Skin Care Tips

To help combat acne durring these difficult times one should look into an acne treatment. Deppending on your skin and how it reacts to certain products will help you determine what kind of face wash you should use. Most face washes use benzoyl peroxide which can help in some cases of acne, but in others it can cause acne to become worse. The skin is also dammaged with each use of benzoyl peroxide. For people with sensitive skin I would recommend a face wash with natural ingredients and vitamins that will help heal your skin rather than weaken.

Another thing you need to look at is how often you wash your face. You shouldn’t wash your face more than twice a day. Use warm water and a face wash made for healing and reducing acne. Wahing too much can irritate the skin and make it become red and cracked.

Try and avoid popping pimples. If possible do not pop pimples at all. If there is a white or black head that is well formed then you can pop it if it will easily come out. If it seems like it doesn’t want to come don’t force it. Focing a pimple is often what causes scaring.

Avoid touching your face with your hands or leaning on your face. Touching your face will spread bacteria and can cause acne to become inflamed and irratated. To keep bacteria at bay, wash your hands before applying anything on your face.

Remove makeup before you go to sleep. When buying makeup look for brands that say “noncomedogenic” or “nonacnegenic”. Get rid of old makeup that smells or seem to have gone bad. Old makeup can grow bacteria and cause a problem for your skin.

Keep your hair clean and out of your face. Also keep your fingernails clean and avoid facial contact of hair and nails as much as possible.

If taking any prescripton acne treatments follow the directions. Certain medications do not work well in the sun and can cause skin dammage. Following the guidlines will help reduce unwanted sideeffects.

Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment Ingredient Analysis

The company only lists a few key ingredients

• Salicylic Acid
• Cinnamon Bark Extract
• Ginger Root Extract
• Glycolic Acid

The concentrations for these are not given, but the entire formula amounts to only 1/2 ounce.

Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment Effectiveness

The company really offers very little information to go on when it comes to gauging the actual effectiveness of their products.  It appears they rely mainly on the history and reputation of the company as a whole to justify any one of their products.

What we can tell you is that salicylic acid is known to be an effective acne treatment, though it is also often known to be fairly harsh on the skin depending on the concentration.  The other herbal extracts may provide some cooling effect to offset any irritation that may happen, but in any case without listed concentrations this formula doesn’t really stand out in any way from so many other herbal acne treatments.

Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment Safety Concerns

Depending on the concentration, the salicylic acid may cause some redness and irritation for those with more sensitive skin, but aside from any incidental allergies, these ingredients aren’t associated with any serious side effects.

Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Spot Treatment Value Rating

Selling for $16, this half-ounce tube of skin cream is certainly one of the pricier ones we’ve seen.  Kiehl’s appears to be resting on its long history in the business when it comes to both formula and price.  The formula – overly simplified and without much evidence for real effect.  The price – seems to reflect what the company feels it has earned for being around for so long.  Ultimately this treatment does not earn our confidence and appears to be sorely over-priced.

Organicare Clarity Control Blemish Fighting AHA Serum Ingredient Analysis

First, you might be asking yourself, “AHA…what’s that?”

Though most products don’t use the acronym AHA, it stands for alpha hydroxy acid.  The company explains that this product uses the power of three natural AHA’s to clear up acne without causing redness or irritation.  Alpha hydroxy acids include everything from lactic acid (from sour milk) to citric acid (in any citrus fruit).  It took some digging to get ahold of this product’s ingredient list as the company does not list it for your average consumer (for some strange reason).  Ultimately we found it to contain:

• Aloe vera
• Lime Juice
• Lactic Acid
• Grapefruit Juice
• Xanthan Gum

You might agree with us when we say that this sounds more like a drink than a skin treatment.

Organicare Clarity Control Blemish Fighting AHA Serum Effectiveness

It is certainly possible that the mild acidic effect of these fruit juices and lactic acid may help to kill some of the bacteria which causes acne, but they are certainly not known for this effect in the scientific community.  If you want to see about how effective it could be, buy some limes and rub some of their juice on your face.

Organicare Clarity Control Blemish Fighting AHA Serum Safety Concerns

There are no known safety concerns associated with these ingredients outside of incidental allergies that may exist for certain individuals.

Organicare Clarity Control Blemish Fighting AHA Serum Value Rating

At $45 for a one ounce bottle of this product, it is, without doubt, the most over-priced skin treatment we have ever seen (and that is a bold statement).  You are essentially getting what would cost you less than a dollar to make on your own for 45 times that, or a 4500% price margin.  This is ridiculous and insulting.

When it comes to Mario Badescu’s products, he’s definitely got the celebrities covered.  Everyone from Ice-T to Hillary Swank has apparently used at least one of his products at some point.  As far as credentials, Badescu is a Romanian immigrant with some background in chemistry who started a beauty spa in New York around 40 years go.  This is respectable, but we decided to take a look at what you’re really getting for the money..

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Ingredient Analysis

This formula is one that contains surprisingly few ingredients for a high-end product:

• Deionized Water
• Glycerin
• Thyme Extract
• Isopropyl Alcohol
• Salicylic Acid
• Triethanolamine

Simple is certainly not always bad.  The most effective ingredient here is salicylic acid, which is known to increase the rate at which your skin replaces itself and can also kill bacteria.  Thyme is also a mild antiseptic.  Typically we do not recommend products containing alcohol for their tendency to dry out the skin, but the glycerin may help some to counteract that.

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Effectiveness

The actual concentration of these ingredients is not given here and so it is impossible to tell whether they are included in a balance that is known to be particularly effective at fighting acne.  It will most likely provide mild results given the formula.

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Safety Concerns

The most common side effects seen with this kind of formula are over-drying and some skin irritation.

Mario Badescu Anti-Acne Serum Value Rating

At $20 per ounce, this stuff is over-priced.  There are just no two ways about it.  For one ounce of any one of these ingredients you would never be paying over $5 for a generic version and considering this contains things like water, glycerin and alcohol (the amounts of which are undisclosed), this is one of the most ridiculously expensive and at the same time weak formulas we’ve seen.

These are pretty strong claims, especially since everyone knows that makeup artists are the primary reason those people look so good on camera.  So will Kate’s Anti Bac Clearing Lotion get your skin healthier or just put you out another $40?

Kate Somerville Anti Bac Clearing Lotion Ingredient Analysis

Of all the ingredients out there, Kate chose just one for an active ingredient in this product:

• Benzoyl Peroxide 5.0%

Benzoyl peroxide is one of anti-acne ingredients out there that is the most commonly used, the cheapest and also most harmful to your skin.  It can cause excess drying, hyper-sensitivity to the sun, and often bleaches hair, eyebrows and even can discolor darker skin tones.  Aside from this the ingredients include a few natural oils often used in cooking and a slew of alcohols and synthetic polymers and acrylates.

• Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
• Sesame Seed Extract
• Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
• Behenyl Alcohol, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin.

Kate Somerville Anti Bac Clearing Lotion Effectiveness

Benzoyl peroxide is so often used in acne treatments because it is significantly effective.  You might call it the “cheap and dirty” way to treat acne.  This is because it is very harsh on the skin and kills off not only the bacteria that causes acne, but the healthy skin layers around it.  At a pretty high concentration of 5%, you should definitely see it make an effect on your acne, but at what cost?

Kate Somerville Anti Bac Clearing Lotion Safety Concerns

The most common adverse side effects reported with products containing this concentration of benzoyl peroxide are over-drying, redness, burning, and bleached skin.

Kate Somerville Anti Bac Clearing Lotion Value Rating

The small bottle of 1.7 ounces sells for $40, which makes this one of the pricer products out there.  Given that it is based almost entirely on benzoyl peroxide, which is a very inexpensive ingredient, we consider this to be basically a ripoff – as over-hyped as the celebrities Kate works with.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Trifix Acne Clearing Lotion Ingredient Analysis

So the curious thing about this product is that after making the claim that it contains three natural acne-fighting ingredients, it only lists one active ingredient -

1. Colloidal Silver 3%

Other ingredients include -

• Alcohol
• Witch Hazel
• Glycerin
• Willow Bark Extract
• Aloe powder
• Farnesol
• Retinyl Palmitate
• Carrot Polypeptide
• Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
• Epilobium Fleischeri Extract
• Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
• Sea Water
• Bisabolol
• Hydrolyzed Algin
• Xanthan Gum
• Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Gluconate, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol

Clearly this is not an “all-natural” product as it contains its fair share of alcohol and chemically derived preservatives. We did find perhaps what Dr. Gross was referring to in the other natural acne-fighting ingredients as it does contain white willow bark and witch hazel, which are excellent ingredients to treat acne, but there is no way to know if they are included in the right concentrations. In any case it is strange that they are not listed under “active ingredients”.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Trifix Acne Clearing Lotion Effectiveness

Interesting note from the FDA about colloidal silver products – “all over-thecounter (OTC) drug products containing colloidal silver ingredients or silver salts for internal or external use are not generally recognized as safe and effective and are misbranded…FDA is not aware of any substantial scientific evidence that supports the use of OTC colloidal silver…” (Federal Register, Vol. 64  No. 158)

Considering the product appears to owe its “effectiveness” to colloidal silver, there isn’t a lot of faith we can really put in its effectiveness.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Trifix Acne Clearing Lotion Safety Concerns

Though there isn’t enough evidence about colloidal silver to say it is safe, there haven’t been any serious conditions reported with regards to use as an acne treatment.  With the alcohol and other chemicals here you may experience over-drying and redness.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Trifix Acne Clearing Lotion Value Rating

Selling for $30 per 1.7 ounce bottle, this is a pretty pricey bottle for not having the FDA behind its primary active ingredient.  This product doesn’t earn its price tag.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Ingredient Analysis

This product counts on a pretty exhaustive formula for success, but it appears to be a good one.  Though glycolic acid is supposedly the main component, it appears as if most of the product’s acne-fighting power lies in the 2% salicylic acid content.  When you combine an ingredient like this with glycolic acid and alcohol you should definitely see some results, but potentially at a cost to your skin.  The full ingredient list is as follows:

• Salicylic Acid 2%
• Alcohol
• Glycolic Acid
• Propylene Glycol
• Ammonium hydroxide
• Castor oil
• Phenoxyethanol
• Disodium EDTA
• Tocopherol
• Triethanolamine
• Aloe vera
• Chamomile
• Grape seed extract
• Licorice root
• Superoxide dismutase
• Retinyl palmitate
• Ubiquinone
• Elm extract
• Glutathione
• Zinc Gluconate

Generally this formula is good and combines some antioxidants like superoxide dismutase and tocopherol with some good moisturizers like aloe.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Effectiveness

In terms of results based on sheer acne-reduction, this product performs nicely. It is by no means a miracle-worker, but the completeness and potency of the formula has been proven by users.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Safety Concerns

Though it is pretty consistent at reducing acne, this product is also pretty consistent at treating your skin harshly.  Redness, over-drying and irritation are fairly common.

DDF Glycolic 10% Exfoliating Oil Control Gel Value Rating

This product is offered direct from the company and with a return policy for $48 but can be found elsewhere for as low as $37 per bottle without the policy.  The solution is potent which might explain why it only comes in a small 1.7 ounce bottle, but factoring in shipping costs you might be paying a little too much at over $32 per ounce.  Good formula, but somewhat low on value.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Ingredient Analysis

One of the first things we were curious about with this product is the claim of being “light-optimized”.  It is well known that some prescription acne treatments can cause your skin to be more sensitive to light, but we’ve never heard of an acne treatment being made more effective by exposure to light.  Here are the natural ingredients included in the product:

• Magnolia Bark Extract
• Pink Lapacho Bark Extract
• Rice Bran extract
• Indian Frankincense Extract
• Honey Extract
• Tamarind Seed Extract
• Taraktogenos Kurzii Seed Oil
• Nigella Sativa Seed Oil
• Tea Tree Oil

The formula also lists at least 16 other chemically-derived ingredients including

• Potassium Lauroyl
• Capryloyl Glycine
• Boron Nitride
• Ethylhexylglycerin
• Carbomer
• Caprylyl Glycol
• Phenoxyethanol
• Sorbic Acid
• Triethanolamine
• Propylheptyl Caprylate
• Oligopeptide-10
• Glycerin
• Butylene Glycol
• Pentylene Glycol

Most of the synthetic ingredients act as moisturizers or drying agents to clear away oil.  After researching the numerous ingredients here, we’ve concluded that none of them really have anything to do with being “light-optimized”.  It appears as if this is only a marketing gimmick.  Even so, the formula does include some excellent ingredients to help cleanse the skin and reduce the occurrence of acne – namely tea tree oil, tamarind, and lapacho oil.  The effect of the rest of the ingredients with relation to acne is pretty unclear.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Effectiveness

As this product is still very new, the widespread results of the formula have still yet to be seen.  There are certainly enough alcohols and other antiseptics here to make some difference in acne when compared to regular soap, but many of the ingredients appear to be irrelevant.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Safety Concerns

Though long-term use of this formula has not been studied, at first analysis there aren’t any serious concerns. Triethanolamine is the most common allergen, but is still not that common.  With any product, you should obviously check for components to which you are allergic.

Tanda Light-Optimized Anti-Blemish Gel Value Rating

This product is sold separately for $50 per bottle or as part of the $250 Tanda skin care package.  At this point it doesn’t appear as if there is any real justification for the price other than their marketing strategy which is apparently meant to convey “high-end” and “cutting-edge technology”.  There really isn’t enough proof to make this product worth the money at this point.

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Ingredient Analysis

The primary ingredients in this serum are as follows:

• Salicylic Acid 1%
• Hexylene & Butylene Glycol
• SD Alcohol
• Vitamin C
• Green Tea
• Glycolic Acid
• Kola Extract
• Hyaluronic Acid
• Methylparaben

There are basically three effects to this formula -

• Moisturizing (hexylene/butylene glycol, hyaluronic acid)
• Nourishing (Vitamin C, Green Tea)
• Cleansing & Acne-Fighting (Salicylic acid, alcohol, glycolic acid)

Though the combination of salicylic acid, alcohol and glycolic acid will definitely kill off the bacteria causing acne and also destroy the skin cells that are becoming inflamed, it is also likely to be pretty harsh on the skin.

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Effectiveness

Most have reported this product to be very effective with consistent use, though it isn’t the most pleasant to use because of the side effects and at least one other reason…

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Safety Concerns

One of the most widespread complaints about this product is that it smells bad. Granted, this isn’t necessarily a safety issue, but it’s something to think about.  Aside from the smell, the most common concern expressed was, predictably, over-drying.

Bye Bye Blemish Anti-Acne Serum Value Rating

How do you rate a product on value when the product sells for only $8?  Well, you take a look at what you’re getting – a largely synthetic, slightly smelly and possibly skin-irritating acne treatment.  When we take into consideration that this product appears to be out of production, it suggests that it isn’t worth $8 to the company to sell, much less to a customer to buy.  Not worth it.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Ingredient analysis

• Salicylic acid 1.0%
• Alcohol
• Witch hazel
• Acrylates/c10-30
• Alkyl acrylate crosspolymer
• Benzalkonium chloride
• Farnesyl acetate
• Panthenyl triacetate
• Farnesol

An ingredient here that you may not see all too often is benzalkonium chloride, which is a fairly effective skin antiseptic that avoids burning when applied to sensitive pimples.   Aside from this, the formula is essentially reliant on salicylic acid to help your skin slough off the dead cells that provide a place for bacteria to develop.  The witch hazel and alcohol will also dry out the skin and shrink the skin cells. The rest of the ingredients are basic perfume components and synthetic moisturizers.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Effectiveness

Generally this formula is a standard cleansing/drying solution that aims to keep excess oil from building up and to kill bacteria in the pores.  The 1% salicylic acid formula combined with alcohol and witch hazel is know to be considerably effective.  Users report fairly good results, but relatively low satisfaction oddly enough.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Safety Concerns

The main explanation for the lower user satisfaction ratings most likely has to do with this product’s tendency to over-dry the skin and to cause some redness, itching and irritation. Generally we recommend products without alcohol to avoid this, but there aren’t any other serious side effects  to watch out for here.

Clinique Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel Value Rating

As mentioned, this product is offered at a pretty low price. In most places you can buy it for $14.  Now, in sheer dollar amount this is lower than most designer acne treatments,  but when you consider that one bottle contains only 1/2 ounce, it’s a different story.  That’s $28 an ounce, which actually puts this product in the range of the most expensive spot treatments out there. Considering that the ingredients are very basic and often cause irritation, you’re really not getting that much for your money.