As people seek to “go green”, essential oils are gaining popularity as acne treatments.  they are natural alternatives to cosmetics and other chemicals that may do harm to your skin adn to the environment, even causing toxic buidup in your body at times.

The problem for many is that while essential oils can look nice in the bottle, how do you really know if it works or if it’s just hype.  the biggest turnoff for many is the simple fact that they are called “oils”, and we don’t recogize the fact that there should be naturally occuring oils in the skin.  It’s understandable, we’ve been taught that our entire lives.  It’s what we grew up believing. 

But these oils are not like your average massage oils. They are not the oils that stick on your skin, seem to feel extremely heavy, may even clog pores for some individuals.  These are more like tea tree oil, lavender oil, clove oil, grapefruit oil, orange oil, and tangerine oil to name a few.  Granted, not all of them have the power to fight acne.  But then again, those used against acne in general don’t.  The difference is, these will not irritate or harm even senstiive skin, unless of course you are allergic to the basis, which does happen.  And at least in the case of tea tree oil, it is actually proven to effectively fight acne.  At the very least, they will soothe and nourish your skin, and in some cases, you will see them doing more.  The best way to get these oils is through reputable products and companies, because those companies will use more refined oils that will better seep into the skin and really better work for you.

Chemical peels for acne control, they seem a bit extreme to say the least.  But some people are willing to get them, because they have come to a point where they feel the need for something extreme.  There are different levels of acne to be sure, and there are different chemicals used for chemical peels.  Some of these include benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid.  Those are the gentler ones that can actually be obtained over the counter in most cases.  You don’t have to have the concentrations that would cause an entire layer of your skin to come off and quite possibly do quite a bit of damage to the skin in the process.  That is of course taking out the fact that benzoyl peroxide damages skin in smaller amounts.  But others use things like glycolic acid.  Glycolic acids have been recently allowed to be dispensed over the counter as well, but it is still questionable.

Chemical peels by nature essentially chemically burn off the top layer of the skin.  It kills bacteria associated with acne as well as getting rid of dead skin cells.  They come with no risks of raising antibiotic resistance, considering it works by simply burning.  But you should seriously consider all things before doing it.  The risk of chemical burns and extremely increase sun sensitivity are high with chemical peels.  The FDA has now required them to print recommendations of sun block or sun avoidance to be used on all packages to protect users from an increased risk of skin cancer due to chronic sunburns.  And this is regardless of whether you use one of the gentler or harsher chemical peel forms.

It should also be noted that though chemical peels have been used for acne and aging, they are not necessarily the best treatment for either.  By burning away bacteria, you only get rid of it on a temporary basis, and it can easily grow back.  In addition, chemical peels may actually cause premature aging and skin cancer.

Therefore, you should note that when you feel that “tingling” sensation with benzoyl peroxide type products, it is not the pleasant feeling of knowing that the ingredients are getting deep into your pores and killing off bacteria.  It is actually a mild pain response from your skin that we have somehow learned to enjoy.

Azalaic acid, if you’ve never heard of it, you are not alone.  Millions have thought that benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid were really the only ways to treat acne, even though there are now many other options.  But Azelaic acid works under the brand name Azelex as a prescription treatment, and it is generally used in a 20% concentration topical cream.  It works by killing bacteria in the skin, much like benzoyl peroxide and clearing and preventing acne that is specifically caused by bacteria.

It is prescribed to clear up acne and prevent new outbreaks, and it can actually also reduce acne inflammation.  It often works to clear mild to moderate outbreaks, but it doesn’t necessarily work for acne that is infected by bacteria.  Some studies, though they are limited, show that it can work as well as benzyl peroxide, tretinoin, and antibiotics.  But the actual results are still up for question.  It generally takes 1-2 months for acne to even start disappearing.

In terms of side effects, azalaic acid can cause burning, stinging, dry skin, and redness just like benzoyl peroxide.  You should not use it on areas that don’t have acne, but rather as a spot treatment.  But you should also keep in mind that not all cases of acne are actually caused by bacteria.  In fact, there multiple other causes.  And this particular product is not approved for children under the age of 12.

While azalaic acid is technically effective against some cases of acne, we do recommend other options.  If you have bacterial acne, we would suggest tea tree oil.  It is actually as effective as benzoyl peroxide, more effective than azalaic acid for many, and it comes with no side effects including burning, itchy, or red skin.  You can also get it in over the counter options and when combined with other types of acne fighting ingredients, you can often get a full effect.

Originally marketed as a birth control pill called Yasmin, they have since changed the name to Yaz and marketed as a birth control pill that could also reduce the symptoms of PMDD and hormone related acne in women.  Women have found many different ways to deal with acne, this is just the newest one, and of course it depends on the type to determine what will work.

Some women have managed skin complications by changing diet and exercise habits as well as increasing fluid intake.  But others have turned to external scrubs and washes, pills such as Accutane, etc.  And others have already started using other birth control pills that don’t necessarily claim to treat acne on the box, but have seemingly worked for some. 

Yaz is manufactured by Bayer, and they also claim it will improve skin in general.  They claim it can target premenstrual dysmorphic disorder or PMDD, and they have apparently obtained FDA approval to make these specific claims.  It has been recently approved by the FDA in the treatment of adult onset acne.  It has the normal birth control ingredients.  But in addition, they provide a 24 day dosing of active hormonal ingredients in addition to the norm to control symptoms of PMDD and improve the general appearance of the skin.  It still uses the standard 4 days of placebos or sugar pills to be used in balance with the active pills.

Some Yaz users have reported side effects including nausea, vomiting, changes in weight, and headaches.  But all these side effects are common to birth control pills in general.  But either way, women seeking any kind of birth control pill should disclose a complete medical history to their physician.  Those women who smoke or have pre-existing liver disorders should not take Yaz.  For those women who did not previously suffer from acne, the skin changes may be significant, noticeable, and unfamiliar to the user.  However, for those women suffering from acne connected to hormonal fluctuations, Yaz can be a viable treatment option.