There are loads of acne skin care items around. We can catalog acne skin care items into 3 broad categories -

• Deterrent or general acne skin care items

• Over-the-counter, specialised acne skin care products

• On-prescription acne skin care products.

The all-purpose acne skin care products are the ones that are used as an acne-prevention measure. These include cleansers, make-up removers and similar products that help avoid acne. In the real sense, these acne skin care items are those that ought to be part of your daily schedule anyway. However, some of these are more oriented to work like an acne skin care product.

These acne skin care products act against the reasons for acne e.g. limiting the production of sebum/oil and preventing the congestion of skin pores. Essentially, these acne skin care items prevent the oil from becoming blocked in pores and consequently impede the growth of the bacteria that lead to acne. Broad-spectrum acne skin care products also include exfoliation items like skin peels. These work by removing dead skin cells, thereby reducing the likelihood of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

Then there are specialised acne skin care items that are available over-the-counter i.e. without the need of a prescription. These embrace items like vanishing creams which extract the extra oil from the skin. Most of these acne skin care products are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and so acne). You should start with a product that has a lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5%) and see how your skin responds to it.

Alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are also common as acne skin care products. You may have to test a few, before you discover the acne skin care product that is most successful for you. If nothing seems to work, you should get in touch with a dermatologist.

On-prescription acne skin care products are the ones that are prescribed by a dermatologist. These include ointments that can be rubbed on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical medication. Dermatologist might also recommend a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules. However, never try to squeeze or do this by yourself, it can lead to the permanent damage of your skin. Your doctor could also prescribe a hormone-based treatment (since hormonal changes are also known to cause acne). Such acne skin care items are known to be very efficacious in some circumstances.

So, with all those acne skin care products, combatting acne is really not all that arduous.