Six Common Ingredients in Acne Medicine By Ingrid Lihan At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Many acne medicine treatments are available and work in different ways to clear acne. Some of the medication ingredients target certain areas of the acne while others kill the bacteria that can clog the hair follicle.

Clogged follicle can be the reason for acne not clearing away. Some acne medicine offer short term relief while others give you long-term relief. There are some side effects that come with a few ingredients. Most go away with use. The most common ingredients in acne medicines are the six listed below.

Alcohol & Acetone

These two ingredients are the main ones used in many acne products especially cleansers. They work great in removing oil and dirt from the skin. Unfortunately, these same tow ingredients can cause the skin to burn or sting. Some dermatologists will tell you not to use products or medication with this in it if you have severe acne.

Salicylic Acid

This ingredient works to dissolve the breakouts by removing the dead skin cells stuck inside the hair follicle. This prevents clogged pores letting the oil and sebum flow through without causing infection. The first few days of use might bring on mild redness and stinging. A two percent mixture is all that is necessary. A stronger mixture might be needed if the acne is severe.

Benzoyl Peroxide

This is considered one of the most effective ingredients in acne medicine. It is an agent which kills bacteria and takes these same bacteria from the follicles. It will also help to dissolve the skin cells. Most acne medicine have about 2.5 percent in it but can reach as high as 10 percent. It will depend on how severe the acne is. Benzoyl peroxide is the best thing to use on early acne. It can dry the skin and scaling. It might also cause redness and swelling of the area.

Antibiotics

Some acne medicine has antibiotics in it to kill the bacteria present and to stop the spread of the acne. Some physicians give antibiotics to prevent scars. The antibiotic acne medication can come in oral form or tropical creams and ointments. They have a regular schedule of use and must be used within a certain period of time. Natural Tea Tree oil is a natural remedy to use in place of the antibiotics.

Sulfur

Sulfur is almost never used in acne medicine without something to accompany it. Sulfur is good for acne reduction, removing excess oil, and ridding the dead skin cells form the skin. It helps to dry the skin and can cause it to be sore especially at the beginning of treatment. If the problems continue, the sulfur must be stopped until the side effects go away. A lower dose may be used.

Isotretinoin

This acne medication ingredient helps to lower oil and sebum production. It will also help to sooth irritation and inflammation. The pores will also be unclogged and dead skin cells removed by the Isotretinoin. This ingredient can cause scaling of the skin and dryness especially around the lip area.

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