In the last decade, innovation and research have brought us years and years ahead in acne treatments – particularly with regards to making use of various tonics, exfoliating products, and at worse even surgical removal.
However, we always go back to the products we’re used to so we can reduce or remove pimples, whiteheads, and clogged pores. That may appear to be odd, in light of the fact that acne is an issue that begins early and sometimes stretches out until the point when our wrinkles start appearing.
But, what if we’ve overcomplicated the procedures? What if the products the industry has been trying to sell us aren’t really the best for acne?
We recognize that potential problem and sourced out some of the best in anti acne products. And just for you, we’ve compiled what we consider to be the three best acne treatment products in the market today!
Ranking: Best Acne Treatment Products
1. Proactiv
Proactiv has earned the right to be called the best among the best when it comes to skin care products.
With a loyal following as well as hard evidence to back up their formula, Proactiv has become the standard when it comes to caring for your skin specially when it comes to acne and scars.
Proactiv offers a clinically-proven formula that guarantees noticeable and beautiful changes in just a few days without irritating your skin.
What is it?
Proactiv has taken an imposing control of business over the skincare industry, having been rewarded with 28 honors and respects from those in the beauty industry.
Their company has done more than extend their line from a basic infomercial to an organization that really has vending machines in shopping centers.
Proactiv Plus is the latest line from Proactiv, and it wants to tackle all acne problems as well as other skin problems, in hopes to create an entire skincare system that does everything.
Ingredient List
Here are Proactiv’s top 5 ingredients.
Skin Brightening complex
This is an intelligent combination of bearberry, sophora root, kojic acid, and licorice extract.
This blend alone has enough potency to eradicate common skin problems such as unwanted pigmentation, dullness, and blotchiness.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Considered one of the staples in beating acne, it destroys pimple-causing bacteria on the surface and even deep inside our pores.
It also does a great job at treating oily skin.
Salicylic Acid
Salicylic acid has been proven to be an effective skin peeling agent and helps minimize pores to prevent dirt from clogging them.
Glycolic Acid
This helps remove dead skin cells like salicylic acid, but the difference is it works deeper, providing better exfoliation.
Hyaluronic Acid
This hydrating ingredient keeps our skin supple and helps prevent dryness as well as itching.
How it works
Proactiv contains proven pimple fighting compounds, so it unquestionably has great science on its side. The foundation of the Proactiv framework is benzoyl peroxide.
Benzoyl peroxide is the best over-the-counter pimple treatment ingredient. It helps clear breakouts by decreasing the measure of pimple causing microorganisms on the skin. Benzoyl peroxide also helps fight against pore blockages.
Proactiv will work for you if:
- Your pimple problem isn’t that bad: Proactiv works best for the individuals who have mild skin inflammation, minor pimples and zits. It’s less successful for moderate acne.
- You haven’t yet attempted OTC pimple treatment products with benzoyl peroxide: If you’ve been depending on soap and water or salicylic acid, venturing up to a benzoyl peroxide item like Proactiv would be a decent upgrade.
- You need a total healthy skin kit: One of the best things about Proactiv is it’s a complete system. You get your cleanser, toner, and treatment lotion in just one skincare kit. You can always assemble your own skincare kit, but Proactive makes it easier.
The Routine
Step One: Cleanse (Renewing Cleanser)
- Massage a generous amount on to damp skin 1 to 2 minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water. Pat dry. Follow with Step 2.
- Frequency: Daily AM & PM.
Step Two: Tone (Revitalizing Toner)
- Apply a thin layer over entire face using a cotton ball or pad.
- Allow to dry. Do not rinse off. Follow with Step 3.
- Frequency: Daily AM & PM.
Step Three: Treat (Repairing Treatment)
- Apply thin layer over entire face.
- Allow to dry. Do not rinse off.
- Frequency: Daily AM & PM.
Prices & Where To Buy
Proactiv can be purchased through Amazon.
2. Exposed Skin Care
Coming to a close number two spot is Exposed Skin Care.
While it may not have the most potent formulation, it likely has a more allergen-free product than Proactiv due to its formula that combines both artificial and natural ingredients.
It also boasts of a more robust skincare system than Proactiv, but we think it’s too complicated for the usual customer hence the #2 spot.
What is it?
The Exposed Skin Care acne treatment makes the skin come back to its natural and healthy state.
The organization behind Exposed Skin Care offers multiple formulations known to aid in skin recovery and rejuvenation.
It includes ridding yourself of dead skin cells, unclogging pores, and reducing acne presence.
Ingredient List
Here are Exposed Skin Care’s top 5 ingredients.
Green Tea
Green tea exhibits antioxidant properties that help delay aging of skin.
It also helps “detox” the skin.
Aloe Vera
This ingredient is used in many skin care products due to its skin recovery properties.
Tea Tree
We’ve been hearing about Tea Tree Oil for a long time now, but what does it exactly do?
Well, it has antibacterial properties which could help kill acne-causing bacteria.
Benzoyl Peroxide
We all know what Benzoul Peroxide can do.
It’s the best when it comes to killing acne bacteria as well as helping with unclogging pores.
Azelaic Acid
Not everyone knows what Azelaic Acid is for, but it’s actually capable of preventing the growth of acne bacteria as well as helps reduce pimple breakouts.
How it works
Exposed Skin Care works by making sure your face is as dirt and bacteria free as possible for long periods of time. This explains its complex morning and evening routine. The ingredients it makes use also optimizes cleansing, clearing, and acne treatment applications.
The Routine
Morning Routine
- Facial Cleanser: Wet your face then work a small amount of Facial Cleanser into a lather in your hands. Gently massage into skin for 10-15 seconds, avoiding contact with eye area. Thoroughly rinse your face with lukewarm water. Dry your face by patting it with a clean absorbent towel.
- Clearing Tonic: Use your bare hands to gently spread a small amount of Clearing Tonic over your face, avoiding your eye area.
- Acne Treatment Serum: While your skin is still wet from Clearing Tonic, gently smooth a small amount of serum over entire blemish prone area, avoiding eye area. Let serum completely dry (3-5 minutes) before applying other products.
Evening Routine
- Facial Cleanser: Follow the same guidelines as the morning routine.
- Clearing Tonic: Follow the same guidelines as the morning routine. If you wear makeup, you can use a cotton pad.
- Clear Pore Serum: While your skin is still wet from Clearing Tonic, gently smooth a small amount of serum over entire blemish-prone area, avoiding eye area. Let serum completely dry (3-5 minutes) before applying other product.
Prices & Where To Buy
Exposed Skin Care can be purchases through their official site here: www.exposedskincare.com.
3. Paula’s Choice Clear
Is an exfoliating solution that, while it’s not a whole complicated system like the previous products, still guarantees maximum cleansing and removal of dead skin cells.
What makes it different is how light it feels on the skin; you apply it to your face and forget about it! Despite its lightness, it delivers the full benefits from morning to night!
What is it?
Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength Kit is a three-piece kit that removes acne-causing bacteria by cleaning the skin, exfoliating, and spot-cleaning blemishes.
The skincare product is sold and manufactured by Paula’s Choice, LLC, a company that sells other products. It also only makes use of a few active ingredients in its three-piece kit: Salicylic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide, and Panthenol.
Ingredient List
Here are Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength Kit’s 3 key ingredients.
Salicylic acid
Salicylic acid works by loosening and breaking apart desmosomes (attachments between cells in the outer layers of the skin). This action encourages exfoliation of skin and unclogging of pores. This acid is also lipophillic, which means it can penetrate oily skin and clogged pores, resulting in a deep cleaning. Salicylic acid can reduce sebum secretion, which is another way it can help reduce acne. Lastly, it’s also an anti-inflammatory, which can help calm inflamed acne.
Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is non-prescription drug that obliterates acne-causing bacteria in our pores. It functions as an exfoliating agent by improving the change of old skin to new skin as well as removes the mixture of sebum and dead skin cells from the pores. A popular anti-acne product, it comes in three concentrations: 2.5%, 5%, and 10%.
Panthenol
Panthenol is a provitamin of B5 and is touted for its ability to retain moisture when applied to the skin. It works by converting to pantothenic acid and infusing water cells with it deep within the skin’s tissues. Research has shown that if Panthenol is used for long-term, it starts to provide an anti-inflammatory role, which helps relieve itching while at the same time prevents dry and irritated skin.
How it works
Since it makes use of just three key ingredients, we have firm reason to believe that Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength’s focus on keeping the skin clear, moisturized, and exfoliated is 100% on point.
The fact that they also only made use of just three major ingredients mean the odds of a user experiencing side effects is minimal or none. For some users, this may be a better product due to the simplicity of formula.
The Routine
Step 1: CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser (AM/PM)
Wet face and apply a small amount of cleanser to your face and eye area with vigorous, yet gentle, circular motions. Rinse well. To remove heavy makeup, repeat or use with a clean, wet wash cloth.
Step 2: CLEAR Regular Strength Anti-Redness Exfoliating Solution with 2% Salicylic Acid (AM and/or PM)
Apply once or twice daily after cleansing. Lightly soak a cotton pad and apply over the entire face, including the eye area (avoid the lower lash line and eyelids). Do not rinse. If excessive dryness or peeling occurs, reduce application to once per day or once every other day. For daytime, follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater.
Step 3: CLEAR Regular Strength Daily Skin Clearing Treatment (AM and/or PM)
Apply after cleansing and exfoliating. If dryness or peeling occurs, reduce frequency of application to once per day/every other day. For daytime, follow with a broad-spectrum sunscreen rated SPF 30 or greater.
Prices & Where To Buy
Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength 3-Piece Kit can be purchases through their official site here: www.paulaschoice.com.
Tips For Buying Skincare Products Online
Buying a new skincare product can only be two things: exciting or nerve wracking, and we think more people associate themselves with the latter.
Truth be told, not everyone knows how to vet their products. So few even bother to read the labels or the corresponding ingredients. It can definitely get complicated and perhaps even too intimidating, especially when the sales clerk starts mentioning terms that you have to pretend to understand.
This is why we’re here to write you an easy guide when it comes to buying skincare products.
Find your goal
Before buying anything, you must first know WHY you’re buying a skincare product. Is it for pimples or wrinkles? Do you want to have younger-looking skin or just prevent dryness? Do you just want to turn heads again?
After you know why, go deeper. Do you want to see the effects in just a few days or are you willing to invest for the long term? Do you also want other benefits from your skincare product? Knowing the reason why you’re buying a skincare product will help you understand the importance of the following steps.
Research the best ingredients
This will be the core of your research. Finding the best ingredients for your needs is made easy thanks to the presence of online databases, but be wary of sites that attempt to sell ingredients and brands and not hard facts. Some websites even go as far as say a doctor or some other reputable person uses a specific product or compound, even though the person has no real affiliation with said product.
When it comes to conducting your own research, it’s critical to look past most blogs and articles you see online and focus on the source of their material: Scientific Journals.
do you find these journals? You can try free databases like Pub Med or use Google Scholar. But, just because a study confirms a theory doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed result, so make sure to understand the whole study as well as the conclusion the researchers are making. If you’re unsure like 90% of people (which is totally normal!), join a skincare fanatics group or forum and ask some of the experts there. Nothing beats experience, after all.
Prepare a list of five ingredients and have them be the focus for your search. Make sure to know if the ingredient causes unwanted side effects or irritations, or whether it’s banned in some countries.
Check out the story behind each brand
Now that you know the ingredients, it’s time to be on the lookout for the great brands! You can start by asking for recommendations online, or just opening sites like Amazon and see their best sellers according reviews.
Get the list of brands that offer your researched ingredients and focus on the manufacturer’s integrity when it comes to quality as well as product results.
Consider the claims made by the company. Are they real? Are they based on the studies you’ve seen? Are the claims exaggerated or bent too much?
Who endorses the product? Do you think these celebrities really use them or are they only getting paid to say the product’s name? For this instance, it’s best to just ask people who have similar problems and who used the product you’re looking to buy
Do your due diligence and be on the lookout for red flags
This involves checking out the company’s reputation. Be on the lookout for scams, cases of fraud, and general poor customer service. Some of these products might even use your credit card without your permission, so be extra careful when lurking around unknown or shady websites.
You can also try visiting their webpage and do a general proofread. If the website looks and reads like a highschooler made it for a marketing project, you should probably avoid that company altogether. The best supplement manufacturers make sure everything is as flawless as their money can afford them.
Read the label
This is a fundamental exercise even for non-skincare enthusiasts. Reading labels of your lotions and creams and other skincare products do not mean reading the brand name or the fancy fonts. No, it means taking a look at the ingredients, the information section, as well as health warnings.
Check out the ACTUAL declared ingredients, the dose per serving for each one (if possible), what the active ingredient is, and if it contains things that don’t belong in a skincare product like preservatives or colorants.
Be extra vigilant on the uses per bottle
Some brands claim a bottle can last 30 days, but the step-by-step instructions may barely make it last half that.
How To Get Results Faster
You can’t 100% rely on skincare products. The body is simply not meant to get used to exfoliation and constantly wiping tonics and lotions here and there.
Here’s a quick list of thing you SHOULD do to enhance the effects of any skincare product you’re taking.
Eat real, healthy food
The best way to have healthy skin is to eat food that is healthy for you and your skin. We’re talking about vegetables and fruits here, people and maybe some meats. The skin needs a lot of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients to look and stay young so it’s best you eat for your skin each time you go out.
Exercise
As crazy as it sounds, exercise can help give you beautiful skin. Exercise helps keep your skin toned and elastic, especially when you perspire a lot. It also prevents the “saggy skin” look most old people get as the skin fits the muscles just right.
Sleep well
Sleep is the only time your body is focused on recovery. When you sleep, the body replenishes lost nutrients as well as repair damaged tissue in your skin. Your body also balances your hormones as well as fine tune your metabolism when you sleep.
Obviously, if you lack sleep your body will not be 100% or even 60% and will cause you to feel sickly, tired, and craving for unhealthy food and other habits. This will also adversely affect your skin’s health and will cause it to age faster than usual.
How much sleep? Try at least 7 hours a day. It seems hard, but it’s really easy once you realize you waste too much time watching TV or browsing the internet.
Drink a lot of water
Water is life and the body is made up of around 70% water. Water also helps facilitate nutrient absorption, lubrication, and general health maintenance of the body.
If you don’t drink enough water (8-16 glasses or more; varies according to your lifestyle), safe to say not only will skincare products not work, but your body will also not function properly. Not to mention the skin depends on water for it to be really soft, elastic, and glowing.
Do you have any feedback on Proactiv, Exposed Skin Care or Paula’s Choice Clear Regular Strength 3-Piece Kit? Maybe you’ve tried them before and had awesome results?
We thought you would like the Meladerm cream review!
Leave the team a comment below and let us know!