For most of us that take pride in the way we look, the thought of suffering with acne or Zits, may at first seem awful; but that doesn’t mean it’s something that cannot be tackled. A great deal of money is being spent researching the condition; now, some of these skin conditions are gradually being conquered. Although the number of acne skin care products and treatments might at first seem endless, they can actually be categorized into three areas:
* Those that help prevent the condition
* Over-the-counter: Treatment
* Prescription: Dermatologist or Doctor, specialist cream or ointment
Preventative products are formulated to treat the skin in an effort to control the occurrence of acne; these include cleansers, make-up removers and other similar products that can help prevent the condition. Whilst many sufferers use these products there are even more who just want to keep their skin clean and conditioned; many use these products to protect their skin from the environment even if they do not have the acne condition. There are acne skin care products that are more specialized in there approach; they ensure the facial pores (and other areas) remain free of oil. These skin care products are designed to prevent this from happening.
Exfoliation skin peels have proved quite effective as a skin care treatment and at controlling the problem; these are easily obtainable in any drug store. These work towards removing dead skin cells, reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development. Many other acne skin care products have become available over the counter and on the internet; they don’t usually require a prescription. A bacterium that aids the formation of acne is stopped by creams and cleansers that contain benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid; they work by removing the excess oil from the skin and halt the growth of acne.
It is often a good idea to start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5 percent) to see how the skin responds; alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are a safer skin care regime alternative if there is a problem. It might just be a case of trial and error to find an acne skin care product that works; if finding something that works is proving difficult, your dermatologist should be able to help. Products that your dermatologist or doctor will recommend will only be available on prescription, they may include a course of antibiotics or topical ointments.
Your dermatologist may suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules; however, sufferers are warned never to attempt this as it could lead to serious skin problems. An alternative that has been shown to work well is hormone therapy; hormonal changes are known to cause acne and such skin care treatments often effective. Constant research has paid off, and whilst they cannot cure the condition, it is becoming easier to treat.
Peoples’ preoccupation with anti-ageing skin care products that claim to make you look younger is not surprising; there is nothing wrong with wanting to continue looking young as you get older, in fact it is quite a healthy aim. This group of beauty products generally works by enabling the synthesis of collagen, the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant in our body; almost 25 percent of the protein in skin is actually collagen. Collagen is related to other natural substances which help to slow down the ageing process; known as antioxidants, they are the body’s method of slowing down the ageing process.
Probably the best known of these anti-oxidants is vitamin C although no-one really knows just how much we should have each day. The problem with vitamin C derived skin care treatments is they can become oxidized when exposed to the atmosphere, often even before they are used.
To overcome this problem, manufacturers use alternative skin care treatments that still provide the same benefits but not the high manufacturing costs. These alternative products are not as effective as vitamin C but vitamin E and lipoic acid are anti-oxidants and are now being used.
The body uses vitamin E as an antioxidant and to increase the natural defense we have against sickness; it has been linked to resistance to a number of conditions including certain types of cancer. Another of these is lipoic acid which is found in every cell of our body to help generate energy for us to live; it can help reverse much of the damage caused to the skin by ageing.
Phytochemicals aren’t produced by the body but are extracted from a number of plants and used in many anti-ageing skin care products to combat the signs of ageing. A further benefit of these phytochemicals is their ability to prevent the onset of certain cancers; for example:
* Prostate Cancer
* Breast Cancer in Women (and occasionally men)
* Cancer of the Colon
These three types of cancer are also becoming a global problem.
It has also been discovered that there are anti-ageing benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. Although the area of anti-ageing skin care products is huge, more is being learnt about the whole ageing process and about natural products that can reduce the effects it has on our bodies as well as our skin. Although current regimes are quite effective, there are many ways to combat the effects of time; there is still a long way to go however, before methods that successfully reduce the effects of age are commonplace.
Hopefully, these challenges will get resolved in due course and better and cheaper anti-ageing skin care products will be produced. However, man-made skin care regimes should be used only as a supplement; we must not forget however, that there are many more natural methods we can all use to reduce the signs of aging on a regular basis. Regular sleep patterns, exercise, a good healthy diet and less stress will all contribute to reducing the signs of ageing, for instance!