November 23, 2007
Topical Acne Treatments - An Introduction
A topical product is one that is applied on the skin, such as a cream, ointment, gel, foam, or lotion. Almost every OTC acne medication is topical rather than oral, taken by mouth. Topical therapy is generally safer than systemic (oral or injected) therapy.
Topical acne treatments (both the OTC and prescription varieties) are made up of two general types of ingredients that you find on all labels:
- Active ingredient: This part of the medication does the real grunt work. I recommend you start your search for an OTC treatment by looking at the active ingredient because it's the most important component of a product. Most commonly found are benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur, and resorcinol.
- Inactive ingredient(s): This part of the medicine is the stuff that holds onto the medicine and preserves it, keeps the product moving easily through the container, and makes the medicine easier to apply. Inactive ingredients are sometimes referred to as the inert ingredient or the vehicle because they deliver the medicine.
In choosing the right topical treatment, you need to consider both active and inactive ingredients. Just as some active ingredients may be more beneficial for your particular acne, certain vehicles may be more conducive to your skin type.
After you start to treat your acne, don't get into the routine of checking your face every day and looking for improvement. The treatments take time to start working — sometimes up to six to eight weeks, so be patient!
If you spend a little time comparing the labels on the products you find at the drugstore, you discover how incredibly similar they all are — just about all of them contain one of the following active ingredients plus other inactive ingredients:
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Salicylic acid
- Sulfur
- Resorcinol
Finding topical products that work is easier than you may suppose. The active ingredient you choose depends on what kind of acne you have:
- If your acne consists mostly of blackheads and whiteheads, get a product that contains benzoyl peroxide and then, if necessary, add one that has salicylic acid in it.
- If you're just starting to get a few zits (inflammatory papules), try benzoyl peroxide alone.