Know Your Acne Treatment Ingredients

If you have had acne before, and most of us have, then you probably went down to your local pharmacy and bought an acne treatment off the shelf. One that was labelled to help reduce acne fast. But some of them contain acne treatment ingredients that can be harsh on the skin. These potent chemicals can cause certain side effects that you need to be aware of.

So let’s take a look at some of these acne treatment ingredients:

Benzoyl Peroxide

This is the most common ingredient in most acne creams and gels. The way it works is by actually killing the bacteria that is lying underneath your skin and clogging your pores. When the bacteria is removed and pores aren’t clogged any longer, it reduces any inflammation and the acne should reduce too. This ingredient is quite mild and shouldn’t have any side effects.

Resorcinol & Sulphur

When these two ingredients are mixed together, they make an excellent acne treatment and they are found in many products. They help to reduce the excess oil that your skin is producing, so the acne will be reduced.

Salicylic Acid

This is another common ingredient found in many acne treatments and cleansers. What it does is prevents the shedding of skin cells that happen abnormally in your skin. These are what clog the pores and cause the acne. But it stops this from happening, so your pores remain clear.

Alcohol

Alcohol is used in many treatments and toners. It helps to reduce the amount of bacteria under your skin, so your pores don’t get clogged. It is commonly used with Acetone which helps reduce the amount of oil produced by the body.

These are some of the most common acne treatment ingredients you will find in over the counter products.