If you are one of the people who suffer with acne (Zits) then you are well aware of the distress and problems it causes; fortunately treatments are improving all the time. A great deal of effort is going into research for a cure; the result of this effort is a growing range of effective treatments. Most acne skin care products can be broken down into 3 main areas:

1. Drugstore or Internet: Preventative medication 2. Internet or Drugstore: Treatment to help relieve the condition 3. Prescription: Issued for specialized medication from a doctor etc.

General acne products are used as a preventative measure and include cleansers, make-up removers and other similar products that can help prevent acne. Whilst many sufferers use these products there are even more people who just want to keep their skin clean and conditioned.

More specialized cleaners are designed in the same way as acne skin care products; they clean out the pores to help stop sebum or oil which clogs up the pores. These types of products are reducing the chance of oil staying in the pores and aiding the growth of harmful bacteria which assists the formation of the skin condition.

Exfoliation skin peels have proved quite effective as a skin care treatment and at controlling the problem. There are now more and more of these types of products available over the counter. These work towards removing dead skin cells, reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

The growth of the skin care market has allowed even more specialized acne skin care products to be available without the need to visit the doctor. Skin care products have been formulated to extract the excess oil that bacteria need to promote the development of acne. These products have benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid as ingredients which the bacterium reacts badly too.

Generally it is best to start using this type of product with only a small amount of benzoyl peroxide; in fact no more than 5.5 percent is recommended just to see how the skin reacts. There are alternatives to this including products which contain alpha hydroxy acid. It is not always possible to find an acne skin care product that works first time. You may need to try a few but if none of them seem to be working then you would be advised to contact your skin specialist.

Products that your dermatologist or doctor will recommend will only be available on prescription, they may include a course of antibiotics or topical ointments. In some case your doctor may suggest the pustules are drained of harmful contents under local anesthetic, this is a minor procedure which if carried out by yourself could result in skin damage.

Another effective course of skin care treatment is hormone therapy, hormone changes are know to be one cause of acne. There is no longer any reason to despair if you have this skin complaint or are prone to its effects. Science has produced many effective treatments for this unkind condition.