How to Know What Acne Medication Works for You

No matter how old you are, a face filled with acne is an embarrassment. With so many acne medications available on the market, it can be tricky to choose one to help clear your skin. After all, how can you really know what acne medication works for you? It can be a time-intensive process to find and test acne medications, but you will be rewarded with clear and beautiful skin once you find the right acne medication for you.

Things You'll Need

• Acne medications
• Gentle cleanser
• Internet connection
• Notebook or journal

Instructions

1. Assess your skin. How severe is your acne? Is your skin oily or dry? Keeping an eye on how your skin behaves will help you narrow down the options when you go to the store to purchase acne medication.

2. Look for a multi-step program that is designed to work together. Treatments like Proactiv are often more successful because they come with a cleanser, toner and lotion that are all formulated to help fight acne is specific ways.

3. Read reviews online and ignore the hype. Every acne medication is going to claim that it will clear your skin overnight. However, if there was a miracle cure, everyone would know about it.

4. Choose an acne medication based on your skin type. If you have dry skin, find a cleanser and moisturizer that are designed for dry, acne-prone skin. Every skin type is represented on the skin care market, including difficult combination skin.

5. Test only one acne medication at a time. Piling every product you can find on your face can cause redness, peeling or inflammation. Once you decide on an acne medication to test, use it and a gentle cleanser exclusively for a month to get accurate results on its effectiveness.

6. Keep a journal of what happens during the course of your acne treatment. Write down noticeable changes, including improvements or side effects. If you are going to test multiple acne medications, you may want to consider taking a photograph of your skin at the end of each product test.

7. If you have a severe case of acne, discuss it with a doctor or dermatologist. Professionals can offer you specific advice to your case or find a prescription-strength treatment for your skin problems.

Tips & Warnings

• Get plenty of sleep, eat well and drink enough water to help improve the quality of your skin.

• Do not use multiple benzoyl peroxide products, or use them more often than recommended on the label, or you may end up with peeling, red skin.