Over The Counter Acne Medications Part 4

Azelaic Acid

Azelaic acid is a decarboxylic acid hyped up to cure every type of skin disorder, including acne. There are many cosmetic products which contain azelaic acids including soaps, liquids, creams, shampoos, gels, and pastes. The acid only works for the mildest acne. Azelaic acid has been heavily marketed as being an agent to treat wrinkles, acne, fine lines, and cellulite and so on - two words- BS. Only the 20% azelaic acid works well for some individuals with acne but this concentration can also cause severe skin dryness and blister formation. The lower strength azelaic acid is just about as effective as urine in treating acne- meaning useless.

There are also many creams containing azelaic acid which is applied twice a day. Some individuals do develop skin irritation and redness with the cream. The creams have also been known to cause skin discoloration- so beware

So what should the consumer do?

First, almost all of the above products have been mixed and formulated with exotic compounds like collagen, hyaluronic acid, tea extracts, lemon grass, amino acids, water from dead sea, sediment from lake Victoria, botanicals from the Amazon and the list is endless- all these formulas for acne are very expensive, they do not work and should be avoided.

The treatment of acne starts at home. Start with basic hygiene, wash your face with a bland soap, do not squeeze your pimples, and avoid all fragrant creams. Most perfumes, fragrances, and lotions contain a number of synthetic chemicals which can worsen your acne.

If you have excess oil, wash your face -3 times day. Do not go and buy any fancy soap- they are all useless and do not make any difference (except make you smell nice). Just get a bland soap which will wash the oils. The less you muck around the better for your skin. Do not scrub too hard as this can lead to more skin irritation. Avoid the sun and be patient. Acne takes time to heal. Finally, avoid cyberspace and health care workers- most of them are charlatans when it comes to treatment of mild acne. They give you a lot of hope with false promises. Money and medicine have always been a bad mix.