Acne-friendly Cleansers

A reliable acne product should call for a cleansing process. Cleanser allows your skin to more easily get rid of dead skin cells and other surface contaminants. While the cleaning process is simple in itself, there is more to treating acne than just technique. You need to have the right products in your arsenal. Without the right cleanser, you may be subjecting your skin to irritation, which ultimately contributes to more acne breakouts. It is not uncommon to see people utilize products with very harsh ingredients. Such ingredients, like sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and alcohol can be immensely damaging to the skin. Those that presently suffer from acne that has not responded well to over-the-counter treatments should take a close look at their cleanser of choice. To follow, we will be exploring the characteristics that constitute a quality cleanser.

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a chemical found in numerous household cleaning products that is just starting to see widespread attention. This additive is incorporated in products such as soap to induce a lather in the absence of soft water. Most homes in the United States are supplied with hard water, which combines with soap to from soap scum as opposed to a lather. Although SLS has not been officially labeled as dangerous, it is considered a pesticide. Further, many industrial cleaning products also contain SLS. It should be evident that SLS is a harsh ingredient. Lab tests have shown that SLS acts as an irritant when it comes into contact with skin. Irritation and acne do not mix well, and the end result is usually more breakouts. So, if you are looking for a cleanser, avoid those that contain SLS. A quick glance at the product label should reveal of a cleanser contains this harmful ingredient.

For some reason, people accept the false notion that cleanser is designed to remove oils from the skin and create that "tight" feeling. This we can assure you is not the case. Cleanser is designed to remove contaminants off your skin with minimal reduction of skin moisture. Stripping your skin of oils can create a number of problems. It leaves your skin dry and irritated. This is a risk factor for acne. Further, it is believed that a mechanism within the skin causes it to overproduce oil when it is lacking moisture. Hence, severely dry skin can result in severely oily skin. To avoid any such mishaps, it is best to choose a cleanser that does not contain astringents such as alcohol. Again, you will need to do a little label checking to make sure. If the cleanser you now use creates that tight and dry feeling, you should best dispose of it and find another more suitable one.

The uppermost layer of skin is designed to protect us against external threats. To maintain this barrier-like quality, the skin must maintain optimal conditions, including a certain acidity. Skin likes a slightly acidic environment, one that falls within the 4-5 pH range. Soaps and cleansers often disrupt this pH due to their basic nature. When a disruption in acidity occurs, our skin is left vulnerable to attack. You can avoid disrupting your skin's acidic environment by using a pH balanced cleanser. These cleansers, with a pH of 7, enable our skin to continue providing essential protection.

Finding the right cleanser isn't necessarily a hard feat. When you finally do find the right one, you will immediately notice a difference in the health of your skin. Acne can be a difficult disorder to combat, however, with the right products anything is possible. Use gentle products on your skin and acne should be a concern of the past.

Learn about the best acne cleansers from our how to get rid of acne website.