Acne treatment 1- facial cleansers/washes

So acne.
Adult onset, emotional flare ups,pimples,hormonal that time of the month acne, oily skin acne , dry skin with acne, whatever you choose to call it.
It is acne and it has one underlying problem.
Bacteria and clogged pores.

Regardless of what the intiating or aggravating problem is, the baseline is that there’s bacteria which gets trapped in your skins pores by oil.

A lot of products have been touted as the be all, cure all for acne.
There are kits costing thousands of naira.
There are native cures as well,ranging from the use of potash to the use of lemon.

I am not refuting any of those above as some of them actually work.
What I need to pass across however is that whatever isn’t targeting one or more of the above mechanisms by which acne arise will have a long road to solving the problem.

Essentially there are several steps to get rid of acne once and for all.
Done consistently and properly I have discovered that skin actually develops a penchant for less flareups after months of conditioning with the appropriate treatment.

Step 1-
You need to wash that face.
Sleeping with makeup on is a no-no
Stop touching your face
Allow your skin breathe- meaning wear makeup only when you need to go out.
Sanitize your phone often.
And wash that face. Wash it!
LoL! Okay.

Facial washes

Most facial washes for acne prone skin contain
Salicylic acid in varying strengths from 0.5- 2% .
In its natural form it is from willow bark.
Salicylic acid works inbetween the cells of the epidermis the topmost layer of your skin.
It separates the dead skin cells from each other causing them to fall off.
It can also be used as a prepping agent for bleaching.
2%is the highest allowed to be sold over counter for skincare.
Dermatologists use higher strengths for facial peels.
The lower for sensitive , dry skin most often.
With salicylic it is advisable to start small.
You will often see the strength at the topmost part of the label behind.
Brands- neutrogena – 0.5%
Clean and clear – 0.5%sensitive to 2%

Neutrogena clear body wash which is pictured is a great product for body breakouts. Works well for the face too.
Aveeno facial wash bar has 0.5% salicylic and so does clean and clear bar.

Avon clear skin emergency treatment wash

Neutrogena acne wash, .. best for dry skin.

Some washes have benzoyl peroxide.
This works as an antibiotic for propioni acne.
I personally do not think benzoyl as a face wash is a good start to any regimen.
It will kill bacteria only on the surface and it works best when left to stay on.
I would rather benzoyl as a treatment gel, left on at the end of your routine.
Brands- proactiv , oxy 10

Glycolic acid-
Usually combined with salicylic and on its own.
It is also an exfoliant with same action as salicylic acid.
It works better on skin that is dry and will cause photosensitivity on exposure to sun.
Do not do glycolic in any form and skip sunscreen.
Varying strengths are available.
From 2%-5%
Brands seen- ambi skincare ,
nip and fab oily skin kit face wash.
There’s 50% off on the nipandfab site right now

Tea tree oil-
This is a natural antibacterial, anti fungal and anti inflammatory.
Brand — St.Ives

Each of these listed above also come in facial bars .
The idea is to ensure you wash your face and while you are at it, with something that is clinically proven to work.
If you are out to treat acne and you are serious about it, you should be using a facial wash with one of the above ingredients.
Read the labels and it has to contain one of the following words-

Salicylic acid or willow bark
Glycolic acid
Benzoyl perozide
Hammelis
Any other antibacterial-eg- triclosan.

So you know what to watch out for when buying a facial wash or soap.
That’s the first step towards getting rid of those breakouts.
Will add some more facial wash brands subsequently but those pictured are the most common ones found in nigeria.
Singular product reviews will come up in subsequent posts.
What facial wash or soap are you using now ?
Does it work ?
Would you like to try something else ?
Hit me up with questions, let’s talk about this.