If you are one of the people who suffer with acne (Zits) then you are well aware of the distress and problems it causes; fortunately, the problems it causes are being investigated. Research into skin care treatment has been advancing for some time now; as a consequence, many of these new treatments are very affective. Most acne skin care products can be broken down into three main areas:

* Preventative: Creams, lotions etc. to help cleanse and tone the skin
* Over-the-counter: Treatment
* Prescription only: Requires visit to doctor

General acne products are used as a preventative measure and include cleansers, make-up removers and other similar products that can help prevent acne. Many people use products similar to this every day as part of their skin care regime irrespective of whether or not they have the condition.

There are acne skin care products that are more specialized in there approach and are formulated to reduce and limit the amount of oil in the pores of our skin. These types of products are reducing the chance of oil staying in the pores and aiding the growth of harmful bacteria which assists the formation of the skin condition.

Other skin care treatments can help exfoliate the skin and are easily obtainable in any drug store. This type of peel helps reduce the chance of oil clogging up the pores as well as removing other skin impurities; this can reduce the bacterium growth on your skin.

There are specialized acne skin care products available over-the-counter, they do not require the need of a prescription. These include products like vanishing creams which extract the excess oil from the skin. Most of these are based on benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, both of which are the enemies of bacteria (and hence acne).

In case there is a reaction to the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide, dermatologists recommend that any product you use should be a low concentrations of no more that 5.5 parts per hundred. A good alternative to benzoyl peroxide is anything containing alpha hydroxy acid. It might just be a case of trial and error, if nothing seems to work speak to your dermatologist for any advice or try a different acne skin care product.

If you do need to see your doctor or skin care specialist then he may give you a prescription for antibiotics or special ointments. In some case your doctor may suggest the pustules are drained of harmful contents under local anesthetic, this is a minor procedure which if carried out by yourself could result in skin damage.

Hormone treatment might be suggested as hormone changes can lead to acne. This type of skin care treatment has been very effective in a large number of cases. The end result is dealing with this skin complaint is not the problem it once was, there are now a huge range of products specifically formulated for the task. This means that a sufferer does not have to put up with this condition anymore.