The Best Acne Treatment Alternatives

By Paul Steel 

Acne is probably one of the most common skin and beauty concerns that almost every individual will experience. But its appearance or proliferation will differ from one person to another. Some people are lucky to experience mild or unnoticeable acne concerns but there are also those who are suffering from severe acne problems. The good news is that there are now several acne treatment alternatives that are proven effective in preventing and totally eliminating this skin concern.
When trying to treat acne, the solutions you could choose can be divided into two categories; the use of over-the-counter or prescribed medication, and, the all-natural acne solutions or treatments.
Medical alternatives

• Applying benzoyl peroxide. When it comes to the medical alternatives, benzoyl peroxide is one of the top suggestions of doctors. This chemical compound is both an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. It kills the bacteria which causes the growth of acne.
• Salicylic Acid. Included in the conventional acne treatment is the application of salicylic acid. This mild acid solutions helps remove that excess oil as well all the dirt including dead skin cells which clog your pores. This is done by peeling off the outer layer of the skin.
• Sulfur. Because acne is essentially an excess oil concern, the best treatment is to keep your facial skin dry and oil-free. Sulfur is just the right formula to do this job. Aside from absorbing all the excess facial oil created by the sebaceous glands, it also helps in drying and eventually clearing out pimples.
• Oral or topical retinoids. Retinoids are formulated to control that excessive oil production of the sebaceous glands and they also prevent the buildup of dead skin cells on the skin's hair follicles.
• Antibiotics. If all the other acne treatments or solutions are deemed ineffective, the doctor might eventually prescribe the use of antibiotics. Antibiotics can help if the severe acne concern already escalates to an infection or bacterial problem.
• Laser therapy or treatment. The cosmetic industry has also its own alternative, the use of laser heat or energy. A laser treatment also aims in controlling the hyperactivity of the sebaceous glands.

Natural alternatives in treating acne

• Tea-tree oil. Tea-tree oil helps treat acne through its antibacterial properties. The oil targets the bacteria that trigger the production of acne and pimples. The efficacy of this natural solution is often compared to that of benzoyl peroxide only that the results last longer.
• Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The main purpose of washing or rubbing your face with these acids or citrus juices is to clean out the dirt lying on your skin pores that contributes to the buildup of acne or pimples.
• Honey. Honey can be considered as an ancient acne treatment alternative. Its antibacterial properties have been widely used to solve several skin concerns since the time of the early Egyptians.
• Clean and dry up your face regularly. Most of the time, the simple regimen of cleaning, washing, and drying up the facial skin is more than enough to clear out acne and maintain that pimple-free skin.
• Exercise and sweating helps. Did you know that sweating greatly helps? When you sweat, you are actually excreting all those oil and dirt which lie and pile up on your pores. So if you're not fond of exercising, it's the best time to start.
• Reduce stress. Lifestyle changes and reducing stress is also one of the best and free acne treatment alternatives. This is because stress and unhealthy lifestyle are among the causes and contributors of acne or pimples.

Finding the best acne products doesn't always have to be very hard. The best acne treatment can be very helpful to your clear skin goal.

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