Over the counter, sometimes referred to as otc for
short, products are starting to become an increasingly popular
alternative to prescription medication in the treatment of acne.
These products are readily available as you don't need a prescription
from your doctor to buy them and for people with mild to moderate forms
of acne the best over the counter treatments will be just as effective
as the more expensive prescribed ones.
Besides being cheaper, these products often have
little, or no side effects, in comparison to some of the highly
publicised prescribed antibiotic drugs used by doctors.
Although there are lots of over the counter acne
products on sale, really there are only two kinds of treatments
available - either medicated or natural. Both types utilise basically
the same technique by using a drying agent to exfoliate the skin and to
combat the acne and pimples.
Usually, in the case of a medicated product, this
is either benzoyl peroxide, salycic acid or glycolic acid. Natural
products tend to use combinations of ingredients and plant extracts
like vitamin E, tea tree oil, aloe vera, witch hazel, green tea
extract, cucumber etc.
There seems to be a growing number of different
treatments but usually over the counter products come in the form of
topical cleansers, soaps, washes, lotions, creams, gels or even pads
and patches that are applied onto the skin.
When using these kind of preparations it is
important, that you cover all of the area where you have acne because
then you will also be treating the hidden blemishes that you can’t yet
see as well as the acne breakouts that you can.
Expect some trials and errors as you experiment
with the different treatments available, it may take you a while before
you find the right type or combination of products that work for you.
Whatever you do, don’t use more than one treatment at a time,
particularly with medicated products, discontinue one before you try
out another.
When you are trying a new product give it enough
time to start working before discarding it to try something else.
Typically you may need to use it for six to eight weeks before you
notice any real progress but, of course, this depends upon the severity
of your acne and your skin type, some people see improvements after
only a few weeks.
After you have found the perfect skin care
products that suit you and are providing good results, you may find
that you will need to continue your treatments to keep your acne in
check. This is because acne is a chronic (meaning long-term) skin
disorder and it is possible that once you stop using your treatments
the acne could reoccur.
To get the best out of any over the counter acne
products you need to use them consistently and correctly. This may be
common sense but do read the labels and make sure you use them in line
with the instructions given! If you don’t you risk causing damage to
your skin and doing more harm than good, this is especially true if you
have sensitive skin.
The over the counter products that are available,
whether medicated or natural, do successfully treat most forms of acne.
Unfortunately, there are always exceptions to the rule and there are
some types of acne that will not respond to these type of treatments.
If this happens to you and nothing you try is helping your condition
then seek the help of your doctor or dermatologist.
Elaine Clay is the owner of Acne Treatments Online.com :: Get articles
and information to help you find proven and effective acne solutions
available online to treat and get rid of your condition safely and
naturally.
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