The Inside Story Of Acne Cleansers - 1
by: CD Mohatta
Acne cleanser is used to prepare the skin before application of topical acne
treatment- a cream, gel or a lotion. Ideally any acne cleanser should remove all
the surface oils, dirt and any other impurity from the skin. Once the skin is
clean the medication becomes more effective because there is no barrier between
the medicine and the skin cells. Let us look at the common acne cleansers available
and find out what you should be looking for.
Look for a gentle cleanser. It should be non-irritating and acid balanced. The
cleanser should be non comedogenic and hypoallergenic. Let me explain these terms
in detail.
Hypoallergenic-
Any product that does not cause allergy by use is called a hypoallergenic product.
By reading the word hypoallergenic on any product, most people believe that it
will not cause any allergy in them. But this may not be true. Manufacturers are
not required to substantiate their claim that their product is hypoallergenic.
The use of this term by a reputed company may mean that a product labeled as hypoallergenic
has less chances of causing allergy in most of the consumers. You have to use
a product and find out if it causes any allergy. Use products marked as hypoallergenic,
etc., with caution because the results may be interpreted by a company in its
favor to sell more products by luring consumers. Still a product marked hypoallergenic
is better than a product that is not marked so.
Non comedogenic-
You might have observed that when you begin applying a particular product for
some time, you begin getting comedones- whiteheads and blackheads. Any ingredient
that can cause comedones is called comedogenic. Any product that does not cause
comedones is called non-comedogenic.
To find out if any material is comedogenic, it is usually tested on the insides
of a rabbit’s ear. After three weeks, the area of application is observed
and a small biopsy is done. The numbers of comedones are counted and the material
tested is labeled as comedogenic on a scale of 0 to 5. The material that causes
no comedogenicity is labeled 0 and the highest comedogenic product is labeled
as 5.
This test is carried out on individual materials, for example - mineral oil,
or calendula or cetyl alcohol, etc. Every product that is to be used on the body
can be tested in this manner and labeled. When you use a product for application
on your body, you will find that most of the formulated products contain more
than one ingredient. Such products are labeled as comedogenic, if any comedogenic
ingredient is used in it. If a product is labeled as non-comedogenic, it is not
supposed to contain any comedogenic material in it.
All of us are different and our body reacts differently to every material. Some
of us may not have any comedones, even if we use a comedogenic product. Similarly,
some of us may get comedones by using the safest of products. It is like asking
- why I don't get any acne, whereas my friend of same age cannot get rid of it?
While using any product, read and note if it is labeled as non-comedogenic.
In the next part of this article we will find out more about the active ingredients
that are formulated with acne cleansers.
This article is only for informative purposes. This article is not intended to
be a medical advise and it is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
Please consult your doctor for your medical concerns. Please follow any tip given
in this article only after consulting your doctor. The author is not liable for
any outcome or damage resulting from information obtained from this article.
About The Author
The author CD Mohatta writes for http://www.acnedoctor.us which has comprehensive
information about skin care, acne treatments, causes, medicines, myths, latest
methods, etc. The author also writes quizzes for http://www.funquizcards.com
and text for content in http://www.wishafriend.com
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