Millions of individuals suffer from acne and the condition does not care about your race, gender or age. This means than many acne researchers are in quite a quandary when it comes to finding a cure that is going to work on everyone. Indeed they have yet to find one so selecting an acne treatment for the huge variety available often leaves acne sufferers in the drug store simply scratching their heads.

In order to choose an acne treatment it is helpful to have some background information on exactly what acne is and what causes it, as well as details of your specific form of acne. You should consider calling in to see your doctor or dermatologist in order to see what they recommend by way of treatment. Frequently this will be better than randomly picking an over the counter solution that you are uncertain about.

In order to pick the best acne medication for you you need to know that there are essentially two different approaches that you can adopt to help control your acne. The two products most frequently seen on sale contain either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide and while both are designed to combat acne the two work in quite different ways. For example, benzoyl peroxide acts as an antibacterial to kill the bacteria that are known to give rise to pimples while salicylic acid acts to exfoliate the hair follicle and help to prevent the clogging of the hair follicles that can lead to pimples. Both treatments can react with your skin differently so it might be helpful to consult your doctor or dermatologist before using one or the other.

When you visit your local drug store you will also come across acne kits. Acne kits are simply conveniently packaged sets of different products that can help to fight and control your acne problem. Generally, they include a face cleanser, a topical gel or cream and a lotion that assists with irritation and keeps your skin from drying out. Generally the active ingredient of these products will be benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, as well as other acne fighting products.

Whatever you buy it is important to remember that you should only use the product as directed. If, having tried your chosen treatment for a reasonable time it not working satisfactorily then it might be time for another trip to your doctor or dermatologist to look again at what you are using. On occasions, it could take several different treatments to find one that works for you and your specific acne problem.