Jenny asks…

Should I stop using this product?

Ok, I’m a thirteen year old girl and have not necessarily severe acne, but acne. So, I wash my face every night with warm water and Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser for all skin types and use Clearasil Vanishing Acne Treatment Cream, which has 10% benzoyl peroxide. So, I kept using that and my skin became really dry and flaky and just downright disgusting. I’m not even sure if it was helping my acne to vanish, which it’s supposed to do. So last night, I ditched it for once and just used the Cetaphil. And this morning, my skin looked considerably better (meaning less dryness). Should I stop using the Clearasil stuff and do you think it will help my acne to go away? My mom’s going to be taking me to the dermatologist soon, so I think he/she’ll help me, but I just want your guys’ outlook on this right now. Thanks!! (: And sorry for the essay I wrote here.

Moe answers:

Using a gentle skin cleanser is important for acne treatment. The benzoyl peroxide should also help, but a side effect is that it can make your skin dry, so you need to also use a non oily moisturizer if you decide to continue to use it.

Acne requires a multi-faceted approach. If you have acne clean your skin gently, ry not to touch your skin when your hands are not clean, and avoid the sun.

The three basics of acne treatment are to (1) unclog pores, (2) kill bacteria, and (3) minimize oil. Use mild exfoliating cleansers to unclog your pores. Use benzoyl peroxide to kill the bacteria. Get rid of oil on the surface of your skin by using a gentle toner. Generally drug store brands will do each of these things well. You don’t need to spend a fortune.

These are all good basic skin regimens that may help with the acne battle:

Cleanse twice daily with a 5% benzoyl peroxide wash. An alternative for those who are allergic to benzoyl peroxide is 2% salicylic acid.

Apply a gel or cream containing 5% benzoyl peroxide; an alternative is sulfur or resorcinol.

At night, apply a spot cream containing sulfur to the affected areas.

Use a light skin moisturizer and oil-free makeup.

If you try all these approaches and it still does not seem to work, it is time to consult your doctor. You may need a prescription medication approach to deal with your acne.

And read the information at these sites. You may find other ideas that will help you.

Http://www.acneguide.ca/acne_med_treatments/index.html

http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/acne.cfm

http://www.medicinenet.com/acne/article.htm

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