Over The Counter Acne Treatments – Do They Work?

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
- Feel free to use the above article on your web site or ezine. Provided that it is published in it’s entirety, including my resource box above and a “live” clickable link to: http://www.acne-treatments-online.com

How The Liver Prevents Acne
The liver is responsible for detoxifying the blood as it comes from the colon, lungs, and lymphatic system. Once detoxified, this blood moves into your entire body to provide your cells with oxygen and digested nutrients.

Because you eat, breathe, and create so many toxins, the liver has a hard time neutralizing these toxins. If you are constipated, this puts an extreme toxic load on your liver, which eventually leads to the excretion of these toxins through your skin and face. Excessive toxins coming out through your skin can lead to acne and other skin diso...

Hormone Therapy For Women With Acne
More frequently women are combating acne and wrinkles simultaneously. It’s a hideous fight wrought with mysterious hormone signals and an even more baffling search for a cure.Acne does not go away with ageDr. Alan R. Shalita, who co-authored "The Effect of the Menstrual Cycle on Acne," found that contrary to the adage that, “You’ll grow out of acne”, premenstrual acne only seems to get worse with age. This study examined a group of 400 women ages 12 to 52. The investigators observed that 53 percent of women over age 33 experienced a higher rate of premenstrual acne than women under age 20-- who only reported a 39 percent increase in premenstrual acne.Dermatologist Diane Thiboutot...

A Look At Laser Acne Treatment
Laser acne treatment has been around for a few years now, and it is quickly replacing more traditional forms of acne removal and prevention. As antibiotics become increasingly ineffective due to overuse, more and more people are opting for this new technique. During laser resurfacing, a doctor holds a laser pen just above the acne or acne scar tissue and waves the concentrated beam of light back and forth, vaporizing only the unwanted tissue and creating a new surface for skin ce...