Acne Skin Care Reviews

Aussies name the highest rated acne skin care brands

There’s nothing quite as deflating as waking up in the morning, looking in the mirror and finding a big pimple at the end of your nose! But for many people, it doesn’t just end with one spot. Acne is a skin condition characterised by red pimples on the skin – particularly the face, neck and back – due to inflamed or infected sebaceous glands. It’s most common amongst 12-25 year-olds, but some younger or older people can also be affected, with boys more commonly affected than girls. We’ve all seen the funny movies with the hapless spotty teenagers, but acne is no laughing matter. It can be painful and will definitely be demoralising to the person suffering with it.

Acne is certainly common, so what is the best cure? According to the experts, acne can be treated with a combination of remedies, including over-the-counter skin care products, specific acne medications, and even chemical or laser procedures. Treatment could last for several months in the worse cases, and inflamed acne needs to be treated early to prevent permanent scarring. Even after the acne is gone, you could need ongoing treatment to keep the spots away in the long term.

Non-prescription, over-the-counter acne products will usually be the first option for new acne sufferers – and hopefully the last. So what are your options and which are the most effective? Canstar Blue sought to find out which acne skin care brands are rated highest by users, so they are worth considering if you’re unlikely enough to require treatment. Some of these products can be expensive, so you’ll want a treatment that is effective, but also doesn’t cost the earth.

Our customer survey included more than 1,600 Australian adults (about 1,000 women and 600 men) who rated the acne skin care products they have used over the last 12 months. A total of 15 different brands featured in the results, but only two received five-star ratings for effectiveness and overall satisfaction – those from Ego and Dermalogica.

What causes acne?

The severity of acne can vary from mild to very severe, with an estimated 8 out of 10 teenagers developing some degree of it through those difficult, appearance-conscious years. It all starts when greasy secretions from the skin’s sebaceous glands (oil glands) plug the tiny openings for hair follicles (plugged pores). If the openings are large, the clogs take the form of blackheads – those unsightly, often painful spots with dark centres. If the openings remain small, the clogs take the form of whiteheads – small, flesh-coloured bumps. Both types of plugged pores can then develop into swollen, tender inflammations or pimples, or deeper lumps or nodules. Nodules associated with severe cases of acne are firm swellings below the skin’s surface that become inflamed, tender and possibly infected.

Acne typically starts during the years of puberty, and people with oily skin are often worse affected. Teenage acne can last for years but contrary to popular belief, it is unlikely to be caused by a poor diet or bad hygiene. Acne will more likely be the result of heredity or hormones, so staying away from greasy foods or scrubbing your face multiple times a day won’t alter your predisposition to this particular skin problem. Stress also won’t cause acne, but it could aggravate it further.

How to prevent acne

The consensus of health professionals is that acne is likely to be determined by heredity or hormones – which are obviously out of your hands – but there remains no definitive answer. However, there may be some things you can do to help prevent it, or at least manage it better. Common advice from the experts is to never pick or squeeze pimples, however tempting it might be to do before heading out the door to work or school! And while poor hygiene is unlikely to cause acne, regular washing with mild cleansers will help keep skin clean, less irritable and hopefully less greasy. You can’t stop oil glands from producing oil, but you can remove oil on the surface of the skin by using a gentle toner or antibacterial pads.

If you are unfortunate enough to suffer an outbreak of acne, consult your local pharmacist or doctor to determine the best cause of treatment.