Acne can leave your skin looking red and angry, to say nothing of the potential scars once the actual pimple fades away. Attack the bacteria that cause acne with a host of over-the-counter remedies. Not all acne treatments are alike, and some can actually make your skin worse. Choose an effective product that's been selected by beauty experts.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment
Paula Begoun, skincare expert and author of "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me," rated Neutrogena's acne treatment one of the best beta hydroxy acid products available from drugstores. It contains pore-exfoliating salicylic acid at a strength of 2 percent to help keep your skin clear, plus emollients and herbal extracts like green tea to help moisturize and soothe away inflammation and redness due to pimples.
Proactiv
The beauty editors of InStyle magazine placed Proactiv's three-step treatment kit in its list of 2009's best beauty buys, ranking it as one of the top acne regimens available. Dermatologist Randal Haworth, writing for the magazine, says its high concentration of benzoyl peroxide kills the bacteria that cause acne. Proactiv includes three main products: a skin cleanser, a toner and a moisturizing lotion.
Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10, Maximum Strength
For spot-treating a blemish, you can't go wrong with Clean & Clear's Persa-Gel 10. Begoun gave it her rare "Paula's Pick" recommendation, saying it's a "very potent... topical disinfectant" that eliminates bacteria with the highest concentration of benzoyl peroxide that's allowed without a prescription. She says it may be very drying to your skin due to the peroxide, but can work well for "stubborn" acne. Combat the dryness with a basic moisturizer.
Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Anti-Blemish
Acne-prone skin needs moisturizing, but many moisturizers contain oils and other chemicals that only serve to make your acne even worse. Not so with Neutrogena's anti-blemish moisturizer, according to InStyle magazine, which named it the best inexpensive night cream for oily skin. It contains standard humectants and emollients for softer skin, plus salicylic acid for your acne and retinol to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
References
- "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me"; Paula Begoun; 2009
- InStyle Magazine: Best Beauty Buys 2009
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