5 Options to Control Acne

Do you struggle with acne?  Do you also struggle with skin care for acne?  Here are 5 Options to Control Acne so you don’t get frustrated.

Frustrating Acne

Acne can be so frustrating.  No one wants to deal with acne but unfortunately, it is part of life.  As a teenager, you may have had acne and if you were lucky, it went away – for a while.  Then, it came back – maybe in your 20’s, maybe in your 30s.  For some, it hasn’t returned until you were well in your 40s or 50s.  So annoying!  But, whatever stage of acne you are in, there are ways to control it.  So, here are 5 options to control acne:

5 Options to control Acne

Aside from the obvious of eating a well-balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, drinking enough water, and exercising (all of which can help acne), there are 5 options to control acne.  Here they are:

Mandelic Acid

Mandelic acid is an ingredient in some skin care products.  It’s good for sensitive skin and can help exfoliate skin.  It’s also antibacterial.  The nice part about this ingredient is that it can help you look less wrinkly.  Why is that you say?  It’s because it can help your collagen production.  Plus, it can also help with any hyperpigmentation issues.

Glycolic Acid

This ingredient may be more familiar to you than the mandelic acid.  It’s an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) and it can help get rid of dead skin cells because it goes deep to actually get rid of acne causing oil.  This can also help collagen production.  The only problem is that it can aggravate sensitive skin.  This one, too, can help with hyperpigmentation.

Salicylic Acid

Even more common that the above 2 ingredients, this is the 3rd of 5 options to control acne.  This is found in many common over the counter products.  It helps to unclog pores and it’s anti-inflammatory.  It is good for those of you that are acne sufferers but this can also aggravate sensitive skin.  My skin is too sensitive to use this on a regular basis.

Retinoids

Retinoids have vitamin A which helps turnover cells and helps collagen production and even elastin.  In addition, it can help unclog pores.  The problem with this one is that it can increase acne initially.  That’s because of the increased cell turnover so while it is a temporary issue, it can overall help.

Benzoyl Peroxide

I must admit that benzoyl peroxide is my favorite of the 5 options to control acne.  That’s because I tend to suffer from the pustules and it’s great for that.  This spot treatment helps to kill the bacteria that causes acne.  A problem with this ingredient is that it can also be irritating, especially for those of us with sensitive skin.  However, if you know how to use it – sparingly / as needed – and you don’t overdo it, it works great!

The only other problem is that it will bleach clothing so be careful not to use it when you’re wearing something that will get ruined.  And, don’t forget that it will also bleach your sheets if you decide to apply before you go to bed.