Health and Fitness

Acne is a problem that has plagued citizens of the world for many years. Everyone is used to getting a few pimples here and there throughout their teenage and young adult years, but some people face a daily battle against severe acne, which has caused a big movement in the development of acne treatment products. Various skin care companies and beauty products companies are all trying to come up with the next big thing in acne treatment, but many treatments out there don’t actually work.

The reason that many over-the-counter acne treatment products and medicines don’t work is because they don’t target the actual cause of acne breakouts. Creams, ointments, and facial scrubs are great for keeping your face clean, but all the harsh chemicals can ruin your skin, and will only take care of the physical symptoms of an acne breakout. These products are designed to clear bacteria and dirt from the pores, which is great, but will not stop acne from recurring. Acne is your body’s reaction to bacteria, infections, stress, hormones and poor diet. Treating your face is only part of the problem; you also need to treat your body to allow it to be healthier, which will stop acne from developing.

If you’re not experiencing desired results with over-the-counter acne treatments, you can try extra steps to keep your skin clean and free of bacteria. For example, changing your pillowcase frequently and cleaning your cell-phone with a little alcohol can keep bacteria away from your face. If washing and taking steps like this don’t work, consider changing your diet and taking daily vitamins to eliminate toxins from your body in order to cut down on the likelihood of a breakout. This will work better than any acne treatment products ever could.

Over-the-counter products have one fatal flaw-almost every one contains Benzoyl Peroxide and Methylisothiazolinone (MIT). These chemicals don’t do anything good for your skin, and actually can make it dry, rough, and itchy or create rashes. Although they may initially dry up the oily spots on your face, they will make your skin tougher and more difficult to clean, which leaves it more susceptible to attracting bacteria. Frighteningly, MIT has also been attributed to affecting the nervous system and contributing to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. To avoid these complications and get rid of acne, consider acne treatment products that are natural, or simply decrease your stress and change your diet to make your body healthier overall.

Mary Angelo is a contributing writer for Healthy Lifestyles magazine. For more details and information on acne, please visit http://www.perfectskinforlife.com and read more helpful advice on healthy skin.