Acne, sometimes known as Zits, is a menace to people who suffer from this condition; but there are now many treatments available which can help the condition so it is more bearable. The number of people afflicted around the world is huge so science research is making advances; the result of this effort is new, more effective, treatments are becoming available. We can classify acne skin care products into 3 broad categories:

*Preventive

*Drugstore or Internet: Treatments that do not require a prescription

*Prescription only: Requires visit to doctor

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. Whilst many sufferers use these products there are even more who just want to keep their skin clean and conditioned; in many instances the user has never had a skin condition to worry about.

Some of these products are designed to act like an acne skin care product and act against the causes of this complaint; they are formulated to reduce and limit the amount of oil in the pores of our skin. When the pores become clogged with this oil, bacteria which can cause the problem begin to grow.

This type of skin care treatment also includes those which exfoliate such as skin peels; most can even be purchased over the Internet in addition to normal outlets. These work towards removing dead skin cells, reducing the possibility of pore-clogging and bacteria development.

There is a huge market for these types of acne skin care products as they don't require a consultation with a dermatologist. These formulations contain the chemical benzoyl peroxide and the naturally occurring salicylic acid; these include creams, cleansers and peels that slow down acne formation.

It is often a good idea to start with a product that has lower concentration of benzoyl peroxide (e.g. 5 percent) to see how the skin responds; alpha-hydroxy-acid based moisturizers are a safer skin care regime alternative if there is a problem. You might have to try a few different creams or lotions before you find the acne skin care product that is effective for you're skin; if nothing you use is effective then speak to your dermatologist for advice.

There are benefits of seeing your doctor or dermatologist, they can prescribe you with a prescription for treatments not available over the counter, for example a course of antibiotics.

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.

Another effective course of skin care treatment is hormone therapy; hormone changes can be responsible for acne but hormone therapy can be very effective when used under prescription. 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.