Acne - daily care

[jasmine28]

I have been fighting with acne for almost 15 years now and I'm 28. Few years ago I was diagnosed with PCOS and put on contraceptive pill. My condition improved ever since but I still suffer from outbreaks from time to time, mainly due to reaction on skin cleansers and creams. Can you please recommend the best cleanser for acne prone skin and good over the counter topical treatment? Many thanks.

[Dr Stephen Kownacki]

Jasmine
Probably one of the most popular cleansers is Cetaphil lotion which is available over the counter in pharmacies. It is important with acne not to use greasy products and the term "non-comedogenic" is worth looking for on any make-up.
Benzoyl peroxide is the most commonly available effective acne treatment but sadly it has been difficult to source recently. I prefer 2.5% and never use more than 5% since it can cause redness and soreness if too strong or if you react strongly. Remember, if your skin reacts strongly, using any product should start gently even washing it off after an hour and/or using it every other day.
Good luck