Over the years acne has affected millions of people in their early teens and for many on into their adult life. Each year new acne treatments hit the market, each claiming to stop further acne breakouts. Yet no one medication for acne has been proven to do that.

If you’re like so many acne sufferers, and have a medicine cabinet full of various acne medications that don’t work, you need to stop and get back to the basics of acne care. Your first step is to become knowledgeable about what acne is and how it develops. Visit your doctor, or better yet consult with a dermatologist about your acne condition. Your dermatologist may recommend over-the-counter medications for acne or if your acne is severe, you may need perscription acne medication.

Much of the medications for acne available today consist of several products (systems for controlling acne), which includes an acne face wash, exfolliator or toner and some lotion. The combined use of these acne medications can have dramatic results in acne blemish control. Though they will likely not cure your acne, they will, when used properly, significantly lessen the number of acne breakouts.

These acne blemish control systems include:

Face wash or cleanser:

The face wash or cleanser is used to fight bacteria. Some are designed to combat bacteria, both on the surface and within the pores. At the same time many contain tiny granules to help exfoliate dead skin cells and impurities. The two most common ingredients of face washes is either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Each of these ingredients approach acne control in different ways.

Benzoyl Peroxide:

Benzoyl peroxide used as an antiseptic to lessen the number of surface bacteria and skin yeasts. It is available as a gel, cream, lotion or face wash in varying concentrations.

Salicylic Acid:

Salicylic acid helps to slow down shedding skin cells inside the follicle, which in turn reducing clogging. It also helps breakdown, both blackheads and white heads. Salicylic acid is available in varying forms, like gels, lotions and medicated pads (Stridex) and in varying concentrations.

Exfolliator or toner:

The purpose of this gel or cream is to remove dead skin cells, unclog pores and remove excess oil. This one step is essential to acne blemish control. While not visible to the naked eye, clogging of the pores are a major contributor to acne breakouts. Again, depending on the manufacturer, either benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid or another medication for acne may be included in this step.

Lotion:

The final step is applying a lotion. These lotions are usually oil free and used to moisturerize, re-hydrate and reduce irritation of your skin. Some lotions may contain benzoyl peroxide to heal inflammation, which helps prevent future breakouts.

No matter which medication for acne you choose to use, following the acne treatment listed above will help to lessen your acne breakouts. Each step is an important step in active acne blemish control. The combined use of these medications can help to keep your skin clear and acne free. As with use of any medications, you should always consult with your doctor or dermatologists before starting any acne care treatment.

There are a plethora of acne medications currently on the market. Some of these are prescription medications, such as accutane. Others are over the counter chemical compounds, such as benzoyl peroxide. There are even herbal based acne medications, such as tea tree oil. However, many of them are not as effective as advertised.
Part of the problem with finding the right acne medication is that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to acne. Different people respond differently to the various medications and treatments. However, there are several acne medications that have been clinically proven to be effective in treating acne, and these are the medications that will stop acne for most people.
Prescription Acne Treatments
Of the prescription medications, Accutane is one of the best. It is a chemical derivative of vitamin A, and is often referred to as the “miracle drug” for acne. Accutane is most effective in the treatment of severe cystic acne, and not to be taken lightly. For some people, the many side effects can be worse than the acne itself. However, this is one treatment that works.
Retin A and Renova are also prescription medications. These are topical derivatives of vitamin A, and are also good at clearing up fine lines, wrinkles, and slight skin discolorations. One of the biggest downsides is sunlight and other topical acne treatments must be avoided while using either of them. However, they are proven to reduce acne.
Birth control pills and antibiotics round out the acne medications most commonly prescribed. Birth control pills are used exclusively by women to help regulate hormones, and therefore lessen the hormonally related acne that many women experience. Antibiotics work by attacking the acne causing p.bateria as it grows deep in skin pores.
Over the Counter Acne Treatments
There are some over the counter acne treatments that work well. The two best are benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid.
Benzoyl peroxide works by penetrating the skin pores, and eliminating the acne causing bacteria that grows deep in the skin. Benzoyl peroxide is the most commonly used acne treatment because it is affordable, easily available, and nearly as effective as most prescription medication.
Salicylic acid works by removing the top layers of dead skin cells. This helps the skin renew itself faster, and decreases the chance for pore blockage and a subsequent acne breakout.
Herbal Acne Treatments
The vast majority of acne treatments fall under the heading of “herbal” acne treatments. The reason is because of the lack or regulation for herbal products. This can be very frustrating to the general consumer, because it is impossible to tell which herbal treatment will work to stop acne, and which ones will do very little at all.
Of every herbal treatment available, there are only 2 that are currently proven to stop acne. Tea tree oil will help get rid of acne, and so will green tea cream.
Tea tree oil is an oil derived from one tea tree plant that is unique to Australia. For several hundred years it was touted as a cure all, until penicillin was introduced to fight bacteria. However, tea tree oil has seen a recent revival due in part to study conducted in 1990 that proved it is as effective in treating acne as 5% benzoyl peroxide. Furthermore, it had none of the side effects that benzoyl peroxide does.
Green tea cream has been validated more recently, at the 2003 American Academy of Dermatology conference. It was proven that green tea is as effective in treating acne as a 4% benzoyl peroxide solution. Though the study has not been corroborated yet, it demonstrated that there is another herbal treatment besides tea tree oil.
These are some of the acne medications proven to work. For those who are experiencing acne, any of the aforementioned treatments would be well worth trying.
Greg Podsakoff is a former acne sufferer, and the editor of http://www.acne-treatments-guide.com