Acne (or Acne vulgaris) can occur for various reasons. Wrong eating habits may be the cause: such as eating at irregular hours, or eating too many fried and fatty foods, and so forth. It can also occur as a result of devitalised skin due to overconsumption of caffeine, alcohol or tobacco.
In addition to adapting a healthier lifestyle and eating habits, a person may want to try some home remedies for acne or make a trip to his/her nearest pharmacy to look for an acne treatment that will hopefully clear up the acne.
Looking at the wide selection of acne products, the person may select a name brand that sounds most familiar to him or her. Though some brands may contain the same active ingredients as one another, they differ by the inactive ingredients, and because of these inactive ingredients, people may prefer one brand over another.
The person might be ready to try whatever it takes to rid him or herself of these embarrassing blemishes, but before the person actually applies a product or remedy to his or her acne-affected skin, he or she should first learn a little more about acne and his or her skin type to find the right product for him or her.
Two commonly seen active ingredients are benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
Benzoyl peroxide is an anti-bacterial and peeling agent, meaning it fights acne by killing the bacteria, P. acnes, that creates and exacerbates the unpleasant symptoms of acne, drying out the pimples while peeling off the outer layer of skin, thereby renewing your skin.
Salicylic acid is a peeling agent. It is a slightly bigger molecule than benzoyl peroxide, allowing it to stay on the skin to exfoliate the clogged up pores and prevent the pores from clogging up again.
When choosing benzoyl peroxide versus salicylic acid products, the person with acne has to first determine his or her skin type. Since benzoyl peroxide has anti-bacterial properties, it works more aggressively than salicylic acid. However, also because of that property, benzoyl peroxide is harsher on the skin and will dry out the skin more, making it good for oily skin types. Salicylic acid is gentler on the skin but will not kill the acne-causing bacteria, making it more suitable for sensitive and dry skin types, as well as those with blackheads.
For more information about acne and how the two active ingredients work individually to fight acne, please visit our website at the link below.
