Acne cleansers to prepare skin for acne treatments

Acne cleansers offer mild cleaning of acne prone skin. Generally, acne cleansers are used to prepare the skin for the use of other acne treatments such as topical solutions. Acne cleansers are best when they are oil free, non-irritating and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores).  Many acne cleansers contain medication on their own. If an acne cleanser is to be used with other acne products it’s important to monitor how the products will work together or if they should be used together at all.  Commonly used chemicals in acne cleansers include salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.

Acne cleansers that contain salicylic acid are used for mild acne. It is useful to help reduce black heads and white heads. In addition it reduces the accumulation of dead cells and helps unclog blocked hair follicles. Salicylic acid comes from a natural source and is often included in natural cleansers. In general, other products such as acne cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol or sulfur should be avoided when using salicylic acid because the combination may be to irritating to the skin.

Acne cleansers that contain benzoyl peroxide work because they kill the Propionibacterium acnes the bacteria that leads to acne.  Reducing the concentrations of these bacteria significantly reduces the occurrence of outbreaks.  Benzoyl peroxide also helps reduce accumulations of dead skin cells. Acne cleansers containing benzoyl peroxide are geared for mild to moderate cases of acne. Excess amounts of this chemical may be irritating. If a topical treatment is going to be used in conjunction with an acne cleanser the total amount of benzoyl peroxide should be monitored.

The use of acne cleansers should also be limited to twice a day. Too much cleaning will irritate the skin. In addition to picking the best cleanser for acne, caution should be exercised in how the skin is cleaned.  The face should never be scrubbed roughly or with abrasive materials.