| The skin is often looked at by people as an outward | | | | with sensitive skin can develop redness, rashes, and |
| sign of a person's hygiene and health. Subconsciously, | | | | other side effects that can add to one's social anxiety, |
| human beings tend to associate smooth, clear skin with | | | | rather than help relieve it. Medically speaking, adults |
| being in good physical condition. Good skin is also | | | | often find it harder to tolerate benzoyl peroxide, as |
| perceived as one of the most obvious signs of | | | | compared to teenagers. An alternative for acne |
| physical beauty. | | | | medication (and the subsequent relief from social |
| The preoccupation with skin care has led to a boom in | | | | anxiety) can come in the form of treatments that |
| the skin care product industry. These skin care | | | | make use of salicylic acid. |
| products are marketed to cater to the large market | | | | Salicylic acid works on acne in a different manner |
| that demands a variety of preparations to treat dry | | | | from benzoyl peroxide. While the peroxide compound |
| skin, control oily skin, and even to "reverse" the aging | | | | works by targeting the bacterial infections behind acne, |
| process. Today, manufacturers of beauty products | | | | salicylic acid functions as an exfoliant. The acid works |
| have expanded their beauty line to include concoctions | | | | by peeling away layers of the skin, subsequently also |
| to cure skin infections. The products that are usually | | | | peeling away the acne gradually. The acid is |
| bought to control skin infections usually include those | | | | considered to be milder than the peroxide, though it |
| that are supposed to treat adult acne (acne rosacea) | | | | can still have side effects. Additionally, salicylic acid is |
| and teenage acne (acne vulgaris). Adult acne and | | | | not as effective an acne treatment option as benzoyl |
| teenage acne are two entirely different things, though | | | | peroxide, simply because it lacks the raw chemical |
| most scientists believe the root causes are essentially | | | | potency of the peroxide. |
| the same. There are currently no concrete findings on | | | | There are some dermatologists that suggest |
| what the ultimate cause of acne is, though most | | | | combination treatments as a way to relieve acne. The |
| studies point to bacteria being the most prevalent | | | | approach works by having people apply salicylic acid |
| factor in both rosacea and vulgaris problems. The | | | | during the day time, as it is the compound that has a |
| single, definitive cause has yet to be found but the | | | | lower chance of inducing side effects. The benzoyl |
| countless studies have shown the medical world that | | | | peroxide is then applied at night, before sleeping. This |
| there are a number of possible solutions to both acne | | | | reduces the chances that the side effects would |
| rosacea and acne vulgaris. These treatments promise | | | | interfere with the patient's daily life, as well as reduce |
| to help alleviate the problem of acne, as well as | | | | the chances of the peroxide bleaching clothing. |
| alleviate the social anxiety that people with severe | | | | In your typical pharmacy, there are various treatments |
| cases of acne experience. | | | | for acne and other skin infections, and not all of them |
| Skin infections like acne rosacea and teenage acne | | | | will contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. That |
| are typically caused by bacterial infections in the skin. | | | | doesn't mean that they don't work as well, it's just that |
| Among the many core ingredients of the medications | | | | they probably work differently from the |
| used to treat acne and similar bacterial infections is | | | | aforementioned types of treatments. Whether one |
| benzoyl peroxide. In the case of acne, benzoyl | | | | decides to take an over-the-counter treatment or go |
| peroxide works by attacking the bacteria, effectively | | | | for a prescription, the important thing to remember is |
| attempting to cut off the acne at the source. However, | | | | that once the acne has been effectively removed, |
| benzoyl peroxide is a potent compound and people | | | | then working on relieving the social anxiety can begin. |