Acne
- Acne is caused by bacteria.
- It is common in oily skin.
In Acne, the pores get clogged with oil, dead skin cells and dirt. Bacteria grows in the clogged pores, infecting the pores, leading to pimples and blackheads.
Acne treatments tried and tested
Antibiotics
The most effective means to clear acne is to see a doctor. He would probably give you a course of antibiotics. That clears acne really quickly. Alternatively, an alcohol based lotion containing antibiotics also works very well on clearing acne. The catch is that, for my case, the acne kept returning.
Retin A
- A doctor put me on Retin A.
- This takes a long time to work. But when it does, skin remains clear for a long time too.
- What happens is that you are given Retin A cream to apply on your skin twice daily.
- During the period of treatment, you would have to avoid the sun as your skin would be more sensitive to the sun.
- Initially your skin will get worse as the blemishes hidden in the deeper layers of the skin surface. After the first few weeks or months, the skin starts to clear.
- This treatment is great if you can persevere and tolerate the initial period when your acne really worsens.
Aromatherapy
- Tea tree oil is reputed to be good for pimples and boils. It worked well for boils but the pimples still take a long time to subside. By the time a pimple has subsided, new ones have appeared. I would rate its effect on acne as mild
- Lavender is even milder. A daily facial steam using lavender oil, petitgrain and chamomile oil (1 drop of each) is recommended by some aromatherapy books. But works really slowly, if at all.
Benzoyl Peroxide
- Most pimple creams in pharmacies contain Benzoyl peroxide.
- Unfortunately many people (myself included) are allergic to Benzoyl peroxide.
- Basically, Benzoyl peroxide works by forcing more oxygen into the pore, making it an unsuitable habitat for the bacteria. As the bacteria diminishes, your skin clears.
Aloe vera gel
- An organic >99.5% pure aloe vera gel is great for acne prevention.
- To use, apply as a moisturiser on acne prone skin, after washing your face with a cleanser or soap and water.
- It takes a long time (up to 6 months) to clear the skin though. But it is good for the skin in the long term. Alternatively, you could purchase aloe vera based products from Llexli.com
Phisohex
- This is an antibacterial cleanser containing Triclosan. It was recommended to me by a doctor.
- To use, wash your hands with the cleanser, rinse well. Wash your face with the cleanser for 20 seconds, rinse well. Wash again with the cleanser for 20 seconds. Rinse off completely.
This is a great cleanser that helps clear acne. The catch is that it is drying.
LexLi
Aloe based cleansing lotion. I ordered this from Llexli.com 2 weeks ago. Evean though international shipping takes weeks, I received my cleanser within 1 week. I chose it initially because it does not contain sodium laureth sulphate, and my regular facial wash from Loreal was giving me pimples. I also like the fact that it is based on aloe vera gel. Within days, the small pimples I had disappeared. It is not drying compared to phisohex and it helps clear small pimples.