You can’t help but squint at the hundreds of products lining your local store shelf promising to cure acne. New products are churned out by the skin care companies on a regular basis. The sad fact to this phenomenon is that consumers continue to buy the latest acne cure, believing that this one will be hordes more effective than the last. The next time you jump on the miracle acne treatment bandwagon, you should take a closer look at the product label of the supposed “new and innovative” treatment. You are sure to find the same ingredients listed on your new treatment that were also found on your last product. Is there much sense in repurchasing the same thing because it has a different logo plastered on it? Not so much. Most over-the-counter products consist of the exact same ingredients. Hence, it is quite difficult to see what motivates people to spend exorbitant amounts of money, aside from assuming a herd-like mentality.
Benzoyl peroxide is the active ingredient in a countless number of acne products. It treats the main cause of acne, and an additional contributing factor. The main cause as you should know is an abnormal skin turnover cycle. The skin is unable to slough off old layers. The dead cells end up in pores, and acne lesions develop. Since no other ingredient treats these two factors so well, benzoyl peroxide is most always preferred.
Your usual over-the-counter treatment features a multi-step process. First your cleanse your skin, and then apply a special solution, such as a toner. The final step is to apply a topical medication. Cleansers and topical creams and gels specifically designed for acne always contain some concentration of benzoyl peroxide. Sometimes it is the sole acne-fighting additive, or combined with other ingredients like sulfur.
In most cases, a plain tube of benzoyl peroxide will be just as good as any other OTC product. Don’t be lured in by clever marketing ruses such as the fancy graphs depicted on the back of acne products. These usually don’t hold much water. A gentle cleanser and benzoyl peroxide is all you need.
If you intend to start saving money by using a simple tube of benzoyl peroxide, make sure to purchase it in low concentrations (2.5%). You will eliminate any undue irritation cause by higher concentrations.
