OTC (over the counter) acne treatment is kind of hit or miss. If you do not need a prescription to get it, the fact is that people can make all kinds of wild claims as long as they do not come right out and lie. If you ever stay up at night watching late night infomercials, you will notice that they never really say exactly what their products do. This or that pill might enlarge a “certain part” of the male anatomy, but which part are they talking about? If they say which part it is, then they can be held responsible when the pill winds up not enlarging it.
Many acne medications get away with the same trick. They do not say exactly what they are supposed to do, so they do not have to do it to keep their product on the market. A medication that “increases confidence” and “helps your skin” is not really saying anything.
When buying over the counter acne skin treatment, just make sure that they are making clear statements that can actually be proven or dis-proven. They should be able to tell you exactly what their product does, and how, including…
Cleaning Pores
This should be the bare essence of what any acne medication is all about. Forget new age all natural remedies and whatever it is they are selling out there, if it does not clean pores, then it will not fight acne. Look for medication that boasts active ingredients like alpha hydroxyl acids, benzyl peroxide, zinc and salicylic acid. These will get to the root of zits, breaking down oils and dead skin cells and clearing them out to keep your pores clean and fresh.
Healing and Restoring Skin
If you have to contend with acne scarring, severe inflammation, dryness and other skin conditions that result as a side effect of acne, then you may want to look into acne medications that help to restore the skin. This should mean that they include vitamin D and moisturizers. You can try herbal treatments if you like, but vitamin D and moisturizers are on a very short list of ingredients that are actually proven to help address cracked, broken and dry skin.