Acne Treatment Gel

Since most outbreaks of acne do not take place overnight, finding a treatment that works in a few hours just is not realistic. However, using an acne treatment gel can greatly speed up the process of ridding the face and other areas of the body of unsightly blemishes. For many people, occasional acne blemishes are going to be a normal part of life and taking care of the skin all the time can offer prevention, but once they do appear getting rid of them becomes a priority.

Acne is caused by the pores of skin being clogged with natural body oils and bacteria grows, usually beginning under the skin, causing a blackhead, a whitehead or a pimple to form on the surface of the skin. Using an acne treatment gel can kill the bacteria, break down the oil and clear up the skin. The best method known for fighting acne is benzoyl peroxide, the active ingredient in many of the acne treatment gels available over the counter.

In severe cases of acne an acne treatment gel may not be enough and consultation with a dermatologist may be required to help figure out why an individual is plagued by chronic acne outbreaks.

While most people can tolerate benzoyl peroxide, it does cause a rash in others. Most acne treatment gel available over the counter will have either five or ten percent benzoyl peroxide and it is recommended to be used three times a day on trouble spots. However, it has been known to cause redness where it comes in contact with the skin in some people who have a reaction to the chemical.

One of the most popular acne treatment gels available over the counter contains salicylic acid, retinol and glycolic acid. Considered safe for use it has been known to have a similar reaction among some users as benzoyl peroxide. While using any of the acne treatment gels the user experiences a redness or irritation of the skin, the gel should be applied less frequently than recommended and if the rash appears bad enough, discontinue using it all together.

Regardless of what many may have learned as a teenager, blemishes should never be squeezed or scraped. This can lead to spreading the bacteria to other parts of face currently not covered by acne. Using an acne treatment gel directly on the blemish should produce positive results within the first day.