit the intestines and colon, giving you digestive problems. Women do take oral contraceptives in order to curb the complication. Doctors also recommend surgical excision and drainage.

This is whereby a doctor makes incision in the skin in order to extract the infected pus. Injections can also be used whereby a certain medication is directly injected into the lesion. This is done to reduce inflammation.

You can also use simple home based remedies to treat cystic acne. These are inexpensive and with fewer side effects. While using home remedies, it is advisable to avoid squeezing the pimples since this can leave a permanent scar and mark on your skin.

Eat healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables in order to cure cystic acne naturally. Omega fats can help cure acne within four weeks. Effective fruits include kiwi, tomatoes and avocados. Therefore, you are supposed to choose the best method to get rid of cystic acne from your skin before it spreads.

We’re happy to tell you we’ve added a new informative page for your viewing. It’s all about something we are very passionate about – natural acne cleansers.  We are, of course, passionate about a holistic, complementary approach to treating acne.  Part of this effective treatment regimen is using effective and all natural, non irritating yet very effective natural acne cleansers.

Our criteria for “natural” are the following :
NO SULFATES – Especially no SLS, or sodium lauryl sulfate, which disrupts the delicate moisture balance of the skin and can actually aggravate the skin and force it to produce even more sebum.

NO artificial colors or fragrances. Artificial colors and fragrances contain a bevy of skin-unfriendly chemicals that not only irritate the skin, but also enter the body where they can become bio-active and cause things like nerve damage, cell damage, hormone disruption and more.

NO PARABENS. And no other chemical preservatives.  These can cause hormonal disruption upon entering the body. They have also been linked to cancer.

The natural acne skin cleanser  on our new page must fit this criteria.  Happy reading!

Acne affects a majority of todays teen population as well as a lot of the adult populatoin, but did you know that there are different types of acne that people can get? There a six basic types of acne that people are known to get and it is important that you identify what kind you have before you try to treat it.

The first type of acne that most people are familiar with are called blackheads. Blackheads are caused because dead skin over layers a pore and then the pore becomes clogged becoming nothing more than a pestering zit. The next type most people could easily name off the top of their head is called a whitehead.

A whitehead is caused by hair follicles that block the pore thus making the glands that produce oil just fill up the pores and puff up the skin – hence the importance of keeping the pores clear of all dirt, debris and bacteria by using gentle yet effective acne face washes.

Like whiteheads there is another acne called acne vulgaris.  The two get confused for one another but the causes are different. The main cause of vulgaris acne is because of oversecretion of oil due to puberty or hormonal spikes that the person has. There are different reasons on why vulgaris acne starts but most of the time it is due to this.

Acne rosacea is a type of acne that appears small and red the red is a blood vessel that has risen due to the clogged pore. One of the last types of acne that is not as often seen is cystic acne which appears to be much larger compared to other forms of acne because the pus in the pore ruptures under the skin thus moving into the deep layers of the skin giving it plenty of room to grow.

It is best if this acne is treated before this happens because it has the potential of leaving permanent damage to the skin resulting in facial scaring. The last type of acne that in common to see is nodular acne which is basically vulgarls acne but the pus under the pore hardens into a solid object thus leaving potential for damage to get rid of.

All six of these acnes have different types of treatments that may work best – it’s up to you to find one that suits your skin best.

Seeing your newborn with small, pimple-like bumps on their face can be dismaying. The acne you sometimes see on small babies usually appears within a few weeks of birth. It usually appears on the face, chin and forehead, but is not totally limited to those areas in all cases.

Acne in infants is caused by hormones that were passed from the mother to the child that causes hormonal changes in the baby’s skin. It usually does subside on its own, but there are some things you can do in the meantime to help it clear up faster.  Following a few treatment steps will clear up your baby’s skin in a few short weeks.

Make sure to keep the baby’s skin clean. Wash your baby’s face twice a day using warm water and a mild cleanser. This will prevent your baby’s acne from becoming infected. It also helps soothe the skin’s dryness and irritation which helps to support the healing of the existing acne bumps on your baby’s face and other areas.

Use a soft wash cloth, rough scrubbing can cause the skin condition to worsen. Do not allow droll or spit up to stay on your child’s face. Have a bib around to clean up any spit up or drool that drops on his face.

Baby’s scratch and rub their skin during an acne outbreak. Hypoallergenic creams keep the face well moisturized. The moisturizers also help relieve the itching. Do not use lotions meant for adult skin. There are plenty of all natural moisturizers that are designed specifically for infants’ sensitive skin.

To prevent further irritation, babies should wear soft clothing. Also, try to avoid rubbing the baby’s skin against your clothing. Some adult clothing is washed using hard detergents and contain synthetic fibers that can aggravate the skin condition. There are detergents designed for babies that are hypoallergenic and do not contain fragrances.

Check the baby periodically for overheating. You can tell the baby is overheating by looking at his back. If the back is sweaty, then change your baby into something that is not as warm. Sweat can act as an irritant to acne, keep babies cool and dry.

Baby acne looks far worse than it is. It is something that affects many infants. With time and proper skin care, this condition clears up without creating any long-term skin issues.  Now, when your baby becomes a teen, it’s a whole different ballgame

Lets face it, with all of the stress in today’s world it’s no wonder why so many individuals develop acne. Adults as well as teens today have acne, and have a harder and harder time getting rid of it with conventional therapies.  While there are numerous products one can use to ‘rid’ acne, they actually do more damage. Acne washes, rubs, and overall treatments contain large amounts of alcohol.

Alcohol is not dangerous to your skin; however, it will in fact dry out your skin leaving you with another skin problem. Alcohol while it is not dangerous it is very harsh to your skin, these products simply dry the facial skin allowing acne to peel off/come off, It does not magically remove acne like so many commercials like to state.

I highly recommend trying a natural method to reduce/rid acne. Natural methods such as Baking Soda, by mixing three teaspoons of water with ½ a cup of baking soda, you are creating your own natural acne remedy.

Baking soda has many benefits; it softens skin as well as opens facial pores that aid in the result of acne. By opening your pores, you are actually removing acne not simply drying it out. Baking soda will not leave you with dry, dull skin as other acne wash products do. You will have glowing, acne free skin all from one small natural method.

Numerous dermatologists have even recommended natural methods such as the ‘baking soda’ method (all natural remedies). There is little to no hassle involved simply mix the baking soda and water until it forms a pasty substance.

Then apply to your face, you are sure to see your acne reduce every day this method is used. Stop wasting hard-earned money, and go for the baking soda natural method of removing acne. You will be saving yourself from losing money and disappointment. However, be careful not to leave the baking soda on any one spot for too long.

It can dry your skin excessively and cause irritation if it is left on the skin too long. Sodium in and of itself is drying and irritating, but when left on the skin the right amount of time it can kill the surface bacteria and help heal your acne naturally.

Can Hydrogen Peroxide really help to treat acne? If it does then what are the pros and cons? Acne being one of the most annoying embarrassing conditions that can happen to a person can be difficult and expensive to treat, but is so worth trying. There’s nothing like clear pretty skin.

In my experience, hydrogen peroxide has just irritated my skin, and hasn’t really done much as far as helping to clear acne, but others may have had different experiences. I find that diet, supplementation and using the right and gentle products to cleanse my face as well as stearing clear of topical creams and such which usually tend to dry me out too much if they are over the counter.

Acne washes available over the counter work well, but can truly be expensive, most are over $5. Also, if you’re not careful with most acne cleaners that are purchased over the counter, you will notice that most will dry your skin out because of all the different ingredients inside of them.

Hydrogen Peroxide has been known to be effective in cleaning the skin and reducing breakouts but there are some things you should know about hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is an astringent that will clear acne along with blemishes for some people, not all.  It is a very cheap product to buy as it is a general first aid wound cleansing product that is generic and can be found in  most drugstores with their drug brand on it.

That’s right, you will notice in a few weeks that the blemishes on your face will began to disappear, but don’t stop using the hydrogen peroxide because blemishes can reappear if they helped to remove the blemishes in the first place. People that have used hydrogen peroxide on a daily basis may have better skin, but those who are very sensitive may not like the way it makes their skin feel.

One thing that you wanna be careful of, of course is your eyes, eye lashes and eyebrows. Hydrogen peroxide is one of the main ingredients in hair dye and bleach so it will bleach eyebrows, and lashes.

If you wanna lighten up your brows the best way to achieve this and the safest is to dip an old toothbrush into the hydrogen peroxide then rub the peroxide through your eyebrows. If any peroxide was to get into your eyes try not to panic and rinse the eyes for 15 minutes to wash the peroxide out, if symptoms of peroxide are still in your eyes go to the emergency room, best to be safe than sorry.

Yes, Hydrogen Peroxide will treat acne, and it will turn eyebrows, lashes a lighter shade.