If you have blackheads, you probably want to treat them before they erupt into full-scale pimples. Left alone, bacteria can infect them and create an unsightly red zit. Neutrogena, which makes a wide variety of skin-care products, offers three different treatments designed specifically to treat blackheads in an effort to prevent them from turning into pimples.
Causes
Acne develops from a combination of three specific factors. You need too-oily skin, erratic skin cell shedding and bacterial infection to develop pimples. Neutrogena's blackhead acne treatments aim to interrupt the process by eliminating your blackheads, which are clogs in your pores formed by a combination of excess oil and dead skin cells.
Types
Neutrogena offers three options for blackhead acne treatments, including Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent, Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub and Blackhead Eliminating 2-in-1 Foaming Pads. The oil-eliminating astringent contains benzoyl peroxide as its active ingredient, while the daily scrub and the foaming pads each include salicylic acid as their active ingredients.
Function
Benzoyl peroxide, as found in the Neutrogena astringent blackhead acne treatment, fights acne by killing the bacteria that turns blackheads into pimples, according to Drugs.com. Salicylic acid, which is found in both the Neutrogena daily scrub and the Neutrogena foaming pads, fights acne by encouraging your skin to peel and slough off. Blackheads often slough off as your skin peels.
Side Effects
Over-the-counter acne treatments containing benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, such as Neutrogena's blackhead acne treatments, can cause significant skin irritation, especially in the first month you use them, according to Drugs.com. Salicylic acid may make your skin red and cause excessive peeling, while benzoyl peroxide can overly dry your skin.
Considerations
According to MayoClinic.com, over-the-counter acne treatment products, such as those offered specifically for blackhead treatment by Neutrogena, may only work on very mild acne cases. However, your initial side effects probably will subside after you've used the treatment for about a month.
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