Why do so many people search for acne treatments? Because zits suck! There’s nothing good about them, and they can lead to long-term issues with self confidence, scarring, and social problems as well. That’s why anything that hits the market that has a glimmer of a promise of hope gets its moment in the sun.
But it’s hard to determine which products work, and which don’t, because there’s such a variation between skin tones, complexions, lifestyles, genes, and other factors that go into what causes acne. Something that works for one person might not work for another even if they share many of the same qualities and traits.
History of Acne
You may wonder if early cavemen had to worry about acne. Probably not. The hair on their faces alone probably covered up most outbreaks. As we started to shed the hair and the skin beneath became more and more visible, acne must have become more and more evident.
Through the Victorian Era when more and more emphasis was placed on beauty and appearance, acne gained in importance and this would have been the time when cover-up products became popular.
In the modern world, where so much focus is placed on how you look, it has become epically important to have clear skin. People will make judgments about you based on how clear your face is. If you have acne, they might assume that you just aren’t as healthy as someone without it. All you have to do in order to confirm the importance of clear skin in today’s society is to look at celebrities and try to find one that doesn’t have a perfect complexion.
Causes of Acne
Depending on who you ask, there are several causes of acne. It seems that anyone that’s selling or promoting an acne solution will give you a different reason on why you have acne in the first place. Many theories have come about over the decades as to why some people get acne and others don’t. Rather than any one cause, it’s more of a unifying of several different factors including age, race, diet, lifestyle, genetics, hygiene,
The best approach to take is to look at it as a whole. There likely isn’t one specific reason why you have acne, so look at your overall situation and see if there are several things that you can change in order to help ease the situation. Trying to find one cause of your acne, and then fighting that one cause, often leads to failure. For example, if you have large pores, an unhealthy diet, and your mom and dad had acne, you should use a product that shrinks your pores, eat healthier foods, and accept that no matter what you do, you might be more prone to breakouts than other people.
Different Types of Acne
All acne is not created equally. There are many different types of acne, including blackheads, whiteheads, and cystic acne. You can also get acne on your face, back, and pretty much everywhere else on your body. The two most problematic areas are the face and the back, and most people want to find a way to end this condition as soon as possible.
Some of these cases might be mild, while others are more severe. A severe case should be taken to a dermatologist quickly, before scarring occurs from the harsh zits you’re getting.
Dermatologist Treatments
When you consult your dermatologist about your acne condition, they will have access to more powerful and potent drugs and treatments than you can find on the Internet or at your local drug store. They usually end up being the last resort after someone has tried a lot of other methods and nothing has worked.
It can be quite frustrating when you visit the dermatologist and the treatment they prescribe doesn’t work. It’s quite demotivating to think that your acne problem just can’t be cured. After all, they’re the professional and they couldn’t crack your case. However, many of today’s dermatologists follow a rather narrow view when it comes to treatment, so you should not give up just because they weren’t able to help you. There are plenty of alternative treatments, and emerging products to try.
Types of Acne Treatments Available
There are several different approaches to take when you want to get rid of your acne. You can attack it from the inside out, by taking pills that are meant to regulate your body internally so you don’t get acne in the first place. You can also mount an offensive from the outside, and apply topical lotions, creams, and other products to the zits you can see on your face.
Some of the most popular and well-known treatments have been around for decades and are found in every major grocery store. They use Benzoyl Peroxide, which is also well known as an acne fighter and prevention method. For example OXY, which has an entire line of products that includes face washes, creams, lotions, pads, but seems to lack a product specifically for back acne.
There’s no end to the types of treatments you can get. Manufacturers are always coming out with either the latest herbal remedy that seems to work, or creating new drug combinations to alter the body’s chemical make-up. It’s up to you as the end user to determine which of these is right for you, and which resonates with you the most.
Product Review Recaps
AcneFree Recap
AcneFree is a product that is just hitting the mainstream. It’s got three different products, but they all seem to treat the surface of your face, and therefore it only deals with the acne you can see today, not the ones that will arrive in the coming days, weeks, and months.
There is an abundance of positive feedback for AcneFree, so it might show good results for you, but you must be aware that since you are not curing your acne problem, you will be subjected to buying AcneFree again and again until the condition subsides. That’s why it would be best to combine using AcneFree with other methods that aim at getting to the core of the problem.
See our full review of AcneFree
AcnEase Recap
AcnEase comes with mixed reviews, and so therefore there’s no way to accurately determine whether or not it works. However, since treating acne is something of a hit or miss process, you should give it a go and see if it works for your specific case.
It’s made with mostly all-natural ingredients, so you won’t have to worry about dealing with any nasty side effects, or doing harm to your skin or body. In fact, you might see other positive benefits from using it, like smoother skin, or tighter pores, even if this doesn’t lead to fewer breakouts.
See our full review of AcnEase
ClearPores Recap
ClearPores is just a fun product. Right from the start you can see that they are doing something different than the competition. With a three-step system in place their focus is on treating your acne from the root, as well as on the surface. This means that not only will you reduce the appearance of the acne you currently have, but you are setting yourself for less frustration in the future.
Be prepared to put your money where your zits are, because ClearPores is not for the budget-conscious consumer. However, it’s best to pay more for one product that works on all counts, than it is to use several different products that have mixed results and effectiveness.
See our full review of ClearPores
Epiduo Recap
Epiduo takes a sort of Voltron approach to tackling your zits. They take two active ingredients and combine them into one force, creating a new superhero against your fight against acne. This is a spot treatment, and does not get down to the root cause of why you’re getting the zits in the first place.
It can be an effective way to help reduce the redness and appearance of your acne on the surface, but to truly be effective you should combine the use of Epiduo with other treatments that will give you the one-two punch needed to stay zit-free for the long run.
See our full review of Epiduo
MaxClarity Recap
MaxClarity is popular, not only because of its apparent effectiveness, but because of its reasonable price. Many acne treatments out there can cost an arm and a leg, so it’s refreshing to find something works for some users, and doesn’t gouge on the price.
They say that they are the only non-prescription foam on the market when it comes to fighting acne. They seem to have their act together, with an attractive packaging concept, and flash website. They don’t hype things up too much, and seem to take the sort of approach to getting rid of zits that would have the best chance of success.
See our full review of MaxClarity
Things to Avoid
While acne can take over your world and seem like the only thing that matters at the moment, you always have to keep your overall health in mind. That’s why you should avoid any drastic measures when it comes to using acne treatments. If you’re taking internal medication, be sure that the possible side effects of using the meds do not cause more severe problems than the acne itself.
You’ll also want to avoid any products from an unknown, unproven source. Just about anyone these days can create a product that looks like it might work, but in reality there has been no research into the development of the product and it’s basically someone operating out of their garage.
What to Expect
You should expect your acne situation to heal in time, not overnight. Looking for results too quickly is the biggest thing to get over when you’re are using any of these acne treatments. The body takes time to respond to these chemicals and natural herbs. It also needs to time adapt to any lifestyle changes you’ve made. Just because you stop eating junk food today doesn’t mean that your acne will clear up by tomorrow.
You should also try to put any expectations on the shelf. It doesn’t matter how bad you want clear, flawless skin. It’s going to happen or not going to happen, and it’s going to happen on it’s own time scale. Just because you have a big date this Friday or a wedding to go to, does not mean your acne knows this. Take a deep breath and realize that things unfold in their own way and in their own time, especially with the body.
So Do Any Acne Treatments Actually Work?
Yes, there are plenty of acne treatments out there that are effective at preventing and reducing the amount of acne you have, or will get in the future. The hard part is finding the one that is the right fit for your situation. Unfortunately, it’s a matter of trial and error until you stumble upon the system provides the results you want.
Our Recommendation
Take a multi-tiered approach to conquering your acne, and try the best you can to be at peace in the meantime. Stressing out about the situation only makes it worse, and it can be hard to keep your cool when you have a big event to attend and your acne is flaring up. First sit down and try to do an honest self evaluation as to the true causes of your problem. Only then can you take effective steps towards rectifying things, and making a turnaround.
Any strategy you employ should work at both preventing future break outs, as well as reducing the swelling and inflammation of the acne you currently have. Many people work hard just at the surface and don’t realize that they need acne treatments that go for the cause and not just the symptom.