Skincare is important for any skin type and problems. There are various products for oily skin and acne on the market, but we must check their ingredients first to see if they meet the dermatologist’s recommendations. Some womens pitch products and treatments from tv ads like Proactive and Murad, but most of these products are nothing more than a mild benzoyl peroxide or salicylic (less than 2%) cleanser. The reality is that when we questioned real dermatologists none recommended these products. Their actual recommendations were:
- skin peels and laser treatments;
- tetracycline;
- Accutane (in severe acne cases only);
- Doxycycline;
- Cetaphil – Every dermatologist said this was a great face wash.
Paris Hilton, Eminem, and Jessica Simpson are all paid endorsers for oily skin products. But when we read the fine print, we found out that none of them guarantees or stands behind the product. To properly treat oily skin and the acne it can and usually does cause, you have to get to the source.
Benzoyl peroxide will only affect the surface and irritate it. Salicylic acid is a weaker acid and must be used in much stronger strengths to be effective – lees than 10% just won’t cut it. What really works is treating the bacteria that are rampant in oily skin. This is what causes acne. A trichloroacetic acid (TCA peel) skin peel is the most effective external treatment and now the most cost effective as it is currently available to consumers for in home use. A TCA peel will alter the skin pH (acidity levels) and make the conditions unfavorable for the bacteria. TCA peels will also get rid of excess oil, increase exfolliation, collagen production, and new skin production – all helpful with oily skin. TCA peels are also very effective on acne scars -an added plus. And the best thing is there are no side effects.
Tetracycline is available by prescription only. It will kill the bacteria, but only for as long as you keep taking it. It will not affect the oilyness and is not effective against mild to severe acne. It also has side effects like yellow teeth. Their are similar antibiotics like doxycycline that have basically the same results.
Accutane is a very drastic prescription only medication. The side effects can be quite severe and are common. Blood tests must be done on a weekly or monthly basis. Accutane will cease the production of oil by stopping the functionality of the sebaceous glands. Usually this was reserved for mild to severe acne patients. The complications are so severe there have been numerous class action lawsuits (just watch TV or look up Sokolove the attorneys office on the internet).
Lasers have been used in a limited capacity as they are still too expensive and are mostly effective on thee resultant scarring from the acne, not on the oilyness and excess sebum production.
But as I always say there’s a good part in everything. Oily skin has own built-in moisturizer, which creates a smoother skin texture and less wrinkles 
So my dear ladies, find your source, your best treatment and enjoy your free moisturizer, because (dry skin) people like me have their own issues (moisturizers, shielding lotions, expensive anti-aging products) and beauty always requires care and attention…
source
February 16th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
[...] All you need to know about oily skin and acne: Source,Treatment, Product Ingredients / Side Effects: Skincare is important for any skin type and problems. There are various products for oily skin and acne on the market, but we must check their ingredients first to see if they meet the dermatologist’s recommendations. Some womens pitch products and treatments from tv ads like Proactive and Murad, but most […] [...]
February 22nd, 2007 at 11:44 am
what is an example of a tca peel that i can find and buy in a store?
February 22nd, 2007 at 2:21 pm
TCA is a professional, non-prescription formula used by estheticians and other skincare specialists and they are not available in department stores or pharmacy. You can either get it trough your dermatologist, or you can buy it online and use it at home at your own risk. I strongly advice you to see a dermatologist first and use it for great results.
October 18th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
I doubt any of the endorsers of Proactiv actually use the product. They are more interested in the healthy pay check.
October 19th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
very good and informative post,unfortunately there are so many products on the market,it’s hard to say what’s the best or to test them all.my opinion is to find the product that is good for your skin and stick with it
November 1st, 2007 at 6:53 pm
@rory
a lot of *normal* people on the net say it actually works but I wonder if they tell the truth… seems to good to be true
December 4th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Yes, Kittichai, in real life people say it works, too. I believe it probably DOES improve one’s skin. But the celebs endorsing the products most likely don’t use the products, as they all have dermatologists giving them more potent products.
December 9th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
This post reminds me that I’ve recently broken out.
It usually never happens and I hate when it does.
December 10th, 2007 at 4:06 pm
do you know why?
December 11th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
I always break out when eating too much fast food
December 12th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
I don’t know why I break out. I think it is the dry weather.
December 13th, 2007 at 9:01 pm
I use Clinique on my acne.
December 14th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
which clinique products do you use?
I always wanted to try them!
December 15th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
I use an acne cover up which is also medicated. It fights acne and covers up at the same time.
December 15th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
I might have to look into that!
I have seen in a lot of blogs that almost everyone uses Clinique for their face routine and it seems to work, I am not sure which products to get though
June 15th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Excellent info in regard to acne. This is a serious topic, and it is so hard to find reliable acne information online. Thanks and keep up the good work!
October 1st, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I’ve been seeing a lot of talk on a lot of blogs about gender and how it effects acne and it’s treatment.
So, I did some research and I found a site called http://campusacnetruth.org/html/acne_gender.html that describes some specific differences in the skin and hormones of boys and girls and how that affects acne treatment.
Has anyone else come across this type of information?
October 18th, 2008 at 2:19 pm
People are beginning to acknowledge that there are differences in the acne of guys and girls. Guys have 25% thicker skin, more DHT receptors, different pH levels, etc.
Thus, of course they require gender-specific acne treatments. Why do you think that acne treatment infomercials only show girls in their before/after shots??
Now, people just need to start acknowledging the potentially harmful ingredients that are commonly found in acne treatments like parabens, fragrances, and even benzoyl peroxide which can be extremely irritating.
November 9th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
I commented here early about the connections between gender and acne. Well, one treatment has finally addressed these differences. It’s called CTRL and it’s a new gender-specific treatment.
Thought I’d share!
http://www.ctrlacne.com/
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:53 pm
My skin tone is not pale but not dark and I have a tan from the summer right now. I take a shower every day and wash my face reguarly and use Noxema but I still can’t stop the weird discolerations and acne even when I use concealer and these acne products. Any suggestions?
June 29th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
nice tips, ill try these now and comment back on how successful they are