Top Acne/Spot/Pimple Treatment Gels

               
Hey Lovelies,

So, it is Day 4 of my consecutive posting week and I am ecstatic that I have been able to do this so far. I won't lie to you; it's been a little pressure but good positive pressure so I am not complaining. Today I'd be reviewing my top, favourite and most reached for spot treatments. If you are like me and you have spots/acne cropping up every now and then when you least expect, this is the post for you. 

Since I hit teenage years I started experiencing the odd pimple/acne/spot occasionally but it was not frequent and it did not really have any atrocious effects on my face. When I got into my early twenties (...fret not, I am not fifty, I promise) and started using foundation, the pimples went full throttle. Not only that, it left a lot of unwanted souvenirs on my face which has taken me a really long time trying to get rid of. 

Thankfully, I have learned to nip those naughty pimples/spots/acne, whatever you want to call them, right in the bud with these amazing spot treatments which I would share with you. These products have worked for me. Sometimes, I use them together and other times I just use them on their own depending on how my skin feels and how severe the acne is. Before we dive into the post, I'd like to write a little blurb about Benzoyl Peroxide which is the active ingredient of many acne treatment gels.

Does this post not remind you of a lecture?

                                           
Benzoyl Peroxide as an active ingredient for Acne Treatment
You may not know this but I love the Sciences so much that I had both my Undergrad and Master's Degree in it because they interested me so much and I am still very passionate about it. This bit may be a bit boring if you don't like anything scientific but I would try to make it as interesting as I can because I think it is always important to know how some treatments work to improve our skin.. So, here goes... Benzoyl Peroxide is an organic compound which breaks down to free radicals that further break down to Benzoic acid and Oxygen. 

Now, once Benzoyl Peroxide has been absorbed by the skin, the oxygen produced earlier would react with the bacteria responsible for causing acne known as P. Acnes and cause it to die. This is easily possible because P. Acnes is a bacteria that does not need oxygen, therefore, introducing oxygen to it and its surrounding environment causes its death. Voila!! End of Acne. Furthermore, Benzoyl Peroxide also dries up the skin (P.Acnes proliferates where the skin is moist) and increases skin cell turnover so new skin is easily regenerated. Not everyone can tolerate Benzoyl Peroxide which is why it is important to do a patch test before purchasing it. 

                                                                    courtesy: www.drugline.org

Despite how strong it could be, it is still sold as an over-the-counter treatment for acne which is good. It is advisable to start with lower concentration from say 1% and gradually increasing to 5%. I know there are some treatment gels that contain about 10% which I think may have to be accompanied with a Doctor's prescription in some countries. It is very important to use sunscreen if you are going to be outdoors after using Benzoyl Peroxide treatment gels because it can enhance hyper-pigmentation when it reacts with the sun's UV rays which is not very cool. It can also bleach or stain fabrics so you have to be careful with your nightgown and pillowcases when using this. Honestly, I have never experiences any untoward reactions except just for the occasional drying on my face but I prefer to reserve my Benzoyl Peroxide acne treatment gels for application at night only. That was not too boring, was it?...Now to the Review..

Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel
This has to be my Holy Grail acne treatment of choice. I have been using this for years and it has always worked for me. Mary Kay is a popular brand which specialise in all kinds of make up, skin care, fragrances and of course, my beloved acne treatment gel. It contains 5% Benzoyl Peroxide which is the active ingredient which works effectively to attack the acne. There are so many Acne treatment gels out that which contain Benzoyl Peroxide but I prefer this Mary Kay formula because I find that my skin tolerates it perfectly. 

The Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel promises to help in the management of acne, dry up the acne pimples and help prevent new acne pimples which I can confidently say it does. Although, some acne/pimples have a mind of their own and can still appear after you have stopped using this treatment gel but it is really hard for any acne to appear when you use this treatment gel continuously. It is a little drying but not to the point of causing any skin peels. Honestly, this works like magic and I usually apply it at night to wake up to a bumpless, acne-free face. The spot just reduces drastically in size.

 It is that AMAZING!! As with any treatment containing Benzoyl peroxide, it is advisable to use sunscreen if you are going out doors to prevent hyper-pigmentation. I don't have any problem with it because I use this only at night. Mary Kay advises to start in a gradual way to use this treatment gel to understand how well your skin can tolerate it. You can start from one application daily and then increase to about two or three times daily if need be. 

Apart from Benzoyl Peroxide as the active ingredient, it also contains Horse Chestnut Seed Extract and Cucumber Fruit Extract to help reduce any irritation the acne is currently causing. I love this gel so much and I always have at least 2 tubes. I have never bought it in the UK but I am pretty sure you can get it here through one of their beauty consultants online. I always get mine from Nigeria whenever I am on holiday or I just ask my sister to get some and send it through anyone coming my way...It is definitely my favourite acne treatment gel hands down.

Clearasil Blemish + Marks Treatment Cream
I have already previously reviewed this product in a previous post here. Although, it says it is a blemish and marks treatment cream, it has not worked for me in that way. Instead, it has been effective in reducing the size and chances of Acne making an unwarranted appearance on my face which is why it has found its way into this post as one of my favourite acne treatment gels. It contains Salicylic Acid which is also another active ingredient to fight acne/pimples/spots. 

Salicylic Acid helps in exfoliating the skin and reducing the impact and size of inflammation caused by these naughty pimples. When absorbed in the skin, it helps unclog clogged pores by destroying the cement/hold the sticky cells causing these clogged pores have formed. So, you can safely say it helps unclog pores. Unlike Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic Acid also has a soothing and calming effect which is why it is also viewed as an anti-inflammatory. I know the Clearasil Treatment Gel also contains a unique ingredient complex containing Vit B3 which helps to reduce the appearances of blemishes but it has not been very effective for blemishes for me. 

However, I love how it takes care of the pimples/acne at hand and I know I can rely on it for that. It also has a drying effect which is why I try to moisturise with it. The difference between my application of the Clearasil treatment gel and the Mary Kay one is that I tend to use this more during the day. It is advisable to wear a sunscreen as well but personally, I feel it may not increase hyper pigmentation as much as the Mary Kay one. It's just my two cents/pennies in that aspect. You can purchase this in Boots or Superdrug or any Pharmacy/Beauty/Drug Store.

Spot Swat Treatment Gel
I really love this attractive little treatment gel because it looks so playful and colorful; It also has some very good spot treating qualities. I bought this in Primark a little while ago for just 50p and I really wish i bought a lot because it is really nice. It does not have any active ingredient like the other treatment gels rather it has some oils which help soothe any acne/pimple you may have. If you have suffered or are still suffering from Acne/Pimples, you'd know that it could sometimes be very uncomfortable, itchy and painful. The most annoying aspect is the more you touch it with your hands, the more it gets infected, spreads and leaves awful dark or red patches on your face. 

This lovely little gel contains Tea Tree Oil, Mint Oil and Eucaplyptus Oil which are all natural soothing agents and help reduces the inflammation and the urge to itch/scratch your spots. It also contains a little amount of salicylic acid but I think it has more of the soothing oils. I usually apply it first on my acne/pimple after it has been cleansed and may be trying to act up before I use the other treatment gels. 

Sometimes, I just use it alone when my face feels very irritable and it actually works well and helps reduces the size of the spot. You would experience a tingly feeling on your skin after application which is the sensation the soothing oils give. Other than that, I don't think I have experiences any other reactions and it does not dry my skin out courtesy of these wonderful oils.

As I mentioned at the beginning of the post, sometimes, I may use one or more of these treatment gels depending on how my skin feels although I secretly think only one at a time can still do the work. If I were to choose one based on really fast action, it would be the Mary Kay Acne Treatment Gel and if I wanted one that would not dry out my skin at all, I would opt for the Spot Swat Treatment Gel. If I wanted one for day time, I would choose the Clearasil Acne Treatment Cream. 

I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it up. Have you been having a nice weekend? Mine has been really amazing despite some slowly looming deadlines trying to dictate my life..Hahaha.. See you in my next post..tooodles...xxx