Acne Cleanser Advice

I have mild acne with the occasional flare-up. I am a 24 year old male and I've had the condition for about 10 years. I was researching a variety of cleansers for my face containing the following ingredients:

AHA - Glycolic Acid
BHA - Salicylic Acid
BP - Benzoyl Peroxide

If possible, I would like to know some of the top affordable cleansers available for Combination Skin Types. I am oily on my T-Zone and my cheeks are the most troublesome/sensitive areas. I need a good exfoliating product that doubles as a cleanser. I am leaning towards BP products containing 2.5%. I have looked at the DDF Pumice Acne Scrub, PTR Pumice Medicated Acne Scrub, Jan Marini Benzoyl Peroxide Wash, Zirh products as well as Anthony Logistics cleansers. Please provide any necessary input.

[BethanySublime]

well i can't say i'm a cleanser expert, but I am a believer in 1 product!  I have similar skin type as you although I'm female.  It's called Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser.  It's got BHA for sure but I don't know about the others.  What's really good about it is it has exfoliating beads, and after using it morning & night for 2 weeks my skin was so clear and smooth, and it stayed that way until I got lazy and started only washing my face in the mornings.  So I don't know how it compares w/other cleansers, but my skin, which sounds similar to yours, got more clear and soft with this than any other cleansers I've tried over the years.  Also didn't have a single breakout while using 2wice a day, and I've always had breakouts no matter what cleanser.  just my 2 cents.  oh but i was using the whole system with the toner & moisturizer too, so idk how much of a difference that makes.

[xpert008]

I had dry/sensitive skin for awhile and that was the main cause of my breakouts. My skin would try to compensate for being so dry by creating excess oil, which caused breakouts. A couple years ago I started using an oil-free moisturizer and noticed clearing up on my face within 2 weeks. Within 2 years, my skin type changed from dry/sensitive to combination!  

I used it in the morning and night and never spent more than $7 on a moisturizer. In fact, Dove fragrance free for sensitive skin was the best. Aveeno products are good as well, but they tend to increase oil build up on my T-zone later in the day. I highly suggest using a moisturizer, but use sparingly; a lot goes a long way. The skin on my face and hands is so incredibly soft and wrinkle free, which is not something I expected or wanted as a man, but at least I don't have bad acne anymore.

As for cleansers, I think I need more suggestions. I constantly have to exfoliate my skin to prevent build-up of dead skin cells which can cause breakouts. If I get 1 or 2 pimples now, it's troublesome for me. They usually hurt because they are red and sensitive, probably caused from shaving or touching my face and upsetting the area. I think a good benzoyl peroxide product would help keep bacteria away and that is what I still need advice for. Any suggestions?

[mgtargirl]

I've had problems with my skin for years.  I've tried proactiv and that actually did work, but it got expensive, so I stopped using it.  My skin was back to the same old games soon after.  I really didn't want to spend the money on it, so I started doing some research online.  I ran across a site that sugggested "The Beauty Bible" by Paula Begoun.  I bought it.   She has TONS of information in the book.  For acne prone skin, she suggests using Cetaphil cleanser because it is so gentle on all skin types (a bit pricey at about 10.00 a bottle, but WELL WORTH IT!!)  She lists hundreds of reasons why NOT to buy products with certain ingredients.  When my skin is bad, I usually want to scrub scrub scrub my face, but the fact is, that does NOT help!  It only makes things worse.  So, I squirt some Cetaphil in my hand, then add a little bit of baking soda (gentle exfoliant).  It pretty much feels like it is not cleaning your skin,but it is.   This is the only thing I found that really works!  After you rinse the cleanser off, I use Neutrogena's "On the Spot" acne treatment.  It's somewhat similar to clearisil, but it works much much better, in my opinion.     In her book, Paula actually suggests a mask for oily skin.  You won't believe what it is.  Milk of Magnesia (no mint or cherry flavors).  Magnesium is an earth mineral like clay, but it has disinfecting and anti-inflammatory properties to it.  I usually use the M.o.M. a couple of times a week after cleansing.  AFter the mask is rinsed off, is when I use the "on the spot".   I hope this information helps you all out!!!!  I know it has helped my skin TREMENDOUSLY!!!!!  I hope it does the same for yours!  :)  
Have a great weekend!
Janet

[murfirhea]

I agree with the above poster.  Paula Begoun's site is great.  She has a line of her own and they are great, but she also tells you the over the counter options that work as well.  www.cosmeticscop.com  is her site.  check it out.

[xpert008]

Thanks for the advice. I understand what you are saying about avoiding hard scrubbing (I don't abuse my skin like this), however I absolutely need a scrub-like cleanser that helps me exfoliate my face. The main reason I get acne is because my dead skin cells clog up my pores, so having a cleanser that doesn't contain microbeads is useless to me.  I have used Cetaphil before and am not really into the product.  It's a watery consistency that isnt't that different from other products.  One plus is that it is fragrance-free, but you can get many cleansers with this feature nowadays.

These are the ingredients in the product:

purified water, cetyl alcohol, propylene glycol, sodium lauryl sulfate, stearyl alcohol, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben

I don't know what the last 3 are, but I recognize the alcohol, glycol, and sulfate products because they are in most cheap cleansers. Also, I am not interested in obtaining a cleanser that doesn't have benzoyl peroxide, 2.5%. There aren't many over the counter products with this ingredient...most have Salicylic Acid, which doesn't work as well for me.

[KatMay]

There are some great natural remedies that work very well.  I am in my early thirties, but sometimes still have "bad skin days".  Of course, on days when I drink a ton of water, I don't have any problems.  It seems to clear out the toxins.  


Here is some more info. on acne solutions:
http://www.acnenomore.com/?hop=jumpmom2
http://www.acnefreein3days.com/c/index.html?hop=jumpmom2

[PitaJean]

You have to be careful about using scrubs and exfoliators. If you use them more than once a week you can actually give yourself more pimples! That happened to me once. I absolutely love Burts Bees Peach and Willow Bark Deep Pore Scrub and their Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep cleansing cream. The deep cleansing cream makes your face feel really good while you are washing and after. Love, love, love it!  The scrub makes you face feel really soft and clean afterwards too.

Do you use a toner? I do. I love the BB's rosewater and glycerine toner. It's not harsh on my skin but since I can never get a BIG bottle at any of the drug stores in my town, now I use Clean and Clear cooling pore toner it's alright but I much rather have the Burts Bees. For moisturizer I use BB too.

[BeautyFi]

My sister and I both have had problem skin on and off. I actually have really sensitive skin and can't handle benzoyl peroxide. It makes my face waaay to dry and end up breaking out all over. On the other hand my sister loves the benzoyl peroxide for her skin but the key is the low dosage. She buys her products from acne.org. It's a gentle wash followed by benzoyl peroxide 2.5% cream u put all over you're face. It seems to really work for her. I'm unfortunately still trying to find what works best for me. I'm currently using Yonka products which are amazing but very pricey!! I'm going through some breakout issues now and can't seem to figure out what I can do better. It's so frustrating! Anywho, hope this helped. Good luck!