Dermajuv ( Dermagist ) Acne Treatment System

Dermajuv Acne Treatment System Grade:  A+

Update:  Dermajuv will be changing its name to Dermagist.  Nothing about the company or product will change.. just the name. It is a very good product, in contrast to the many scam products out there.

This was a really great product, for the treatment of acne, as well as the overall health of the skin and body.   NO other acne product on the market worked as well as Dermajuv. Amazingly fast results, along with the fact that there are no side effects, makes the Dermajuv Acne Treatment System the #1 pick of acnecream.com.

Visit Dermajuv.com to learn more or buy.

Completely free of Benzoyl Peroxide, this is a dramatically effective acne treatment with some serious science behind it.  The most important parts of treating acne is killing of the bacteria that cause the pimples, and healing and calming the skin without making the acne itself worse.   That is a very tough challenge, and most companies resort to harsh chemicals to “try” to get the job done.   Dermajuv, on the other hand, tackles the two sides of treating acne Head-on, and does so all naturally. Here is how we reviewed the Demajuv Acne Treatment System on both the clearing and healing sides of the coin.

First, the main ingredient used to kill the acne causing bacteria, in both the cleanser and the acne cream is Resveratrol. Oxford University released a study that showed Resveratrol as equally effective as Benzoyl Peroxide in killing the bacteria, but because it has NONE of the dangerous side effects that benzoyl has, it is a far better solution… Read the study on the Oxford Journals.  More costly, but far better.  As an additional benefit, Resveratrol is a very powerful antioxidant, which can help get the toxins out of the skin too, which boosts the products’ ability to clear acne even further.  Lastly, we have all heard of the miraculous anti aging benefits of Resveratrol.. It has been discussed on Dr. Oz, Oprah, Barbara Walters, and even 60 minutes, as a potential miracle cure for aging.    Resveratrol’s use in Dermajuv’s acne products have nothing to do with the whole “anti aging buzz” surrounding this ingredient, but hey, it’s pretty cool to know that you are not only clearing up your acne, but also giving your skin a powerful anti aging treatment as well.

What else does it have that clears the acne? The cleanser uses Glycolic Acid to gently exfoliate the dead skin and bacteria that often cause acne too.  It’s a gentle treatment that doesn’t run the risk of irritating the acne further, yet it gets the job done of stimulating new healthy cell growth in the skin.  The cleanser also has Tangerine oil in it, which further exfoliates and kills bacteria, while also priming the skin to absorb the therapeutic ingredients that calm and sooth the redness and infection that comes with acne.

The acne cream, in addition to the resveratrol, contains Niacinimide and Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate to naturally and almost immediately begin clearing and healing the acne.   “The acne literally starts to go away right before your eyes”, was a comment from a user we asked for a review from.  The report was that there was no peeling or shiny dryness that usually goes along with acne treatments.  Instead, the skin stayed moist and oil free, with a healthy glow… all while the acne and redness was literally washed away.

Clearing the actual pimples is only one thing that this system does.  The other side of the coin, is that it soothes and calms that red, irritated skin, that makes the acne so visible.  Making the acne less visible to the eye, is just as important as killing the pimples.

What does Dermajuv’s acne system do in regard to making the RED go away?

• It has Chamomile, which is known for its incredible soothing and “red removing” properties.
• Aloe Vera is contained in the cleanser for its amazing healing and calming properties.
• Shea butter moisturizes and calms the skin, all without clogging pores or adding grease or oil.

Overall, the Dermajuv Acne Treatment System is the best thing for the money, when it comes to curing acne, and making it less visible.   We highly recommend it, based on its performance, as well as it’s safe, all natural ingredients.

There is a huge difference between Dermajuv’s acne system and other industry leaders… Dermajuv refuses to use Benzoyl Peroxide in their creams or cleansers.  The reason is that Benzoyl Peroxide causes Free Radicals in the skin, and that is the same as spending time unprotected in the sun.   Also, it irritates the skin, and often causes the acne to look worse.  Overdry and flaky is often how the skin is described when Benzoyl Peroxide is used.   That, combined with the development of tumors in lab tests with mice, Benzoyl Peroxide is deemed DANGEROUS by Dermajuv and is BANNED from use in any Dermajuv product.

Visit Dermajuv.com to learn more or buy.

Skin iD Neutrogena

To Buy Neutrogena Skin iD:

To buy Neutrogena Skin iD, click the button and go directly to their site.

Neutrogena Skin iD is available to buy on their company website.  They offer a trial purchase price that is around $40.  We urge you to read the whole review and info before buying Skin iD

Main active ingredients in Skin iD

Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid

What we say about Skin iD

Neutrogena is clearly an established name within the skin care industry and one would expect a quality product, especially with the kind of marketing dollars they are spending.  It is difficult to find much information about how these product will treat your acne or what science it is based upon.  Most of the information revolves around the fact that you get to answer questions and you will get your skin ID which indicates which products you need.    Once you examine it a bit closer you realize that it is really just another combination of Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid, two active ingredients that are widely considered harsh and damaging to your skin.

As active ingredients these are some of the harshest that there is.  Often times users will develop skin reactions to them and they have been linked to some long term use damage that can be as severe as skin cancer.  This is a difficult tradeoff to make when treating acne, but their use is certainly not new and many consumers consider it a reasonable risk if it works.

In our testing, unfortunately, the results we saw were minimum.  Some had better experiences with the product than others and those who did claimed that their skin was cleared and that after the blemishes eventually disappeared their skin did remain a bit clearer.  Our findings suggested that the majority of users would find a rapid drying of their skin in the first few days.  A few days afterwards they found that the acne began to reappear and in some cases came back more harsh.  Others felt that the products drying was damaging the skin and causing acne scars.

Overal take on Neutrogena Skin iD

This is a well publicized product and it will continue to be used and for some it may be the answer that they have been looking for.  For the rest of us, this is another three product system that promises the world and very few of us get the results we heard about from the celebrities.  This is moderately priced, and it is an interesting gimmick, but in the end you will find that there are far more effective products out there to purchase, so don’t go tattooing your Skin ID on your body just yet.  Chances are you will be using another acne treatment before long.

Clearpores

ClearPores’ three products are designed to knock out acne causing bacteria by treating your skin from different directions.  The cleanser is the first phase of the treatment.  This cleanser is supposed to reduce inflammation and unclog pores it also is supposed to remove surface bacteria.  The cleanser was a nice product, a bit drying, but overall very nice.  The inflammation was reduced in a reasonable amount of time and while we couldn’t document how much bacteria was reduced our skin did feel clean and healthy.

The second phase of this system is the Herbal formula that supposedly helps your skin combat acne breakouts better.  It is always difficult to review a pill, as it either deliver results or it doesn’t.  This pill doesn’t.  We did not find any evidence that either our body was fighting off acne any better, nor that there was a reduction in acne breakouts.  Herbal pills are not regulated with any sort of comforting guidelines and you never know what you are taking and this description was a bit too vague for our liking.  No side effects were noted, however no results were contributed to this product either.

Lastly, the Skin Protection cream is designed to nourish and replenish your skin and increase overall health.  The problem with protection creams and healing creams is that they are generally needed to counteract the damages caused by the other part of the acne treatment.  This is the case with harsh chemical based acne treatments and to a lesser degree this product too.  Leaving your skin dry after the first two phases, this last phase is intended to revitalize your skin.  This is a nice cream that nourishes the skin rather well.  A great cream for many uses, however it’s too bad it has to overcome the first two phases or it could probably help your skin’s defense functionality.

Overall

Overall the products are priced a bit on the inexpensive side in comparison to other quality products, although the results are often lacking as well.  The design of these products, the treatment of acne as an anti bacterial at the same time you nourish the skin, was correct, unfortunately the results just don’t live up to the hype.  We are always concerned about orally treated acne solutions and our suspicions are right with this one.  Certainly not the worse acne solution out there, but for the money there are far better results out there.

Clearogen

Clearogen intends to treat your acne by controlling your hormones, specifically the ones that stimulate the oil glands such as DHT.  By checking the release of hormones, the logic is that you can control the oil or sebum production resulting in less breakouts.  Because this product is created by Dr. Alex Khadavi we were hopeful that it would deliver these results in a non-prescription topical application.

We were happy to see that this product was guaranteed as so few of them are these days.   But we had some concern based upon this company’s website.  The company almost seems intent on trying to take Proactive customers or they are fixated on knocking down Proactive, perhaps as they are a major company in the industry.  Every acne sufferer deserves to know the draw backs of using a Benzoyl Peroxide based acne treatment, but Proactive is not the only one doing it, so perhaps this company just doesn’t know any better.

Overall

Overall we were somewhat impressed with the product.  It does take a different approach to treating acne than many other products and despite attempting to control oil production, it did not over dry the skin.   The pricing of this product is moderate and is competitive with the more quality products in the industry.  The results we achieved were decent, and there was some reduction in acne breakouts.  To be honest it took a bit longer than we expected but it did deliver some results.   Perhaps that’s why the guarantee is for 60 days rather than some of the quicker working products that offer you a 30 day money back guarantee.  This is a tough one to call.  It is not the best acne treatment that we have seen, but it is definitely in the top tier of products out there.  It kind of is what it is, its not going to make your breakout go away, but it may prevent ones from coming.  If it was only complete enough to treat all symptoms at once this would be a winner, but as of now  we cannot recommend it over the other products that deliver a total acne treatment.

Benzaclin

Designed to eliminate teenage acne in roughly 14 days and is an aggressive approach to eliminating acne breakouts.  If the balance of any such product is off by just a bit, you will have an over drying experience that can have long term damaging affects to the skin.  Benzoyl introduces Hydrogen and Oxygen to the  bacteria, a combination that is deadly to the acne causing pest.

The product itself is rather easy to use and there is no doubt that this approach will kill acne causing bacteria.  The problem becomes the condition of the skin at the time that treatment begins.  So often acne prone skin or severe acne cases have inflamed and irritated skin to begin with.  When a serious attack comes to the bacteria present in your skin, it does not cause a soothing reaction, it causes more trauma.  Trauma to inflamed skin can result in serious long term damage, from acne scars to toughened tissue that visibly changes the surface layers of your skin.

By BenzaClin’s own admission, their product works better on teenagers and it works better on mild to moderate acne and really is not intended for serious acne.  The rapid drying of the skin appear effective early on, however with time breakouts come back and they come back twice as severe.  In addition, it is important to note the potential health concerns regarding the use of Benzoyl Peroxide, it is well documented if you are unaware and a simple search on the internet can be quite revealing.

Overall

We feel that the risks of this product outweigh the benefits.  Sure it will eliminate the acne causing bacteria, but with what regard to surface layer tissue.  Scars and over dried skin are common with the use of BenzaClin, but it will most likely achieve the desired result of no more bacteria.  It is that reason why it is prescribed often as many people want a prescription only product.  The truth, however, is that there are far better acne treatments out there that require only your purchase.  They are better at soothing both damaged tissue as well as treating acne causing bacteria.  Antibiotics are present in many topical ingredients and there is no reason to incur the high cost.  Keep searching unless you know exactly what it is that you are getting with BenzaClin.

Acnezine

This acne treatment system treats the skin by eliminating and preventing free radicals within your skin.   Free radicals are primarily associated with aging symptoms of the skin and not acne related ones, although overall your skin is able to heal itself much better if it is free of free radicals.  We felt confident that the most of the inflammation would be reduced by this treatment, but we did not know what this would do to prevent future acne breakouts.

The moisturizing cream was an enjoyable cream to use and wear.  It did reduce inflammation and left the skin feeling a bit healthier.  It did not however stop any breakouts.  If the condition existed, it reduced the symptoms, but we could not find any evidence that it reduced the amount of breakouts your skin had.

The pills, are pills, tough to comment the quality of the formulations without reverse engineering them, but all of the ingredients are cleared by the FDA according to the website.  Again, the health or luster of our skin did begin to look better, but no reduction in the frequency of breakouts.

Overall

Overall the Acnezine acne treatment by Revitol did not seem like a true acne treatment.  It did improve skin health and reduce inflammation, but it didn’t seem to stop acne at the source of the problem.  Acne causing bacteria remained in the skin and continues to cause breakouts during the use of this.  The redness and swelling however are reduced relatively quickly.  For what it does, it is a decent product, but we are just not sure that these products were originally designed for or are not a complete enough treatment to be considered by you as an acne solution.  The price is about right for this product, everything considered, but there are far better acne solutions out there to choose form.

Acnexus

We were surprised to find out after reading the directions that this product is essentially a facial cleanser. They ask that you apply the product and lightly scrub your face for thirty seconds, rinse and then pat your face dry. Rather alarming considering their claims, however we are more than happy to find out that this will work, so we commenced with the testing.

When you read the finer print on the website you will realize that Acnexus admits that this product will do nothing to prevent acne, only treat the symptoms as they arise.  This is a claim much more in tune for a cleanser type acne product.  The all natural ingredients do seem to be a legitimate formulation of acne fighting ingredients, yet there are some other problems when you look further into this product.

The product seemed to do very little for our skin and in fact we found ourselves revisiting the website to seek further information / advice on whether or not there was something that we missed.  It was then that we realized how hastily put together the website was.  There are grammatical errors and promotion offers that cannot actually be purchased through the site, or at least that we are able to find.

Overall

Overall there are very few cleansers that are powerful enough to deliver the results that Acnexus delivers.  Detox Cleansers with Resveratrol perhaps can deliver that level of performance, but even they are recommended to be used with a medical grade clarifying cream.  This is a product to avoid, unless you are looking to throw your money away.  There are acne creams that provide results and there are acne treatments that don’t.  This one doesn’t.

Acnetix

Before we get to the review of the product we wanted to make sure that the voice of some of our readers is heard with this post.  The website essentially makes you feel like they are passing along this product to you at a loss to the company in order to spread goodwill amongst acne sufferers.  Sounds nice, like a lie, but nice.   The next bold claim is the lifetime guarantee, don’t get us wrong it sounds nice to guarantee something for that long, but only if you are able to get in touch with the company or make contact to do so.  In our search we found the location of the phone numbers and contact info on the website somewhat of a daunting task.  It left us with the impression of less than exemplary business practices.

We reviewed this product only to find that our worst fears were confirmed.  The product is simply inferior to others within in the industry.  The product dries out the skin severely, not that it is uncommon within the industry, however there is no soothing cream or replenishing cream to counter act it.

From the point of contact you can feel the skin drying out, and to their credit AcneTix does reduce acne initially.  In fact, if you were to use the product then stop for three months and then use it again you would continue to get that drying result and it would reduce acne.  But with continued use the effects fade like many acne treatments and the acne re-appears.

Overall

Do not be swayed by this sales pitch or the lifetime guarantee, this is nothing that you have not experienced before.  The products are adequate and of medium quality and if you understand what you are going to get, then perhaps this is for you, but if you want a real, permanent solution, this is not the choice for you.  Be very cautious of AcneTix.

AcnEase

This product claims to deliver results within 7 days from when you start taking it.  Priced at almost $80 for 30 days, the price is almost as hard to swallow as the pill.  We want to remind you that any acne treatment that requires swallowing such as AcneEase, or Accutane can have adverse effects and should be considered and certainly regulated prior to introducing into your system or the system of your children.  While these risks are not new, and quite common with herbal supplements, they do warrant attention.

The concern to our experts as well as our subject testers was the lack of specific information about how the product will treat acne and which ingredients will be doing the treatment.  Acne is a severe enough skin problem without having to add to it with unknown ingredients and treatments.  Additionally, pills and medications effect people differently so it is difficult to believe that this product will work on all ages and skin types as there are far too many variances to be found.

AcnEase is one of those products that promises the world but offers no scientific evidence of it working.  It uses words like organic and all natural to gain attention and popularity, although do not take pride enough in those ingredients to expound on the specific nature of their treatment.  It is classic marketing over-talk that is intended to persuade consumers to purchase AcnEase over other acne treatments.

Overall

Generally speaking you are not going to find an herbal, oral acne treatment that delivers results powerful enough to be the only method of treatment.  They can be used as supplements to your regular acne treatment, however you would be better off just taking Resveratrol as scientists at Oxford recommend that use and the evidence can be supported.  Overall we pass on the recommendation of this product as it is not a true acne treatment, and the wording on the side indicates a shady operation, something that is not acceptable when it comes to oral herbal medicines.

Acjuva

Our experts have always maintained that a quality product will eliminate your acne without creating a need for a repairing cream or moisturizer to counteract the severe drying.  Accelerating exfoliation is a difficult balance and many of the ingredients that do so can be quite harmful to the skin as is the case, but Acjuva claims to use all natural or botanical ingredients, thus sparking our interest in trying it out and reviewing it here.

Generally all natural acne treatments would not require a repairing lotion, as the cleansers, if formulated correctly, would already be soothing and nourishing the inflamed and damaged tissue.  But this version of an acne treatment cleanses, then forces exfoliation, then soothes, admittedly a different approach than we would like.

The cleanser was indeed nice, a light, adequately balanced cleanser that left the skin feeling clean and oil free to the touch.  The toner, however, was a slightly different story.  It seemed to irritate the skin forcing exfoliation and cellular turnover.  Both of which are good for acne treatment, provided they are accomplished without irritating the skin.  Unfortunately, Acjuva did just that, leaving you wanting the repairing lotion.  The repairing lotion did its best to reverse the irritation, but when inflamed skin becomes more irritated the risk switches to acne scars, a condition no one wants to have to deal with.

Overall

Overall, we endorse the use of all natural ingredients and believe that the best acne treatments come from all natural sources.  Unfortunately for us, this product was still a bit irritating to the skin and only furthered much of the damage that existed.  Minor acne was relieved relatively well with Acjuva, however the more severe cases seemed to be further irritated.  We can only recommend the use of this product if you do not have sensitive skin and if your acne is minor, if your breakouts are more severe you will most definitely want to look for a more serious and far less irritating to the skin acne solution.

Go back to the main acne treatment comparison page.

PanOxyl

Our experts initial impression of this product was that both bar treatments as well as Benzoyl Peroxide can be extremely drying to the skin, and while the all over nature of this product is a nice option, our concern was the moisture level remaining in your skin following washing with this product. The price is right on this product, as each bar sells for less than $9.00. We thought we would see how the product itself performs.

According to the PanOxyl website, acne is gone after only a few days and as long as regular use of the product is maintained acne will remain gone. That would be a great thing, however it has not been the case with other Benzoyl Peroxide based products. Hopefully the PanOxyl formulation would prove otherwise.

This acne cleansing bar is actually not nearly as soap-like as we expected and in fact many people enjoyed its use as a body acne treatment. The response was not the same for face treatment as it was a bit too harsh for our liking. But for those of you who suffer from body acne and you are looking for a product to treat it, perhaps this isn’t a bad way to go.

The treatment of the face however was more along the lines of what we expected of a benzoyl based product. Rapid drying of the skin and while acne does disappear after a few days, a week or so later it returns and in many cases it came back more severe.

Overall

The health risks of Benzoyl Peroxide are well documented and while no one wants to further damage their skin, acne can be quite bothersome for many people and the urge to remove it is paramount. If you have body acne, you may enjoy using this product, although we DO NOT recommend you use it on your face. The presence of free radicals is high in this product and you will want to avoid applying to the face. Overall, there are better acne products out there for the face and body, however if you are looking for an extremely inexpensive body acne treatment and the benzoyl is not a concern, this may be the treatment for you.

MetroGel

Gels are one of those formulations that either works well or it is a really bad product.  Often times gels can be sticky and tacky to the touch and some don’t even absorb well into the skin.  However, other times gels can be some of the most advanced and rapid delivery systems of active ingredients to your skin.  MetroGel is a popular acne treatment and the fact that it is a gel made it an obvious choice for us to review.

MetroGel lists the following as side effects on their website and acknowledges that for some people this acne treatment can cause severe reactions and irritation to the skin.  Stinging or burning of the eyes, burning sensation to the skin, tingling or numbness of the hands and feet nausea.  It seems like a relatively large risk to take for acne treatment, but then some people will try anything to get rid of acne.

Other severe allergic rations were reported by a few people included itchy rashes, hives, scaling, stinging sensation, shortness of breath, respitory congestion and puffiness of the mouth, face, lips or tongue.  If you experience any of these symptoms please seek medical attention immediately.

Overall

With side effects as significant as this it is very difficult to make a recommendation for this product.  The gel is otherwise quality and is neither sticky or tacky to wear.  It is a bit on the pricey side and continual use can be costly.  If your skin does not react well to harsh or concentrated products you do not want to use this product.  However for those of you who have little issues with skin reaction, this product will dry out oily skin and reduce acne causing bacteria.  It is a decent anti inflammatory as well and will pull severe redness out of breakouts and rosacea, but overall it is a big risk to take.  As you know skin irritation can cause many problems for those of us with acne, are you prepare to risked more breakouts and further skin damage?  We don’t think so either.

Eczana

Eczana, at initial glance, seems to have taken all aspects of acne treatment into account. It relieves inflammation, reduces itchiness common with body acne, and heals the skin to prevent further breakouts from happening. Doing this with all natural ingredients that are healthy for your skin to use is exactly what each acne sufferer wants. The question, like with all treatments, is whether or not it can actually deliver.

Our experts expressed their concerns as to whether or not the ingredients that are included would actually perform to a high enough level to treat severe cases of acne, or whether this particular formula is only suitable for milder cases. Ingredients like chamomile and tea tree oil are fantastic for soothing in a facial cleanser or a body lotion, but would they be able to handle the riggers of acne treatment.

As with many other acne treatments that have tried to deliver this type of treatment, Eczana came up just a bit short with this formula. The tea tree has been tried by many acne treatments to heal acne, and in minor cases it has shown some potential, but it is just not potent enough to stand alone as the treatment for acne. The chamomile, however did do a nice job soothing the skin and reducing inflammation. But soothing irritation has never been the hard part about treating acne, it has always been about preventing more. Eczana showed no evidence that it was capable of that feat.

Overall

Overall Ezcana has the best intentions and the products are decently balanced. The problem is that they are using elementary ingredients to solve and world class skin condition. Its going to take more. While all natural ingredients such as Resveratrol have proven to work, the tea tree oil based products have just not delivered and as a result, most acne treatments have stopped using it. These products are good for your skin, but overall not worth the money. It should be noted that Eczana comes with some supplements as well to compliment the topical cream, but they too seem ineffective. Overall a pass on this one, based solely on the productivity of the creams.

Differin

This of course can be both a good thing as well as a bad thing for consumers.  Many consumers will apply the more concentrated dose without realizing the potential side effects of these types of ingredients and wind up with severe side effects.  Our experts warned us going into the product review that for many this ingredient can result in a “burning sensation” as its goal is to promote accelerated exfoliation.  Accelerated exfoliation often leads to severe drying of the skin which can also lead to acne scars.

We thought we would test each of the three versions based upon the recommendations made on the Differin website.  We used the lowest concentration on minor acne breakouts and the higher concentration on more severe cases (all acne seems severe to most of us, but that is not always the case).  We also conducted sensitive skin reviews using the cream version of Differin.  The results were honestly somewhat troubling.

This lowest dosage was far more than any of us wanted to deal with.  The rate at which this product dried out our skin was staggering and according to our experts would lead to long term damage with continued usage.  Like many harsh acne treatments, this dries out the oily skin rather quickly, but causes so much damage simultaneously that one must wonder which skin condition is worse.

Overall

Those of our subjects that did not have a reaction to the product said that it did seem to dry out acne rapidly, but they were uncomfortable with the amount of drying and needed to use a replenishing moisturizer to complete the treatment.  For the majority, however the burning sensation and severe drying was almost too much for them to deal with, and had this been a normal use and not a study, they would have discontinued the use.  This one is tough to call.  The product may in fact work well but there is no way for us to know who it will react poorly with and who will enjoy it.  A fairly large risk from our standpoint.

OxyCerin

We have heard of other all natural substitutes for benzoyl peroxide, most notably our top rated acne treatment by Dermajuv with Resveratrol. Resveratrol eliminates acne even more rapidly than benzoyl and is actually healthy for the skin. We were hoping to find similar results with the tea tree based product.

As far as ingredients in this product we were happy to see the nature of them. Ingredients like licorice root for inflammation and aloe vera are commonly used to soothe skin irritations and remedy ailments. Combining them with an active ingredient that eliminates acne makes it a nice combination. Both our experts as well as our testers were thrilled to try this one out.

Unfortunately that is where the positives end about this product. For whatever reason, the formula was inadequate, the tea tree oil doesn’t work as well as mentioned, but something went wrong with this product. They definitely had the right idea in mind, but it just doesn’t work. The product is sold at 29.99 but we are not even sure it is worth that much. Don’t be confused, its not going to make your acne worse, but what’s the point of an acne treatment if it doesn’t actually remove acne?

Overall

All of our high hopes and expectations for this product was perhaps a bit too optimistic. It’s just that the last time we saw a major educational institution recommend an alternative to Benzoyl Peroxide it was Resveratrol and we all know how effective that has proven to be. Admittedly disappointed by this one, unfortunately this is not an effective alternative to Benzoyl Peroxide. The product just lacks the quality and balance a formula must have to make the ingredient effective once delivered to the skin. OxyCerin is just another “near miss” in the acne market, and not the solution you have been waiting for.

Orovo Acne

Dubbed the most impressive oral and topical acne treatment available on the market, we find it curious that there have been many claims of false advertising.  In our testing the acne healing results were adequate and did out achieve many of the other products reviewed here on the website.  While the 7 day claim to rid your body of acne was false, that alone is not a cause for concern for us.

While the all natural “super foods” approach has proven to increase skin health and allow it to combat against acne better, there is very little evidence that it will wipe out existing acne, instead focusing on prevention of acne, leaving consumers to deal with the existing breakouts all on their own.

The side effects or knock on this product is the fact that you are swallowing a supplement.  Because herbal supplements are not regulated they can be manufactured anywhere in the world and under any guidelines they want.  This creates a high level of concern of side effect and side effects have been reported regularly with the use of this product.  From nausea to excessive gas and in many cases diarrhea were reported during our testing.  Other common complaints were extreme thirst and urination.

Overall

Overall the combination of topical cream, seldom even commented on by our users, and oral supplement was average.  It did deliver some results and while there are a high incident of side effects they are all fairly well documented, meaning they are no surprise to consumers.  We do not like supplemental acne treatments due to the lack of regulation, and the high risk of side effects, but overall this product did the job.  It is worth noting that we did not have much success with acne rated more severe than mild, as moderate and severe acne didn’t seem to be penetrated or slowed.  Overall, decent, but short of a recommendation.

Neostrata Acne Treatment

Our experts expressed some initial concern about this acne treatment as much of the research and basis for the products have become a bit dated over the years.  Sure the Glycolic Acid contained in the toner, has proven to deliver fantastic results and is commonly used in our top rated acne cleansers.  But much of the other aspects of this acne treatment have been considered slightly outdated, which is to be expected over the past twenty some odd years.

One of our primary concerns was the clients with sensitive skin or those who must be out in the sun either professionally or socially.  These products can be somewhat harsh to the skin and reactions vary with little indication as to why.

What we found, was the NeoStrata is a fantastic moisturizer that works to soften skin.  Removing dead skin cells on the lower levels of your skin can contribute to mild acne healing as well as make your overall skin health much better.  Its reputation as an acne treatment has faded over the years and it is understandable as to why.  There are far better acne treatments out there.  That does not mean that AHA’s do not have a place in your occasional skin care routine, they can be extremely helpful.

Overall

Alpha Hydroxy Acid has had its time in the sun, so to speak.  It was at one time considered one of the most premier acne treatments, but then again acne treatment research was really only beginning.  The last decade has revealed much about acne treatments from the dangers of long term use of many active ingredients to the realities that some treatments are really not that good at removing acne but are actually just improving skin health.  While a bi product will be acne healing, it is not the primary function.  And that being said, there are simply more effective treatments to use that will take advantage of the latest advancements.

Tazorac

Hyped as a fast working acne treatment, Tazorac is supposed to absorb quickly and work to eliminate future acne breakouts. The second version of the product is to the treatment of mild acne. So essentially one product treats acne, another one works to prevent it. It’s kind of a sneaky way to make you purchase two products or gain twice the profit if you have both current acne, AND would like to prevent future breakouts….imagine that. I guess its all you can expect from a major corporation, who may not focus on the end user as much as some more passionate companies.

The major knock on this product is that it leaves skin extremely dry, itchy and even stingy with regular use. For many of us acne sufferers this is nothing new, and we are fully aware of the damages that it can cause long term to your skin. The problem is that products that do this to your skin, they work initially and it appears two or three days into the treatment that they are working and eliminating the acne, but days later the acne is back and this time worse than before.

Overall

Because this product has one version for prevention and one version for acne treatment it gets rather pricey to accomplish what most of us are looking for, both. To do that, consumers are looking at over $120 dollars for a product that dries out your skin and only prevents acne for the first few days. No thanks. This product is not special enough to warrant that kind of price and Tazorac is fading in popularity. How often would you continue you purchasing this product, if it was not delivering results? While it may work for some, and testimonials say it does, for most it is one of those learning experience that has you think twice before running out and buying an expensive acne treatment assuming it is one of the best.

Retin-A

Our experience with Retin-A is extensive and each of us has had ample personal experience with the medication.  The reality is, however, that science has just passed this particular treatment by.  There are far more advanced formulas out there that will treat your acne or stimulate your cell growth more rapidly and without the harsh damage.

Retin-A has had its time in the sun, so to speak, and while its name will continue to drive customers to ask about and use this product, its formula has growth rather archaic.  The burning, and stinging sensation that so many consumers complain about can now be done away with by using all natural or more advanced skin cell generating ingredients.

Overall

You don’t need to hear from us that Retin-A has worked in the treatment of acne for many people, its reputation speaks for itself.  You may not know however that just as many people complain about the side effects of its use as the actual benefits of it.  Each person has unique skin and if you don’t mind risking the irritation or you have some aversion to using newer and more advanced acne treatments than perhaps Retin-A still has a place in today’s market.  Collectively, we are thankful that acne treatment has evolved over the years and that today’s options are far more extensive than what they were when Retin-A came onto the scene.

Thermaclear

Zeno is another brand that has attempted this treatment, we reviewed here on our site, but it was not compatible with most acne prone skin types and in fact worked in only on very minor blemishes and it took over 2.5 minutes per pimple to treat.  ThermaClear claims to have solved both of those issues.

ThermaClear is much larger than Zeno and its bursts of heat are more intense, in fact, each pimple is treated in only 2 seconds vs. the 2.5 minutes of previous types of treatments but some users have reported some serious issues with using this product.  The adjustable setting can be damaging to first time users and in some cases the pimples will burst right open. Most consumers with sensitive skin find this far too painful to consider as an realistic regular treatment.

What we found is that if you can tolerate the pain and the burning, it does seem to break down acne relatively quickly, but it does not prevent acne from reoccuring.  For the price it is a reasonable enough product but very few can deal with the treatment.  In our opinion, eventually they will find a way to make this process far less painful, but until then it is a bit archaic to use this.

Overall

Overall, the technology of this type of treatment and the long term effects of the damage to the skin is just not known.  This may be a product that you find you can tolerate and you may not have an issue treating acne after it breaks out on your face.  For the rest of us, this is painful and as long as we use a quality acne treatment that actually prevents future breakouts we can eliminate unsightly acne all together.

Another point worth noting is that ThermaClear shows its results compared to acne prone skin that is untreated vs. comparing it to acne that is currently being treated.  It is a shifty way to make the % of results appear to be better than they actually will be, that is unless you don’t use any acne treatment at all.   Overall, this is still a pass even if you are confident you are tough enough to handle the pain.

Therapeutix

It did not take long to see right through this product and expose it as yet another “free trial” scam and an auto-ship program. By offering up the credentials and location of the doctor and implying that it is the Beverly Hills acne solution, consumers get roped into multiple charges and a product that never had any intention of working.

In order for an acne treatment to work, you need a few things to happen.  Number one you need to make sure that the product contains active ingredients that have been proven to eliminate acne.  Number two, you must have them in the correct concentrations for them to be effective enough to produce results. (0.5% is seldom enough, as used in these products).  Lastly the products must be a quality formulation that allows them to deliver the active ingredients to your skin in a rapid and effective manner.  It is in these three phases that the truth is told about an acne treatment, and in this case, the truth is that the vast majority of users will never see results.

Overall

Therapeutix is a system of products, shockingly 3 products, that consist of a cleanser, a treatment, and a cream to heal the skin.  These products would not need the third healing lotion if the first two products were doing their jobs.  Each product here is of poor quality and consumers should really just be aware of what it is that they are getting into with this product.  In summary, there is a free trial, auto bill scam going on.  Meaning you will be charged over and over for a product you only wanted to try.  Secondly, the products do not contain enough concentration of the active ingredients for them to be effective, and finally the products themselves are cheaply made and even less ingredients are delivered to the skin.  For this reason we cannot advise you to use this product and in fact we recommend that you exercise extreme caution if you are considering doing so.

TriClear

The first red flag that we came across is the “free trial.”  It has been mentioned on many acne forums that this process is a rip off.  Personally we think that consumers can get a little silly when it comes to this.  There is fine print that states that you have 14 days to try the product otherwise you are charged.  Yes, this is a shady practice, however, it is somewhat common in the industry so that alone cannot judge the product.

The results, however, of this system is enough to based a judgment upon.  That is if you can find any results.  This system simply doesn’t work.  The thought process of this product is sound, and to be honest the cleanser is actually a nice cleanser.  The use of chamomile in cleansers is a favorite of ours, and this is yet another example of that.  But if nice cleansers were enough to solve your acne problems, you wouldn’t be here reading these reviews, would you?  Unfortunately, the cleanser is the only decent product in this system.

The Repairing Gel is one of those products that after a few days you really begin to question what it is doing.  There is no evidence of results and to be honest the gel is tacky to wear and feels sticky on your skin, not to mention the way your skin looks while you wear it.  Many users reported severe reactions to the Salicylic Acid, claiming it left their skin burning and itching.  We saw only a bit of this, and nothing significant enough to classify as a severe reaction.

Overall

TriClear is a moderately priced system of products at 69.99 for a two months supply.  The “free trial” is concerning and you should understand it but it does not make them a ripoff.  People get emotional about things that they did not take the time to read.  The concern with TriClear should not be the “scam” pricing, but the fact that it didn’t show us any results, and certainly not within the 14 day trial period.  The fact that it is popular and that we have read some great reviews of it, must mean something, perhaps there is a very specific type of skin that it works on.  Unfortunately, we didn’t see any evidence to that end, and as a result cannot recommend its use.

Vilantae

Due to the fact that orally taken acne solutions like this one it are hard to review the product in terms of the formulation without the use of reverse engineering.  As with all pills, there is significant concern about what the actual makeup of the product is being taken.  Because so many herbal formulas are not regulated there have been issues in the past with certain ingredients causing problem for users.  We did not find any examples of this in our testing of this products and by all accounts the formulas seem to be of high quality.

Vilantae attempts to regulate how much oil is produced by your skin.  The thought process is that even if acne causing bacteria is present within the skin, it takes excessive oil to trigger a response.  Therefore, by regulating the oil production you regulate the acne breakouts.  The problem, however, is that we continuously saw breakouts and this pill does nothing to heal or treat the existing acne.  If the product worked it would be a great alternative to the pricey creams and cleansing routines acne sufferers have used for years.  The problem is that we did not find the level of results acceptable enough for a recommendation of this product.

Overall

Overall this product is moderately priced and could be used as a supplement to a higher quality acne treatment solution, but do NOT expect this product to work all on its own.  Consumers suffering from existing acne problems and breakouts must understand that this pill or powder will do nothing for you.  If you do wish to use this product be sure to understand what it is that it will and will not do.  The price would not be so bad if it delivered actual results all on its own.  It seems to be just another herbal solution to increase your skin’s natural defense that does little to nothing.

Zeno

Imagining a world that allows you to live cleanser free and acne cream free would be nice, but what is this going to do to eliminate future acne breakouts? And can this heating of inflamed tissue result in further acne scars?  We felt that we could at least review the product and share the information so that consumers do not have to run the gauntlet so to speak.

Zeno is a cell phone sized device that intends to heat up the pimple to 120 degrees.  According to them this will kill off the bacteria and reduce the inflammation in the area.  An interesting concept however heating already sensitive tissue could create some damage that may result in scarring.  Our experts also said that they were hesitant to see how this product would work on more severe breakouts including whiteheads, blackheads and otherwise.  Needless to say, Zeno had some critics to appease.

The user’s guide confirmed some of our suspicions where they seemingly admit that it wont work on whiteheads and blackheads and nodular acne or severe acne breakouts.  Well then who is it for?  Most people who have minor and occasional blemishes are not out seeking a serious acne treatment.  And I guess for someone who gets a zit once a month and they notice it before it becomes a full blown whitehead then maybe Zeno works for them.  But for the rest of us, it doesn’t even claim to work

Overall

As a resource site for acne sufferers we are here to provide consumers a competitive edge in the market place.  Products like this never throw out all the facts before you buy it, only in small print after you do so.  This is NOT a product to be used by anyone with a serious skin condition, this is for the occasional pimple and to impress friends with.  Not to mention replacing the tip (heating mechanism) can be costly and the amount of time that it would take you to treat each pimple or breakout would so darn time consuming.  Estimated treatment is 2.5 minutes per pimple, for many of our readers it would take so long to treat their face they would need to take a day off.  This is a red flag product in our opinion and you should stay clear of it, unless you know exactly and I mean precisely what you are getting for your money.

6 Ingredients for Reducing Acne Scars

There are tons of moisturizing creams on the market pretending to be good for reducing the appearance and texture of acne scars. However, the vast majority are nothing more than a basic lotion that moisturizes the skin. Yes, moisture is important for helping ANY scar get better, but it is not right for a simple moisturizer to pretend it is designed for acne scars.

We isolated 6 cosmetic and natural ingredients that actually have a scientific basis aimed at healing the texture of acne scars or lightening the color of acne scars, or doing both.

We break down the ingredients into two “aspects” one is healing the texture and bumpiness of the scar, and the other aspect is helping the discoloration. Be sure to read Below about them, and also where you can find them all in one source.

Aspect #1: Healing the Texture of the Acne Scars:

Bumps, roughness, Holes in the skin… all of these are half of the acne scar equation (the other half is discoloration). This acne scar cream works on the scar itself by using these ingredients:

• Collaxyl (hexapeptide 9) Collaxyl is a peptide which in a nutshell forces skin to heal itself. It plays the role of a messenger that quickly triggers the skin into regeneration of its damaged cells. There was an experiment done by the makers of Collaxyl on a DEAD piece of skin. They ripped the skin, to simulate the damage done to cells during an injury like repeated acne breakouts. The scientists applied Collaxyl 1 time, and left it on the dead skin for 72 hours. This is the image from the experiment, as seen through a microscope. Remember, this was on dead skin, so imagine what it could do to live skin.
  

  Collaxyl (hexapeptide 9) is a serious breakthrough for healing acne scars

• Panthenol (Provitamin B5) Panthenol is a fantastic addition to this list of ingredients helping acne scars, because it aids in the healing of skin tissue and also spurs cell regeneration. A lot of researchers or industry professionals call Panthenol “the beautifier” vitamin. On top of its cell regeneration properties, it also moisturizes the skin and soothes irritation. This is very helpful in the lessening of redness and discoloration also.
• Rosehip Oil (Rosa Mosqueta) is a non clogging extract from a rose bud in Chile and cold regions of South America. Rosehip Seed Oil is world famous for the speed and effectiveness with which it regenerates the skin cells and minimizes scar tissue. It has been prescribed since 1988 as an ingredient for post-surgery patients to apply to the skin to keep the scarring down. Rosehip oil is a highly concentrated source of Vitamin C also, which has documented effects at soothing, healing and improving skin health.
• Acai Berry Extract is, of course a famous ingredient as an antioxidant and helper of healing in the body. Many people have lost weight or cured disease with Acai berry extract, but in this case, it is being referenced because of its ability to speed the healing of the acne scar, and flush out the discoloration and bruising.

Aspect #2: Lessening the Discoloration and “bruised” look of the acne scars:

Getting rid of the redness and that dark color that looks like a bruise that doesn’t go away, is the other side to an effective acne scar cream. Dermajuv’s Acne Scar Cream uses two other ingredients to get rid of the discoloration of the scars.

• Niacinamide - This incredible and natural ingredient first became famous when the New York University College of Medicine proved it as effective as the leading topical prescription medication, Clindamycin, at curing acne. The big benefit in terms of using it for acne scar reduction, is that this ingredient will fade scarring discoloration as well as treat acne. Niacinamide is the active form of Niacin (Vitamin B3). It also has anti-inflammatory properties which further reduces the discoloration of acne scars, and keeps redness and inflammation down.
• Asafetida root extract – This is an all natural root extract that lightens the discoloration by reducing the pigmentation of skin. Not harsh or dangerous like so many of the “skin lightening” treatments out there that use Kojic Acid or Hydroquinone (dangerous ingredients, as seen if you google them), this all natural extract lightens the skin by getting the hyperpigmentation to go away naturally. Darker pigmentation of the skin is a very common symptom that sufferers of acne scars deal with.  For this reason, this ingredient rounds out our 6 picks for “must haves” in treating acne scars.

BUT DOES A PRODUCT EXIST THAT CONTAINS ALL THESE INGREDIENTS?

Yes!  The Dermagist Acne scar fading cream comes by itself, OR as part of the Acne Scar Reduction System (pictured) that includes a detoxifying cleanser.  The Dermagist Acne Scar Fading Cream is the only product on the market that is designed to SPECIFICALLY remove ACNE scars. Yes, there are scar removal creams out there that treat scars “in general” but anyone who suffers from acne scars knows that acne scars are a totally different thing than a traditional scar from a cut or wound. Also, let’s not forget that acne sufferers need to watch out for clogging pores or irritating the skin, which all the “general scar removal creams” don’t even think about. Lastly, there is the whole issue of discoloration or that “bruised look” that acne scars have, which is completely forgotten about by the other scar removal creams. The bottom line is that Dermagist is addressing a precise, specific group of people who suffer from acne scars. They are not worried about making a product for the “masses” that will sell millions.. but rather, a product that really works for acne scar sufferers. And oh yeah… it works.

Visit Dermagist.com to learn more or buy.

Why do we at AcneCream.com feel so strongly about this acne scar cream? Well, because we are acne sufferers both current and former, and we know how frustrating it can be to deal with the scars, or try to remove them with products that were not made precisely for them.

As a summary statement regarding the Dermagist Acne Scar Fading Cream the best thing we can say is “This is a one of a kind product that really works, and you owe it to yourself to use it.”. How’s that for a statement? Well the stuff is great and we are happy for the acne sufferer community that Dermagist is conscious enough to have released this product.

Why 99% of Acne Treatments Fail

The frustrating TRUTH is that the vast majority of acne treatments on the market just DON’T WORK.

If you’ve tried most of the acne treatments on the market, you already know this, and are probably ready to give up.  Don’t.  This article will explain exactly why most acne treatments don’t work, and in doing so will reveal a special breed of product aimed at eliminating acne that might finally end your suffering.

The Biggest Problem with Acne Treatments on the market is in their perception of what must be done to the skin in order to keep it clear.  The vast majority of acne treatments out there seem to be thinking, “Hey, lets kick the crap out of any bacteria (good or bad) in the skin and blast it with harsh chemicals… this will surely make the skin clear, fresh, and calm.”   When you read it like that, it sounds ridiculous, but that is EXACTLY WHAT BENZOYL PEROXIDE TREATMENTS DO.   The skin of an acne sufferer is usually sensitive.  Usually acne sufferers have red irritated looking skin as a result of their acne… how could this be improved by putting harsh chemicals on it?  The answer:  It can’t.  In fact in many cases, acne treatments with Benzoyl Peroxide may actually be killing off the acne causing bacteria, but the harshness and other side effects (discussed below) make the skin look worse than it did… thus making the consumer BELIEVE that their acne is getting worse.

So exactly what is so BAD about Benzoyl Peroxide?

There are 3 terrifying reasons why not to use Benzoyl Peroxide:

The first and foremost is that it produces “Free Radicals” in the skin.   This is the same thing that happens when you have unprotected time in the sun.  The same way that free radicals from sun damage have links to cancer, SO DOES USING BENZOYL PEROXIDE.  Each time you apply a product with Benzoyl Peroxide to your skin, you are doing the same damage as you would be if you laid in the sun until your skin burned.  Nice, huh?

The second reason is that the FDA warns us not to.  Yes, it’s hard to believe even though the FDA has removed benzoyl peroxide from the “safe” list, it is still being pushed on unknowing consumers.  In the 1990’s the FDA slashed benzoyl peroxides rating from “category 1” to “category 3” which means “safety unknown”.   Well why haven’t acne products switched away from using the dangerous Benzoyl?  It costs more, that’s why.

The third reason is that benzoyl peroxide SLOWS DOWN THE SKIN’S ABILITY TO HEAL.  This is related to the free radicals.  Now, doesn’t it make sense that skin should heal as fast as possible when recovering from the damage and red irritation from an acne breakout?  Of course it does… yet people continue to apply acne treatments with Benzoyl Peroxide and continue to be disappointed.
Check out this article for more info about the dangers of Benzoyl Peroxide.

Well what the heck are my choices?

Good question… and it’s hard to find an alternative, since almost every acne treatment you read about or hear about on TV contains Benzoyl.  Don’t believe for a minute that the celebrities who endorse these big name products actually use it… It’s a paid endorsement.

I couldn’t find an alternative either, until I read about the study that Oxford University did (yes, THAT Oxford).  They discovered that Resveratrol, the all natural ingredient that was praised on Oprah and Barbara Walters for weight loss and overall health, actually KILLS ACNE BACTERIA BETTER THAN BENZOYL.  And with NONE of the side effects.

Here is a link to an article that talks about the Oxford Study on a New Acne Cure.

The BIG KEY to SUCCESS is to find a product line that doesn’t contain benzoyl peroxide, but that DOES contain an all natural ingredient like Resveratrol that is Powerful and Potent enough to kill the bacteria just as well (or even better).   Plus, that this ingredient is all natural and doesn’t have side effects.

We found one such product, which is the Dermajuv Acne Treatment System.  Their product line not only contains resveratrol, but also contains about a dozen other powerhouse ingredients that are proven at curing acne, and calming the skin, returning it to its beautiful state.

Resources:
Study on the dangers of benzoyl peroxide
Oxford University Study on Benzoyl
Review of the Dermajuv Acne Treatment System

The Dangers of Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl Peroxide is a chemical that is very common in acne treatments both over-the-counter as well as prescription. The fact that this ingredient is

in so many products, which are heavily promoted in advertisements has numbed the public to the blatant side effects that Benzoyl Peroxide has. We are going to discuss in this article four major problems that benzoyl peroxide creates in the skin, and we will also suggest a potent all natural alternative.

The first thing that benzoyl peroxide does which is tremendously dangerous is the fact that it produces free radicals in the skin. Free radicals are also created when we spend time in the sun unprotected. Free radicals damage the skin by causing premature aging, decreasing the skin’s ability to heal, damaging the overall health of the body, and that’s not even the worst part. The worst part about creating free radicals in your skin is the links between free radicals and cancer. Can you believe that major name brands promote their acne products that contain benzoyl peroxide, knowing that they could be indirectly contributing to cancer? It’s shocking, but it’s true, and the FDA made a point of telling the world about this in the late 1990’s.

The FDA statements about benzoyl peroxide are the second major problem with using products which contain it. In the late 90’s benzoyl peroxide was rated by the FDA as a “category I” ingredient, meaning that it was safe to use. However, after researching a little further, they discovered the serious side effects of the free radicals that it caused in the skin, and changed the rating from Category I to Category III, which is “Safety is unknown”. Because it is used in cosmetic products which don’t require the same regulations be followed, acne product manufacturers have been able to continue selling products that contain benzoyl peroxide. Why wouldn’t they just change from using Benzoyl Peroxide to using a better ingredient without all the side effects? It costs more, that’s why.

A third very important reason to avoid benzoyl peroxide is that the free radicals in the skin make the skin’s ability to heal irritation and wounds SLOW down. In other words, what should take a few days to heal, might take weeks or longer. In the case of acne, the skin is often red and irritated as a result of the acne breakouts. This redness and irritation needs to be HEALED by the skin, in order for it to go away and become less noticeable. Skin that has been treated with benzolyl peroxide, however, fights off the redness and heals itself at a much slower pace than untreated skin does. This is why many people who use a benzoyl peroxide treatment report that their skin actually looked worse and more irritated after a week or so of use. So, even though the bacteria is being killed by the benzoyl, the irritation and injury to the skin is healing so slowly that the skin looks worse than it did before.

The last reason we will discuss why benzoyl peroxide should be avoided is the over-drying of the skin that it causes. The skin loses its ability to produce natural oils and healthy moisture within it. This means that the skin often flakes and increases in irritation, because it doesn’t have the necessary moisture to stay healthy looking. So, although the benzoyl peroxide might be killing the acne causing bacteria, the skin is now flaky, dry, and also more red and irritated.

So what can you do to get rid of acne without all these nightmare side effects? The first thing to do is use an acne treatment that INCREASES the skin’s ability to remove toxins, and contains ingredients which INCREASE moisture and health. You still need to make sure the acne treatment is able to kill the bacteria that causes acne, however there are some ingredients out there which CAN kill the bacteria, and do it in a safe manner with no side effects. Resveratrol, is one example that was recently discovered in an Oxford University Study. While this is not the only natural ingredient that can kill acne bacteria, it is a very exciting development, due to the potency with which it works, and the overall benefits to the skin.

Managing Adult Acne

Adult acne sufferers are an interesting demographic in the skin care industry.  Their skin has gone through most of the hormonal changes and yet, they are either still suffering from acne, or they are only beginning the process that many consumers deal with during adolescence.  While the treatment of the acne itself is fairly similar regardless of the age of the consumer, there are many other things that adult consumers should take into consideration prior to choosing an acne treatment.  The author examines the ideal approach to manage adult acne without sacrificing the overall health of their skin, at their age.

As you grow older your skin is more sensitive to many of the damage that we incur on a daily basis. Our skin is no longer able to heal itself as well from all damage not just acne breakouts.  So when adult skin begins to breakout or is suffering from continued breakouts, the ingredients they use to treat the acne becomes much more important than it is during adolescence.  Many acne treatments use chemical based ingredient to treat acne, which will reduce the appearance of acne, however for adult skin, it causes many problems up to and including severe premature aging or even tumors.

Adult acne sufferers need to look in a different direction than many other consumers with acne.  They need to be sure that they are using an all natural remedy, that actually heals and treats the skin, not strips it of its overall health.  The number one most widely  used acne treatment ingredient is Benzoyl Peroxide.  For adults that use products with this ingredients, Benzoyl produces free radicals with every application, meaning that the treatment of acne is comparable to 6 hours in the sun unprotected from UV rays.  It’s just not to do that to your skin once or worse twice daily.

For adult acne sufferers, the solution rests in the hands of the all natural ingredient Resveratrol. Resveratrol was named as the number one most effective treatment for acne by Oxford University regardless of the age of the user.  But its use on adult acne has gained even more recognition based upon many of the therapeutic and healing aspects of this all natural ingredient.   Resveratrol treats and eliminates the bacteria causing the acne, while soothing the irritated, inflamed tissue.  But it also protects the skin from the environmental damages that can cause further skin conditions.

As an adult, you need to balance the treatment of acne, with the management of the overall health of your skin.  Not paying special attention to the overall effect of acne treatments can lead consumers to trade out one unsightly skin condition for another, more permanent one.  Take the time to research the products you purchase prior to using them, the damage you save your skin can result in years of healthier, more vibrant skin.  Do not swap acne for wrinkles, just because it seems like the more pressing of two issues.  With ten minutes of time and a touch of diligence you can find the most effective acne treatment, one that does not sacrifice the long term health of your skin to provide results.

Dermajuv Acne Scar Removal System

The Dermajuv Acne Scar Cream is the only product on the market that is designed to SPECIFICALLY remove ACNE scars.  Yes, there are scar removal creams out there that treat scars “in general” but anyone who suffers from acne scars knows that acne scars are a totally different thing than a traditional scar from a cut or wound.   Also, let’s not forget that acne sufferers need to watch out for clogging pores or irritating the skin, which all the “general scar removal creams” don’t even think about.  Lastly, there is the whole issue of discoloration or that “bruised look” that acne scars have, which is completely forgotten about by the other scar removal creams.  The bottom line is that Dermajuv is addressing a precise, specific group of people who suffer from acne scars.  They are not worried about making a product for the “masses” that will sell millions.. but rather, a product that really works for acne scar sufferers.   And oh yeah… it works.

Visit Dermagist.com to learn more or buy.

Why do we at AcneCream.com feel so strongly about this acne scar cream?  Well, because we are acne sufferers both current and former, and we know how frustrating it can be to deal with the scars, or try to remove them with products that were not made precisely for them.   Read on to see what Dermajuv’s Acne Scar Fading Cream has going for it.

Healing the Texture of the Acne Scars: Bumps, roughness, Holes in the skin… all of these are half of the acne scar equation (the other half is discoloration).  This acne scar cream works on the scar itself by using these ingredients:

• Collaxyl (hexapeptide 9) Collaxyl is a peptide which in a nutshell forces skin to heal itself.  It plays the role of a messenger that quickly triggers the skin into regeneration of its damaged cells. There was an experiment done by the makers of Collaxyl on a DEAD piece of skin.   They ripped the skin, to simulate the damage done to cells during an injury like repeated acne breakouts.  The scientists applied Collaxyl 1 time, and left it on the dead skin for 72 hours.   This is the image from the experiment, as seen through a microscope.   Remember, this was on dead skin, so imagine well it can work on live skin.
  

  Collaxyl (hexapeptide 9) is a serious breakthrough for healing acne scars

• Panthenol (Provitamin B5) Panthenol is a fantastic addition to this acne scar cream because it aids in the healing of skin tissue and also spurs cell regeneration.  A lot of researchers or industry professionals call Panthenol “the beautifier” vitamin.  On top of its cell regeneration properties, it also moisturizes the skin and soothes irritation.   This is very helpful in the lessening of redness and discoloration also.
• Rosehip Oil (Rosa Mosqueta) is a non clogging extract from a rose bud in Chile and cold regions of South America.  Rosehip Seed Oil is world famous for the speed and effectiveness with which it regenerates the skin cells and minimizes scar tissue.  It has been prescribed since 1988 as an ingredient for post-surgery patients to apply to the skin to keep the scarring down.  Rosehip oil is a highly concentrated source of Vitamin C also, which has documented effects at soothing, healing and improving skin health.
• Acai Berry Extract is, of course a famous ingredient as an antioxidant and helper of healing in the body.  Many people have lost weight or cured disease with Acai berry extract, but in this case, it is being used to speed the healing of the acne scar, and flush out the discoloration and bruising.

Lessening the Discoloration and “bruised” look of the acne scars: Getting rid of the redness and that dark color that looks like a bruise that doesn’t go away, is the other side to an effective acne scar cream.   Dermajuv’s Acne Scar Cream uses two other ingredients to get rid of the discoloration of the scars.

• Niacinamide - This incredible and natural ingredient first became famous when the  New York University College of Medicine proved it as effective as the leading topical prescription medication, Clindamycin, at curing acne.  The big benefit in terms of an acne scar cream, is that this ingredient will fade scarring discoloration as well.  Niacinamide is the active form of Niacin (Vitamin B3).  It also has anti-inflammatory properties which further reduces the discoloration of acne scars.
• Asafetida root extract – This is the part of the acne scars cream that lightens the discoloration by reducing the pigmentation.  Not harsh or dangerous like so many of the “skin lightening” treatments out there that use Kojic Acid or Hydroquinone (dangerous ingredients, as seen if you google them), this all natural extract lightens the skin by getting the hyperpigmentation to go away naturally.

As a summary statement regarding the Dermajuv Acne Scar Fading Cream the best thing we can say is “This is a one of a kind product that really works, and you owe it to yourself to use it.”.  How’s that for a statement?   Well the stuff is great and we are happy for the acne sufferer community that Dermajuv is conscious enough to have released this product.

Visit Dermagist.com to learn more or buy.

ZenMed Scar Treatment

In our search for acne scar removal treatments, it was really kind of tough to find too many products that focused just on acne scars, but Zenmed has a line of anti-acne products, and in seeing their “scar treatment” product, we thought we’d see how it did.   We love that fact that they decided to treat the scars with two steps… an exfoliating cleanser, and then a treatment for the scar itself.   We were a bit concerned that the ingredients might cause us further acne breakouts, simply because they’re not really intended to be used on the face of those who are already prone to getting acne.

In the first week of use, our tester got a few pimples on her chin that she hadn’t had in a while.  Could we attribute that to the use of this product?  Maybe, but the tester says she hasn’t had any pimples for quite a while, so the coincidence is a little hard to take.  However, the pimples did clear up by week 2.

We tried to see how the product worked on BOTH the fading out of the redness or purpleness that surrounds acne scars, and also the look and feel of the scar itself.  On the side of the “soothing” of the redness the product worked pretty good.  We felt that there was a mild to medium improvement in how the discoloration looked.   This is probably do to all the calming and soothing natural ingredients that Zenmed likes to use in their products.  On the other side of the coin, however, the texture of the scars was pretty much not improved at all.  We kind of felt like the product lacked the “oomph” to get the skin to heal its dead or damaged cells that resulted from years of acne.

As far as customer service, etc. was concerned with this company, they were just fine.   The ordering process on their website was easy and smooth, and they always answer email questions the next day.

Overall, we give them a fair rating, since the product is all natural and DID seem to soothe and calm the irritation of the skin.   It lost points, however, when it came to actually healing the scar, and from the possibility that it caused us some pimples.   It’s not bad considering it’s not really an “acne scar” removal product, but just a product for scars in general.

Murad Acne Complex

This is a 4 part system that we discuss individually below. Overall, we gave it a “C” for a grade.

The Clarifying Cleanser is designed to treat the surface bacteria present within the skin. Murad claims that 99% of all surface bacteria is killed within 60 seconds, which is nice. Our concern however was how was it treating the acne causing bacteria under the skin, and would it be effective in cystic acne breakouts.

Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel is the main acne treating product in this system. It is designed to penetrate deep for the purpose of eliminating pore clogging impurities, while it gently exfoliates and controls breakouts without irritation. This will work on acne caused by impurities or dirty oily skin, but it is not going to even touch the acne causing bacteria present below the surface of your skin. The same bacteria responsible for your acne breakouts. In that regard, the effectiveness of this acne treatment seemed lacking to us.

Skin Perfecting Lotion is designed to restore balance and soothe irritation, presumably from the cleanser and acne treatment gel as well as the breakouts themselves. This is essentially a moisturizer that is suppose to return the moisture to the skin after it has been stripped away. Acne treatments that come with a moisturizer generally means that the acne treatment is a drying one. Drying acne treatments are just not advanced enough prevent from damaging the skin, and that is the case with this system.

Free Gifts

Acne Spot Treatment and Clarifying Mask- The spot treatment and the clarifying mask are perhaps one of better parts of this system, as they work relatively well. The problem is that it is more of the same drying. Drying out the skin will only do so much, and while it will remove acne initially the results are not lasting as this system is not designed to treat acne under the surface of the skin.

Overall

To be honest we were expecting a bit more from the Murad name. Murad has been creating decent skin care products for years now, but this Acne Complex was an overall let down. This does focus on surface bacteria and does a decent job of repairing the drying damage that it causes, but it will not prevent acne in the long run. This acne treatment is a 30 dollar treatment. It does not produce the results of a higher quality formula and it will not reduce bacteria under the surface of the skin like an acne treatment with Resveratrol. Overall an average value (in terms of number of products), but in reality it is just another low priced acne treatment that does not deliver long term results.

Murad Post-Acne Lightening Gel

The Murad post acne lightening gel is a hydroquinone based treatment designed to make the skin lose its pigmentation where applied. It is used for bleaching out moles, sun spots, birthmarks, etc.

It is a questionable ingredient as far as safety is concerned. Hydroquinone has been shown to cause leukemia in mice and other animals. Banned by the European Union in 2001, it is not available legally in any products there, but it is still sold in the United States as an over-the-counter drug. The percentage of 2% concentration is the maximum allowed still in the USA. While this may be OK to use in cosmetics in the USA, we sort of feel like the risks might outweigh the rewards in this case.

Our tester felt it was fine to try the product, so she went ahead and did so. The darkness around her acne scars did start to go away in about 2 weeks. There was no improvement, however, to the texture of her scars or the bumps/holes on her skin. On the other side of the coin, Murad makes no claims that the product will heal the scars themselves, so we were OK with that. However, as an “acne scars removal” product, we have to take into consideration the one-sidedness of the product.

The customer service and ordering process of Murad was fine. They answer the phone right away, and readily had order information and could answer questions and concerns very well. The reputation of Murad products is good , and as far as how they treat the customers, it is well deserved.

Overall, we can’t really complain about how the Murad post-acne lightening gel worked, since it did what it promised as far as bleaching the discoloration out. However, since we are looking for a complete acne scars removal treatment, we have to give it a lower rating. The real downside for us, is the use of Hydroquinone. We really don’t feel like using a product that is banned in some places, and has links to cancer is worth it. Although none of these claims are taken as 100% proven in the USA, the fact that the EU banned it is good enough for most of us to avoid using it. For these reasons we rated this product so low.

Careless Shaving Can Leave Acne Scars

Most men will tell you that their skin is often irritated during the process of shaving or at least immediately afterwards.  For this reason many aftershave balms and moisturizers have been created to help minimize the damage that is done during shaving to the skin tissue in your face.  But what about those men that are dealing with acne breakouts?  What does shaving do to those consumers, does the tissue damage normally occurred during shaving become a magnified issue for those with acne?  The author examines acne breakouts and the damage done to the skin during the shaving process.

Men that have suffered from acne breakouts can attest that it is not a pleasant experience to have to shave over a serve breakout.  The swollen, red and inflamed tissue is already sensitive, but dragging a razor across it only makes things worse.  Pimples that are almost healed become re-injured and must begin the healing process all over again; and those that have only begun to heal are irritated and damaged and can lead to acne scarring.

Your skin treats acne breakouts naturally by flooding the tissue with white blood cells.  This is intended to provide your skin all that it needs to deal with the acne breakout.  The problem is that this makes the breakout inflamed, and inflamed tissue can be easily damaged, resulting in scarring.  Acne scars can be caused by treating this inflamed tissue incorrectly and certainly as a result on popping pimples, but not all consumers consider the amount of damage being done each time you shave.  The harsh striping of the skin’s surface layer leads to severe damage to the tissue that is already inflamed and damage prone.  For this reason, the ways in which men should treat their acne is a bit different than most women.

As men, we must make sure that we are treating our acne both for the existing problems as well as the potential problems.  The best way to do this is by using a product line that offers both acne treatment, but the removal of acne scars as well.  These acne systems are designed to work together both treating acne and soothing and healing the damaged tissue before it becomes an issue.  By using this combination of treatments men can rest easy that the daily shaving of their face will not result in long term or permanent damage.

Ask anyone who sufferers from acne scars if they wish they had an acceptable alternative that would have prevented those scars from developing.  Without exception the answer is yes.  Until you realize that you have replaced your acne with scars that are far more unsightly, you will never realize the importance of following this advice.  Do not learn this lesson the hard way guys, get yourself the best of both worlds.  The leading companies will offer these products together, as they realize the importance of this simultaneous treatment.  Companies that do not offer them in combination or that use chemical based ingredients will most likely only increase the chances of scarring.  Find yourself an all natural, acne system that treats both existing acne as well as the potential damage that could lead to scars.  You will be happy that you did.

Keys To Preventing Acne Scars

So often we are left to rely on skin care products to treat the conditions in our skin.  We search and search for the best and most effective ones, only to find frustration instead.  Acne breakouts are tough no matter what age you are, and having your success or failure in treating it up to a cream or serum can make you feel helpless.

One of the big things we can do to Get Rid of acne scars is to use a quality product.

Yes, we have the products to cleanse our skin with and we can do our best to do so, but ultimately it comes down to the quality of the product.  While products are 90% of the battle, there are other behaviors that you can take into your own hands.  Steps, that while trying, can actually help heal and prevent acne scars and other further acne damage.  It is better to prevent acne scars, but if it’s too late for you, you can remove them with the best acne scar cream.

Let’s start with the obvious.  As difficult as it is to avoid popping, squeezing and further irritating the pimples or acne breakouts, but you must refrain.  Your skin responds to acne breakouts by flooding the area with white blood cells.  This aids in the healing of the acne, but it inflames the area making it ripe for tissue damage.  Tissue damage and over inflamed tissue is the number one cause of acne scarring and other acne related skin conditions.  By protecting your skin from further damage, you can prevent damage that would otherwise result in permanent alterations to your complexion.

The second and most important thing that you can do is to change the way that you eat.  While you may not always be able to avoid greasy or fatty foods, the more that you do so, the better your skin will be.  You need to take the time to plan a diet out for each week.  Be sure that dinners are planned for and purchased ahead of time.  Having meals prepared around the house makes it easier to stick to the diet than having to eat on the fly.  No one is saying that you need to lose weight, just that clean foods, such as fish and grilled chicken will do wonders for you.  Be sure to eat lots of salads and cucumbers only using olive oil as the dressing.  Also, eat egg yolks in the morning when possible and stick to this diet each and every day.  It is strict and can be difficult at times, but maintaining it will cleanse, heal and protect your skin from future damage.  Another source of information on what treatments remove acne scars should be considered, too, prior to making any purchases.

By maintaining your diet and leaving your skin to heal itself, rather than to pop and squeeze pimples, you are taking all of the steps that you can to play an active role in your skin’s health.  The final thing that you can do is play an active role in the deciding of the products that you use.  This is not as difficult as it seems as only a few products use the ingredients that you want for your skin.  No matter what, be sure to avoid Benzoyl Peroxide as an active ingredient.  Its drying, chemical based nature causes tissue and skin damage.  Instead use the active ingredient Resveratrol in both your acne cleansers as well as your acne clarifying creams.  This natural ingredient has proven to our perform the competition while fostering a healthy, nourished complexion.  The amount of success you achieve from your acne treatment is directly related to what you put into it.  Choose the right products, eat the right foods and allow your skin the chance to heal and your will greatly increase the results you receive.

The Great Facial Scrubs Debate

Facial scrubs have changed a bit over the years and they have certainly increased in popularity, but what is the root cause of that. It is hard to deny the increase in the

amount of attention that the average consumer now spends on skin care products. Whether it is wrinkle creams, acne treatments or just the search for an everyday cleanser, consumers are now focusing on these decisions more than they ever have before. Both men and women have become interested in skin care and while the majority of products sold are daily types of products such as cleansers and facial scrubs, consumer awareness is still fairly low. While consumers fumble through the trial and error of finding effective skin care, they often come across facial scrubs. The question becomes are facial scrubs effective, should they still be used, and if so, in what capacity? The author examines this growing debate, and advises consumers are the pros and cons of using facial scrubs.

Look, we all know that exfoliation is a big part of healthy skin. Dead or damaged skin cells that remain on the skin can lead to that grey appearance common with aging as well as generate wrinkles and even acne. So we must find a way to exfoliate our skin, the question becomes whether or not we are supposed to use facial scrubs to do so. Facial scrubs started to show improvement in the skin of users a few years back. They allow consumers to achieve that goal of exfoliation while still providing nourishment. At the time, metrosexuality was still a popular behavior by men and women are always looking to achieve beautiful skin.

The problem became known to many fairly rapidly that these scrubs can be irritating to the skin with regular use. Many consumers could not use these facial scrubs more than once a week without displaying irritation. The exfoliation would work, but your skin was left without receiving the nourishment it needs daily. Into this gap in the skincare industry stepped a whole new breed of facial cleansers and scrubs, ones that changed the landscape, and determined the winner to this debate.

As facial cleansers have grown more advanced over the years, one of the most important things that they have accomplished often goes unnoticed. The gentle exfoliation of the skin has become a science all to itself. The best facial cleansers will gently remove the dead skin cells, excess dirt and oils, just like facial scrubs do, but it did not irritate the skin. In fact, they delivered the skin all the nourishment and conditioning it needs to look its best daily, something that facial scrubs can seldom do. Ingredients like Glycolic Acid and others lead the way as active ingredients in these cleansers, gently removing what’s necessary, without blindly irritating the skin.

If you are weighing your options between a facial scrub or a therapeutic facial cleanser, odds are you will benefit most from the cleanser. Facial scrubs do deliver exfoliation, but they are non-specifically scrubbing all areas of your skin. The latest facial cleansers are far more advanced. They can deliver the same level of exfoliation without the scraping and scrubbing of the outer layers of the skin. This leaves the skin irritated with regular use. If you wish to remain using a facial scrub, we suggest that you use it only a few times a month, and leave the daily cleansing to a facial cleanser. The results you achieve will be far superior this way.

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