Glycolic Acid
There are many chemical peels designed to treat acne, one of them is glycolic acid. Glycolic acid works by peeling of dead skin layers and replacing it with fresh, smoother, and younger looking skin. It unplugs skin pores and also removes the oil. For home use, glycolic comes as a 10% solution. In the majority of cases, these low strength peels are a complete waste of money. Only the mildest acne ever gets better. Plus, it does not work in everyone. With repeat applications, it also dries the skin. The higher strength peels are better but too risky for use at home without supervision. Final point- low strength glycolic acid peels are junk.
Salicylic Acid
A lot has been written about salicylic acid as a peeling agent for acne. It comes in various concentrations and is easily available. Unfortunately the low concentration salicylic acid is crap. It rarely works. The higher strength (20-30 percent) peels do work but are best applied at a spa. These acids can remove blackheads and should be applied twice a day. There is no difference between benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid. If you do not see a difference in your acne in about 2 weeks, salicylic acid will never work for you.
Sulfur Preparations
There was a time when sulfur was used to treat acne- however, since 1920, many better products have been developed. In short- sulfur smells awful, can cause skin discoloration, and does not always work. There are tons of sulfur products available today. Sulfur is a keratolytic agent meaning it can remove blackheads and can also kill bacteria. Sulfur products do not always work, they are expensive, and they also can cause allergic reactions. There are sulfur containing soaps, creams, lotions, liquids and pastes- one word- avoid them. You are better off not using anything if you only have sulfur available.
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