Acne, sometimes known as Zits, is a menace to people who suffer from this condition; but this is a skin condition that can be treated. Owing the widespread nature of this condition, scientific research into this area is intense; in fact many new remedies are proving very effective. Although there may seem like a huge range of acne skin care products, they can be broken down into three broad categories: <UL TYPE="square"> *Preventative: Creams, lotions etc. to help cleanse and tone the skin *Drugstore or Internet: Treatments that do not require a prescription *Prescription only: Requires visit to doctor </UL

Those that fall into the preventative category are based around general skin conditioning to help stop acne from forming; these include cleansers, make-up removers and other similar products that can help prevent the condition. In the real sense, these products are just those that should be part of your daily routine; often used by those who want to prevent future skin problems from occurring. Other acne skin care products, like skin cleansers for instance, are more specific about their job; they are formulated to reduce and limit the amount of oil in the pores of our skin. These products prevent the oil from getting trapped in pores and can hamper the growth of bacteria, this can lead to the bad skin condition.

General skin care treatments also include special exfoliation products like skin peels; these are easily obtainable in any drug store. The peels clean the skin by removing all surface pollution and dead skin cells which can block the pores. There is a huge market for these types of acne skin care products as they don't require a consultation with a dermatologist. Treatments that are effective contain the ingredients benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid; these include products which extract the unwanted oil from the skin.

Although benzoyl peroxide works well, reactions can happen so it is suggested that any skin care product containing this should not have more than 5.5 percent of the active ingredient; alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are a safer skin care regime alternative if there is a problem. It might just be a case of trial and error to find an acne skin care product that works; if nothing you use is effective then speak to your dermatologist for advice. On-prescription treatments are prescribed by a dermatologist and can include ointments that can be applied on the affected area or oral antibiotics or just any topical ointment.

Your dermatologist may suggest a minor surgical procedure to remove the contents of pustules; specialists never recommend the sufferer tries this themselves as it can cause permanent skin damage. Your doctor may even suggest a course of hormone therapy as a skin care treatment; this type of skin care treatment has been very effective in many cases. The end result is dealing with this skin complaint is not the problem it once was, there are now a huge range of products specifically formulated for the task.