Before you grab the first over the counter acne treatment product that you see on the store shelves, you have to make sure that you are buying the product that is best for you. However, this is not the end of the story. An effective acne treatment program must be supported by a healthy and relevant skin care and treatment regimen that will ensure that you prevent the recurrence of the skin problem.
Over the counter acne products work in various ways, depending on the active ingredient that is present in such products. For instance, there are certain acne products that directly act on Propionibacterium acnes or P. acnes. This is the microorganism that is directly associated with acne inflammation. On the other hand, there is a certain type of over the counter acne treatment product that eliminates excess oil from our skin and promotes the growth of replacement skin cells. There are still other acne products that work by removing dead skin cells; and, finally, there is another group of acne products that combine all of these functions.
The more common active ingredients of over the counter acne treatment products include Benzoyl peroxide, Alpha hydroxyl acids, Salicylic acids and sulfur. Sulfur is normally combined with other known ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.
