You already know that salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide both work to fight acne, but which one works better? And will one work better for a certain skin type than the other?

While their chemical compositions are very different, the main differences you will notice is that one is gentle, while the other is extremely harsh (I bet you already know which one is which, dont you? )

In this article I will compare the two ingredients head-to-head so you can make an educated decision on which product will work best for you.

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Salicylic Acid Vs Benzoyl Peroxide

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Salicylic Acid:

The Pros

• Works as a long-term acne solution
• Is gentle on your skin, does not burn and does not cause irritation or dryness
• Is a natural chemical found in plants that works with the body to stabilize and rebalance the imbalances that cause acne

The Cons

• Can make some people break-out at first; but this goes away within the first 1-2 weeks. The reason for an initial break-out is usually because the acne sufferer switched to salicylic acid directly after using a benzoyl peroxide product, which is stressful process for the skin because of the damage that benzoyl peroxide causes. If you have tried SA and it has not worked for you, chances are you didn’t use the product long enough to get through the initial break-out and rebalance of your skin! If you had, you might not be suffering with acne by now : /

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Benzoyl Peroxide:

The Pros

• Usually works fairly quickly, reducing acne blemishes within the first 1-2 weeks. This is the main (and only?) reason that benzoyl peroxide is used as a popular acne treatment.

The Cons

• Incredibly harsh chemical that overdries your skin and causes redness, irritation, and flakes. Your face will literally burn, this is especially true if you don’t invest in a good moisturizer and remember to use it daily.
• Will bleach your clothing/pillow case if used before bed (why would you put something on your face that bleaches clothing??)
• Puts your skins natural oils out of balance, causing your body to actually produce MORE acne-causing bacteria, not less
• Is an unnatural chemical that works against your body rather than for it.
• Does not work long term. It usually only takes the body about a month or so (the longest is probably 6-months) to adapt to the benzoyl peroxide and begin compensating for the dryness by producing up to 10X as much oil as normal. With all the BP containing acne products available on the market, I find it strange that there is currently no scientific evidence to back up the claim that benzoyl peroxide works as a long-term acne solution.

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One point to always keep in mind: Never, ever, use a product containing both salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. I know you are suffering with bad acne. I know that it seems like slathering two acne-fighting chemicals would fight your acne faster than using just one. But its not true. The worst thing you can do for your skin is use both SA and BP. This is why I heavily advise against the popular acne product Exposed, as it uses both of these acne -fighting chemicals.

The consequence of using both SA and BP at the same time is this: extremely irritated skin, complete bodily imbalance of both acne-causing bacteria AND healthy oils, and the very worst – acne cysts. This is when you get the big, red, super sore bumps beneath the skin that eventually break through and look hideous. These are the zits that used to make me cry when I got them : (

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Recommended Products:

Need to find a good quality, effective acne product that uses salicylic acid as its active ingredient? Look no further, here are the top 3:

1. ClearPores Complete Acne System. This system uses 2% salicylic acid, and fights acne from multiple angles by using a cleanser, a repairing lotion, AND an oral supplement for treating acne from the inside. This is by far the best and most complete acne system out there, and its the most affordable of its kind. If you’re not interested in the complete system and want to save money by just getting the cleanser, that is available as well (however I highly recommend the entire system!)
2. DermaCleanse ZenMed Acne System. ZenMed is very similar to ClearPores, using 2% salicylic acid as well, and also comes complete with the repairing lotion, moisturizer, and oral supplement. The ZenMed system is more customizable, as there are different products designed for slightly different skin types (sensitive skin, basic, and severe). It is also more expensive.
3. MedSkin Acne System. The MedSkin Acne System is a little more basic than the other two, but the product uses salicylic acid along with a highly effective scientific formula in order to treat acne and heal the skin.

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Need to know what kind of acne you’re suffering from? Take the free acne test to find out. Want to clear your acne for good? Create your individualized acne treatment program here.

Because the liver is in charge of regulating sebum production, it becomes a major factor (and cause) of acne. When your liver gets behind on its work, sebum piles up. This leads to break-outs.

So what causes your liver to get under the weather?

Factors that cause a sluggish liver include:

• Not getting enough vitamins and minerals in your diet (deficiency)
• Sustaining a very poor diet for a long period of time
• Getting little to no exercise
• Genetic factors

All four of these factors are significant, however the very first one is the most common: not getting the right nutrients for your body.

The problem is that with the standard american diet, it is nearly impossible to consume all the nutrients necessary to maintain a healthy system. Even if you a eat a very healthy diet with many fruits and vegetables, you are still not safe from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. With all the chemicals and pesticides put onto our food and the soil our food grows in, even our fresh produce do not carry the same amount of nutrients that they used to. This is leading to a rise in many different kinds of abnormal bodily issues, one of them being acne.

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What Can You Do?

It is actually easier than you might think to get your liver back in shape. And it doesn’t mean changing your entire diet!

If you suspect that your sluggish liver might be the cause of your acne, the first thing you need to do is to stop relying on a topical acne medication to solve all your problems. Any topical acne cream – even the best one out there – is not going to cure your acne. Because the problem is from within, the acne will continue to surface.

You will need to give your liver a boost to increase efficiency, and this can be done in several ways:

1. Liver Detox. This a process where you consume only fresh fruits and vegetables and nothing else (like sugars, grains, fats, etc.). This gives your entire digestive system a chance to clear out all the bad bacteria build-up that is causing your liver to get backed up and cause acne.
2. Increase water intake. Water is purifying, and will help to not only clean your system out, but it will also increase the speed at which bacteria can be removed from your system. The quicker all the bad stuff can be removed, the less of a chance there will be of it hanging out in your bloodstream and causing acne. Try drinking 3-4 times the amount of water you drink now.
3. Take liver supplements. Liver supplements include powerful herbs that dramatically help to increase the livers productivity and purity. These can be found at most health food stores. In addition, acne systems that treat from both the inside and the outside include a supplement specifically designed to purify the body and eliminate acne bacteria from the body.

Choosing one of these options will drastically help your body, but choosing to do all 3 of them will probably get you faster results! Remember that cleansing the body from the inside and eliminating acne from the root is a long process. It may take 30 days before you see any improvements. Be patient! If you are looking for a quicker fix, you won’t find it. I know this personal experience, there are no short-cuts to curing acne.

Take it from me and treat your acne the right way the first time. This will save you much time, money, and embarrassment in the long run.

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What Can Cause Acne?

What can cause acne?

Here are the 5 most common (but often overlooked) causes of acne:

1. Dehydration. Water is one of the single most important factors in determining the health of your skin. This is the #1 overlooked acne cause. Chronic dehydration effects over 50% of adults, and often displays only minor symptoms like fatigue, irritability, and acne. These are symptoms that are rarely attributed to dehydration, but can quickly and easily be remedied by simply drinking more water!

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2. Benzoyl Peroxide. BP is a widely used chemical in over-the-counter acne medications, used to dry up acne-causing bacteria and reduce the amount of pimples that surface on the skin. While BP can be a quick, temporary solution to acne, it is far from an acne cure. It may sound good that the BP is drying up all that oil on your skin, but in reality it is tilting your already imbalanced and acne-prone skin to an even greater extreme. What do you think your body’s response is when a foreign substance comes in and dries up all your natural oils? The answer is, your body goes into overdrive to produce even more oil, and fast. When your skin quickly transitions from being dried up to being flushed with oil, acne flourishes.

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3. Anxiety. Stress, worries, nerves, and mood has a dramatic effect on the way our skin appears to the world. This is because there is a direct physical connection between anxiety and your skin cells: anxiety produces stress hormones like cortisol, which gives instructions to your sebum (acne bacteria) producers to go into high gear. Other substances that produce cortisol in the body  are also culprits behind acne.

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4. Sluggish Liver. Whats the liver got to do with acne? Actually, its got a lot to do with it. The liver is responsible for keeping your body pure and clean of any excess bacteria or toxins (bad material that shouldn’t be in your bloodstream). The problem is that with our standard American diet of heavily processed foods and fast food, the liver can become easily bogged down. When this happens, the body gets out of balance and you start to see symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, gas, fatigue, dry skin, cellulite, and of course, ACNE.

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5.Genetics. Some people are predisposed to acne because its written in their DNA that their skin cells should receive more sebum than necessary, and thus they struggle with acne. Fortunately, there is actually an easy to combat genetic acne too, and thats by treating acne from the inside. If you are suffering with genetic acne, you probably haven’t seen much improvement by using typical topical acne medications. The trick to beating this kind of acne is to get it at its root, which starts inside your body.

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ClearPores Vs Exposed

I have used both of these products and I can tell you there are some good and bad things about them both. One of these products works miracles for me, and one of them is one of the worst acne products I’ve ever used on my skin, but I’m going to try and provide you with a somewhat unbiased review of them both so you can make an educated decision for yourself about which product to try.

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Lets start with Exposed. The Pros:

• -It is slightly cheaper than ClearPores

Okay…now for my extensive list of the cons:

• This product is WAY too strong. Their selling point for Exposed is that contains ingredients that are both “natural” and “made from science.” This means that they have thrown about 10 different acne remedies in one in hopes of making one big super remedy. Sounds like it has potential right? Wrong. Combining benzoyl peroxide with salicylic acid is detrimental to your skin, not to mention that it will NOT eliminate acne. And these are just 2 of the ingredients. Throw in caffeine, tee tree oil (a VERY strong astringent), and about 6 others. The effect this has on your skin is that it throws all your natural oil production off balance, and actually causes acne! When I used this products I got painful acne cysts for the very first time, and I got a new one every single day. It was miserable. Want proof of how harsh this product is? This product corrodes the outside of the bottle and turns orange and crusty. You want this on your skin?! Oh, and it will bleach your clothes too!
• The 60-day supply you will get for a seemingly low price will only last close to 30 days. This is false advertising, and is only practiced by shady companies. Big red flag.
• The product is very time consuming! That might so strange – how long can it take to wash your face and apply acne cream? Well, if you buy Exposed, it will take between 20-30 minutes. This is because there are 4-6 steps (depending on which kit you buy). The product is advertised to have 3 steps…but every single kit sold comes with 4 different bottles, because there are 4 different things you need to do! What really ends up taking so long is that your face has to completely dry between each product.
• It stinks! It smells like chemical laboratory!
• Exposed treats from the outside only. If by some chance this product does work for you, you will get acne again as soon as you quit using the product. This doesn’t solve you acne problem, it perpetuates it. And if you skip a day by accident you most definitely experience a bad break-out.

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Ok…now for ClearPores. The Pros:

• This product comes with a topical solution and and oral medication and it rebalances the imbalance within your body that is causing your acne. This means that it stops acne before it starts, rather than treating acne on the surface after its already emerged like Exposed and most other acne medications try to do.
• Its gentle. You will not experience dry or flaky skin, yet you won’t feel oily either. Thats because the product balances your skins natural oils in order to achieve your naturally clear and glowing skin. When your skin’s oils are balanced and healthy, you have no acne!
• Its easy to apply. There are only two topical steps – a cleanser and a repairing lotion. This takes about 10 minutes to apply. Then theres just the oral supplement that you take twice a day. Its that easy.

The Cons:

• ClearPores is kind of on the expensive side! I love the product and I use it daily, but I admit that I don’t enjoy shelling out the $60 it costs me. The good new is that the topical part of the kit (the cleanser and the repairing lotion) last longer than just one month, but the oral supplement is only for 30 days and can’t be stretched out to last any longer! I still think the $60 is worth it, because when I use other products I experience miserable break-outs. Having clear skin and not being forced to wear tons of cover-up every day is definitely worth it.
• It takes a while to start working. We all wish our acne could be cured overnight, and this product just won’t do that (actually, NO product will do that). Because ClearPores actually cures your acne from inside your body at the root, it takes a while. Rebalancing an out-of-balance system can take time! It took me a solid month of using ClearPores before I completely stopped getting any acne. Some people notice changes within the first 2 weeks, but most commonly changes occur between 2 weeks – 2 months. Two months can be a long wait to see results! If you’re like me though, you can hold out a month or so in order to cure your acne.

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Want to know more? Here’s my complete ClearPores Review and my complete Exposed Review.

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15 Most Effective Clear Skin Tips

Can Positive Thinking Cure Acne?

Find out whats causing your acne – Take the Acne Assessment

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1. Drink water as often as possible. Dehydration is one of the most common causes of acne. Staying properly hydrated will keep your skin cells healthy and clear. Its as simple as reaching for a bottle of water instead of that can of soda – and it saves you the calories and sugar too!

2. Change your pillow case every other day. It can be difficult to remember to change your pillow case this often, but think about it: you rub your face on it all night long, so it quickly becomes a harbor for dirt, oil, and bacteria. If you can change your pillow case as often as you do laundry, you’ll be drastically helping your skin.

3. Wash your hands immediately before washing your face. You might think that using a cleanser on your face is good enough, but if you don’t wash your hands right before cleansing your face, you will transfer anything thats on your hands to the surface of your skin. Just touched the door knob? Pet your dog? Went to the bathroom? Even the faucet is caked with oils from your hands. Who knows what bacteria you’re putting on your face! Here’s what to do: turn on the water, wash your hands for about 10 seconds with anti-bacterial soap, and then proceed to wash your face like normal (don’t dry your hands in between or you’ll pick up oils from the hand towel!). This is one of the best and easiest clear skin tips.

4. Cleanse effectively. Washing your face quickly and carelessly may be just as ineffective as not washing it at all. Make sure you use a generous amount of the cleanser of your choice and really take time to massage the product into your skin. Don’t do it too forcefully – gentle, massaging circles usually works the best to maintain healthy skin.

5. Avoid touching your face. Your hands are full of oil and bacteria, so don’t spread it onto your face. Resting your chin in your hands or rubbing your eyes are great ways to spread dirt and oil to your pores.

6. Use a product that fights acne from the outside AND the inside. Most acne products are topical, meaning they apply a small amount of medication to the surface of your skin in order to fight acne. This is definitely effective for acne treatment and maintenance, however the only way to completely clear acne is to fight it at its root. Acne occurs from the inside out, so its just as important (I would argue much, much, more important) to treat the internal factores of acne as the external surface of the skin.

7. Avoid products that include benzoyl peroxide. Did you know that benzoyl peroxide and other similar chemicals actually contribute to acne? Have you ever noticed how benzoyl peroxide-containing products will reduce your acne at first, but it always comes back? Its because the benzoyl peroxide stimulates oil production to the surface of the skin! See my article on benzoyl peroxide.

8. Take a daily vitamin supplement. Sometimes acne is caused by vitamin/mineral deficiencies in the body. When your body isn’t getting the proper nutrition it is normal to see a decline in the health of your skin, hair, and nails. Eat healthier or take a vitamin supplement – your body will use the nutrients to create healthy skin cells, giving you that glow you’ve always wanted.

9. Avoid caffeine. Caffeine is one of the most common causes of acne that nobody knows about. It stimulates hormone production in the brain, and causes unnecessary stress on the body. These excess hormones trick your body into doing thing it shouldn’t – like boosting sebum (oil) production.

10. Exercise. Staying active and getting your heart rate up 3-4 times/week promotes healthy blood circulation. Healthy blood circulation is essential for clear, acne free skin because oxygen is delivered to the skin cells through your blood stream. The more oxygen that gets to your skin, the faster your acne will clear up, and the nicer your skin will look!

11. Keep a positive attitude. They say that thoughts become reality.  If you are currently stressed out about your acne and are constantly preparing for another break-out, you will continue to create break-outs! Relax, know that your acne will heal in the near future, and think positive!

12. Get proper sleep. An erratic sleep schedule is one thing that is sure to throw your hormones way off balance. Set a regular sleep schedule and you’ll see a massive reduction in acne, and probably a more stable frame of mind as well.

13. Do your research. Don’t buy into expensive acne products that claim to work miracles but don’t explain how. There are a lot of scammers out there, and a lot of people trying to make a quick buck.

14. Keep stress to a minimum. Stress is a very common cause of acne, though it is not always very easy to control the amount of stress in your life. If you do live a stressful life, be sure to take time to relax and let the tension go.

15. Avoid Dairy. Dairy products are pumped full of hormones, and when consumed react adversely with your own hormones. This causes hormonal imbalance – one of the top 3 causes of acne.

Bonus Tip #16. Take the Acne Assessment Quiz. The assessment is free, quick, and will help you to discover the root cause of your acne. Once you know the cause, you’ll know how to cure it – forever. Click here to take the Acne Causes Assessment Quiz

If you remember these 15 acne tips for your skin, you’ll reap the rewards of healthy, nice, looking skin.

Exposed is one of the newest acne systems on the market today. Their website claims that the product will clear your acne within 30 days, and its even guaranteed. Sounds like a winner, right?

If you do a quick google search on “Exposed Acne System” or something similar, you will likely get pages and pages of results, most (or all) raving about how Exposed is a miracle product and that you should buy it immediately if you ever want to get rid of your acne. But remember that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Before you fall for all these convincing sites, let me give you a tip: The Exposed company hires literally thousands of marketers to work for them to produce false reviews. Of all the reviews you read about Exposed (or any acne product for that matter) probably less than 5% of the reviewers have actually tried the product. The other 95% have never tried the product, and probably have never even suffered with acne!

I am a severe acne sufferer. I tried this product because my initial impressions of the system were so good. After 30 days of using the system, I can say with confidence that I do not recommend this product.

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Product Overview

• Exposed combines “scientifically proven” ingredients combined with “natural” ingredients. The idea behind it is that rather than choosing between using an all-natural acne treatment vs. a chemical treatment, you can get the best of both worlds by using this one system. The company uses this as their strongest selling point, but keep reading below to find out why this vast array of ingredients actually ends up being detrimental to your skin.
• Uses a 3-step (in reality 4-5 long and tedious steps) system to fight acne.
• Uses clinical strength ingredients – referring to the 10% benzoyl peroxide that is in the final step of the system. This is the same as any other over-the-counter acne medication you can get, its nothing special.
• Comes with a 1 year guarantee. A one-year guarantee may seem convincing, and might even seal the deal for prospective Exposed customers who are on the fence about trying out the product. But read the fine print: the one-year guarantee is only valid for your very first Exposed kit (a $49 – $94 value, depending on the price of your first kit). Any other kits you buy following the first are not under the guarantee, and you will not get your money back.

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How Exposed Works

This system is advertised to be a simple 3-step process, but when you open up your Exposed package , you will discover a booklet that outlines what products you’re supposed to use and when. I had to keep referring back to this booklet for the first couple of days to make sure I was doing the steps correctly – its confusing and time consuming!

There are 5 mandatory products that will be used in the system, and 2 optional steps: the Facial Cleanser, Clearing Tonic, Acne Treatment Serum, ClearPore Serum, Moisturizer, Scrub (optional), Mask (optional).

Here’s a break down of how it works:

AM Treatment:

Step 1: Use the Facial Cleanser

Wait for your face to completely dry (7-10 minutes) then go to step 2.

Step 2: Clearing Tonic

Step 3: Apply the Acne Treatment Serum while face is still wet from the Clearing Tonic

Wait for the Acne Treatment Serum to dry completely before moving on to step 4.

Step 4: Apply a generous amount of the moisturizer. If you skip this step you’ll be very sorry, as this system will dry out your skin terribly. My skin is rarely sensitive to products and rarely gets dry and flakey, but I could not get enough of this moisturizer to keep my skin from flaking while I was using Exposed.

**Also, every 2-3 days you should use the exfoliating cloth between steps 1 and 2 in order to get the full benefits of the system.

All in all this process takes about 25-30 minutes.

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PM Treatment

Step 1: Use the Facial Cleanser

Wait for your face to dry completely, then move to Step 2.

Step 2: Apply the ClearPore Serum to the entire face.

Wait for your face to dry completely, then move to Step 3.

Step 3: Apply the Acne Treatment Serum to “problem” areas.

Wait for your face to dry completely, then move to Step 4.

Step 4: Apply the Moisturizing lotion.

Also, 3-4 times a week you are advised to use the Exfoliating Scrub, and once a week to use the Mask.

All in all this process takes about 30 minutes.

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Price

If you’re considering purchasing the Exposed system, these are the prices you’ll be looking to pay:

60-day 5-piece kit = $49.95

60-day 6-piece kit = $59.95

60-day 9-piece kit = $94.95

This may not actually seem too bad, considering that each kit is supposedly a 2-month supply. That would mean that the 5-piece base kit works out to being just $25/month. The problem is that these kits DO NOT last 60 days.

The bottles are very small. I have tried nearly every acne product out there, and I have always ended up having more product than I needed. 30-day supplies last me 45 days. With Exposed, I barely had enough to get through the first 30 days, let alone 60! Around day 20 I noticed how little I had left, and I started scrounging to save as much product as I could.

Still, $49.95/month wouldn’t be too high of a price to pay for an acne system that really worked…

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My 30-Day Experience with Exposed

On day of receiving my Exposed package in the mail, I was totally excited. I really thought it would work! Even opening the box and finding out how long it would take me each morning and night to complete all the steps didn’t discourage me, because even if it would take me an hour a day to guarantee having clear skin, I would do it!

The first seven days were ok, as it was stated clearly in the included booklet that results normally don’t show up until days 10-14.

However, as day 10 approached and my break-outs were worsening, I started to get worried.

I ended up getting several cystic acne spots, about 9-10 in the course of a 2-week period. It was miserable. I always have acne, but during this time I didn’t want my family or friends to see me at all, but unfortunately for me it was Thanksgiving. I stuck it out until I ran out of the acne treatment cream (around day 26) in hopes that the product would magically start working if I just gave it enough time.

The best word I can use to describe the Exposed Acne System is a disappointment.

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Other Resources

When doing your own research on Exposed, be sure to check out reviews that you know for sure aren’t from the official Exposed website or from any of their many “dummy” review sites. Here is a great place to start:

Acne.org – Exposed Reviews

Acne.org is a great site which features real reviews of hundreds of acne products from REAL people. Its definitely worth checking out.

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Exposed Vs ClearPores

ClearPores Acne System

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Must Read: 15 Clear Skin Tips

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Rating ★★★

Brief Overview

AcneFree is an over-the-counter topical acne system that is nearly identical to ProActive.  Its 3 steps: cleansing wash, toner, repairing lotion.  If you’ve heard of ProActiv, then you are probably already very familiar with how AcneFree works.  I’ve used this product countless times when I was first searching for a cure to my acne and was low on money.

Does AcneFree Work?

The system is a pretty good choice when it comes to finding an inexpensive topical solution to acne, however not the best. As far as ratings go, I only gave it 3 stars. Here’s the good and the bad:

Positives

• AcneFree is a powerful product that is almost guaranteed to dry out all of your blemishes so they go down, and it happen fairly quickly.
• Its very convenient as its sold almost everywhere these days!
• Its affordable ($19.99, and the “severe” version is $29.99)
• It does work to reduce break-outs, if only temporarily.
• If you’ve tried ProActiv and it worked for you, this will probably work for you too.

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Negatives

• For most acne sufferers, applying a topical benzoyl-peroxide containing product is generally only a temporary fix. This is because it dries out your skin TOO much, and your body has to over-compensate for the dryness by producing 2-4 times the amount of oil than normal! When this happens, your pores become flooded with sebum which causes moderate to severe break-outs 2-3 months into use.
• Its very hard on your skin. If you’ve ever used AcneFree or ProActiv, you might have noticed that small spots on any cloth nearby (like towels or clothing) where the product has touched become bleached! How can you feel safe putting something that harsh on you skin?  And on your face of all places!
• AcneFree doesn’t treat the root cause of acne, only the symptoms. This is similar to a person who gets frequent headaches but only takes a painkiller every time they feel a bad headache coming on, instead of finding out what is causing their headaches and fixing the actual problem. It doesn’t make much sense does it?
• It dries out your skin, A LOT.  If you are prone to especially dry or sensitive skin, you will not enjoy this product, and you will be moisturizing five times a day.  Not cool.
• It doesn’t do anything to fade scars, and healing time is very slow.  AcneFree dries up pimples fairly quickly so that they reduce in size and go down, but red marks are still clearly visible for weeks and sometimes months after.  They do sell an add-on “scar treatment” but it actually says on the packaging that it can’t be used at the same time as the AcneFree system (it says it will create a purplish tint to the skin).

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How Does AcneFree Compare to ProActiv?

The two are virtually the same product. They use the exact same amount of active ingredient (2.5% benzoyl peroxide) and have a nearly identical list of inactive ingredients. Here’s the differences:

• AcneFree claims on the box that it produces better and faster results than ProActiv.  Does AcneFree work that well? There is absolutely no solid proof to back this up. This is most likely just a marketing ploy, the two brands are so close to identical.
• AcneFree is available at almost any store, while ProActiv is available only online or at very select stores.  I think having it available at the store is a bit more convenient, however ProActiv does have a neat program where every 30 days a new batch is automatically mailed to you, so you’re never left on empty.
• ProActiv is twice the price:  its $19.99 for 5 oz of product, and AcneFree is $19.99 for 10 oz of product.

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What I Recommend Instead:

If you really want to get rid of your acne for good, you should consider using a product that not only treats from the outside on the skin, but treats the inside of your body as well to fight acne at its root.

There are a couple of products that do this very well that I highly recommend you check out, including ClearPores, ZenMed, or AcneZine.

However, before you decide on a product, take a few minutes to take the free acne assessment test I’ve created.  It will help you figure out what exactly is the CAUSE of your acne in order to guide you to the product that will be most helpful to you.

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Brief Zenmed Derma Cleanse Review

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ClearPores is a 3-step complete acne treatment system that works from the inside-out to treat the causes of acne at the very root of the problem. ClearPores is my #1 recommended acne treatment product based on its ingredients, quality, reliability, and price. ClearPores is also endorsed as a top-rated acne product by professional dermatologists around the world (you can check out doctor endorsements here).

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Product Features

• Three-steps for a multi-angled approach to acne treatment, including a facial cleanser, repairing cream, and a daily oral supplement capsule.
• Eliminates blemishes by attacking acne-causing bacteria directly at the source
• Promotes a clear complexion from the inside-out
• Reduces oily skin and keeps pores clear by reducing sebum production
• Removes whiteheads and blackheads by penetrating fast-acting ingredients deep inside your pores
• Reduces redness, inflammation, dryness and scarring with the gentle yet highly effective repairing lotion
• Moisturizes and revitalizes the skin to feel soft and silky smooth
• Prevents future outbreaks from occurring by providing long-term acne relief
• Also available, ClearPores Body System, specially designed for sufferers of body acne

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So, How Exactly Does ClearPores Work?

The ClearPores acne treatment system uses a daily 3-step program in order to help you eliminate your acne and prevent it from ever coming back.

Step 1: The facial cleanser

The first step in the system not just your every day facial cleanser.  This face wash is made from organic ingredients that work together to restore natural balance to your skin.

Almost every other cleanser out there uses harsh chemicals to dry up ANY oil left on the skin, which actually causes significant damage because your skin NEEDS oil to be healthy!  When all oil is dried up from the skin, 2 things will happen:

1. Your face will become dry, flakey, and uncomfortable (I’m sure this has happened to you, right?)
2. Your body will begin producing TWICE as much oil and sebum as before, in order to compensate for your excessively dry skin!  This is why it is typical for break-outs to start happening after 3-6 weeks of use with a new acne product!  Sound familiar?

This is why I recommend ClearPores so strongly – the gentle ingredients are absorbed into your pores in order to influence your skin cells to return to their balanced and natural state – that is, blemish free.

Step 2: The Repairing Lotion

Applying the repairing lotion is the 2nd part of the ClearPores system, and should be done twice daily directly after cleansing.

The purpose of the lotion is to moisturize, heal, and restore your skin to a healthy glow.  You will be able to see the effects the repairing lotion has on your skin within 4-7 days!

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Step 3: The Herbal Supplement

The herbal supplement is the 3rd and final step in the ClearPores system.  It is also arguably the most important step, because its the part that is going to help cleanse your body internally in order to achieve balance and healthy skin from the inside out.

The ingredients in the supplement capsule contain many herbs that might be familiar to you , like dandelion, aloe vera, and burdock.   However, also contained within this highly effective herbal capsule are 1o other lesser known herbs like purple coneflower, sarsaparilla, and turmeric root (for a complete list of ingredients and what they do, click here).  What you probably didn’t know about these herbs is that when combined, they all do their part to work for a common good: cleansing the body and promoting healthy balance from within.

The supplement should be taken twice daily, preferably one in the morning and one before bed.

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Want to know more?  Check it out in even more detail on the How ClearPores Works page.

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Common Questions

How long will it be before I see results?

The cleanser and repairing lotion will start working immediately to start healing current break-outs and reducing the amount of redness and irritation on the surface of the skin.  Most people say they see noticeable improvements within just 7 days and completely clear skin within 1-3 months (depending on the severity).

The herbal supplement also starts working immediately, but correcting severe imbalances within the body may take some time.  This is why for some people it may take up to 3 months to achieve the clear results they desire.  ClearPores has a 90-day money back guarantee for this exact reason!

Remember, you are curing the root problem of your acne in order to assure permanent results.  There is no overnight cure anywhere, even though some advertisers may try to convince you otherwise. This may take a bit of patience, but it will be well worth it in the end!

How much does ClearPores cost?

Currently, the ClearPores Facial Complete System is on sale for $53.99.  This is for a one-month supply, however, in order to qualify for their 90-day full money back return program, you must order a 3 month supply.  This is actually better for you because one month is too short to tell if a product will work long-term, AND you also get a big discount for buying the 3-month package!  You can’t lose.

Are there any negative effects of using ClearPores?

Customer reviews of ClearPores are overwhelmingly positive, but there is no perfect product that will work for everyone.  There are a small handful of complaints (less than 1 in 100 users) who have reported that the repairing lotion dries out their skin.  However, this product is very gentle and ultra-moisturizing, so only the few who deal with excessively dry AND extra-sensitive skin should ever have to worry about that happening.  Luckily if you were one of those far and few between customers that this has happened to, you would be able to send the product back for a full refund.  No questions asked!

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Tips to Remember:

• Use the product as directed for best results.  Skipping days or not following all three of the steps will slow down the process to clear skin!
• When cleansing your face, remember to really clean it!  This product is very gentle and does not contain exfoliating beads or lather like a soap.  For this reason, you may not “feel”  at first like its working.  Use the pads of your fingertips to really massage the entire surface area of your face, especially concentrating on effected areas.  Then you will really start to feel it opening your pores!

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For more info, click here to be taken to the official ClearPores website.