There are just a handful of diseases that unite the world, cutting across borders, races or colors and acne, unarguably, happens to be one of these few. It is safe to say that almost everybody has, at one time or the other, suffered from this embarrassing and depressing ailment. Every year millions of dollars is spent, by millions of people across the globe in search of the most effective remedy for acne. Pharmaceutical companies worldwide have responded to this global trend by pouring out different acne products; lotions, creams, cleansers, just name it, they have undoubtedly made huge profits from this acne obsession.

Despite the commonness of acne, there is a still a lot of fear, embarrassment and misconceptions about acne, especially what causes it and what does not. It is often very difficult to differentiate the truth from myths.

There is a common belief that acne is caused by poor hygiene, however, this appears to be unlikely, as even the most hygienic people still suffer from acne. What then are the causes of acne?

Perhaps, there is more than one way to answer this question, because even medical professionals don't seem to have all the answers. The first answer to the question is that the cause of acne varies from individual to individual, just as the intensity and effects vary. However, on a general note a couple of factors have been identified as probable causes.

Hormonal imbalance, especially in teenagers, has been identified as one of the common causes of acne. Excessive oil secretion by the sebaceous glands of the skin is one of the most probable causes and this is perhaps one cause that is targeted by most remedies. Other common causes include blockage of the sebaceous glands or bacterial infection of the glands and in some cases, a combination of these factors.

So before you decide on any acne product, it is of paramount importance that you consider what you know about your acne. Most people spend a fortune jumping from one product to the other, in search of the most effective, without first digging down into the root cause of their acne. If you belong in this class, perhaps, we share a lot in common.

But turning to these acne products without determining the underlying cause could result in more harm than good. After all, what is the benefit of spending a fortune on treatments if you don't know what causes acne in the first place.

If you want a complete solution, the first step should be a visit to a dermatologist to determine what could be the underlying cause of your acne. This information will greatly help in choosing the right product.

However, using chemical and synthetic creams and lotions to treat acne has been shown not only to have serious adverse effects like reddening or drying the skin, they have also been shown to be capable of permanently damaging the skin. More and more people are turning to natural acne care. Trying out several of thenatural acne products available could be the best decision you've made recently.