A lot of people operate under some common misconceptions about skin
care. One of the most common misconceptions is that only you only
have to worry about problems like blemishes and acne through your
teenage years, during the span of time you are going through
adolescence and puberty. That is simply not true. Adult acne is a
common, albeit painful, often embarrassing, problem, especially among
women who are 25 to 40. In fact, one out of every five women in this
age group have adult acne. A lot of people have this problem, and
although that in and of itself may not make the problem better,
familiarizing yourself with a few fundamental facts can be a giant step
towards finding help.

One fact about acne that not a lot of people realize is that it can start
with the appearance of blackheads. Contrary to popular belief,
blackheads are not the product of dirt. In truth, when oil, dead cells,
and other types of debris get trapped in your pores, they clog the
ducts, getting mixed up with bacteria in the process. Blackheads are
the result. The reason that they inevitably turn black is simply
because of their exposure to the air. Pimples can be a direct result
of blackheads; they occur because the blackheads themselves get
irritated and inflamed. Pimples can then spread, generally when we
touched them with dirty hands. This can result in the pimples
themselves becoming inflamed and infected, which makes whiteheads
and pustules develop. When these burst, either on their own or from
being squeezed—which you definitely should not do, no matter how
tempting it may be—they can cause scarring.

There are, however, several ways you can get rid of your blemishes,
even if all you have right now is blackheads, rather than a total onset
of adult acne. It is best to get rid of blackheads as gently as possible,
such as with an exfoliating product. The key is to cleaning out your
pores, and Murad offers several types of excellent Acne Treatments
which can unclog your pores and keep them clean—and they do indeed
do so very gently, so that you will not suffer from any scarring.

It is also important to realize that adult acne can be caused by several
factors. The most common factors are hormones, stress, cosmetics
that simply disagree with your skin, and even some birth control pills
can cause outbreaks. Hormones are by far the most common, especially
in women between the ages of 25 and 40, and even beyond that.
Basically, by making your sebaceous glands overact, the overproduction
of hormones can cause outbreaks of adult acne. Stress can make your
glands produce too much oil, some cosmetics can clog your pores, and
birth control pills which contain androgen can lead to outbreaks as well.

There are also several types of products which can help with these
causes—even outbreaks caused by hormones and stress. Again,
Murad has several excellent products available for this, such as the
products associated with their Acne Complex line. These produce
fantastic results when it comes to hormonal aging in menopausal,
perimenopausal, and postmenopausal women as well.

You also need to realize that foods like cheese and chocolate are not
affecting your complexion as much as you may think. While it is true
that fat and greasy foods can sometimes have a negative affect on
your complexion, those outbreaks are not because of adult acne. That
is a condition, it is not simply an occasional problem. However, you do
need to keep your skin clean and your pores clear. Looking into the
Acne Kits created by Murad can provide many ways to help you do
this. A comprehensive skin care regime can never hurt you and you
can rest assured that these products will be just as gentle as they
are effective.

Another thing you need to be aware of is that no matter what you may
have heard before, there is no difference between adult acne and the
kind you experienced when you were a teenager. As mentioned, acne is
a condition, and conditions simply do not change in fundamental ways
because you are 15 or because you are 30. You may find it more
difficult to deal with acne as an adult, but even that does not have to
be true. There are many kinds of Acne Medicine which can help you;
you may need skin care products or, if your acne is of the very painful,
cystic variety, you may need to seek the help of a dermatologist.

Lastly, you have to recognize the fact that you are not alone. Many
women—many people period, men and women alike—have this problem.
Realizing that you are not the only person who suffers from adult
acne can make a difference and it can be the first step in seeking
comprehensive, effective help for your problem. You do not have to
be ashamed of your skin, you do not have to be embarrassed, and
you most definitely do not have to suffer from the physical aspects
of adult acne. Acne Products are one possible solution—just as the
name suggests—and you may find that it will help you, just as it has
helped many people already. Discovering and subscribing to an effective
skin care regime can do more than simply clear up your skin and rid you
of your adult acne. It can give you your life back, along with the ability
to hold your head up high every time you walk out of your front door.

Murad has a lot of safe and effective acne treatments available. In no
time at all, you can be certain that you will find the best kind for you.
If you are tired of suffering from adult acne, then it is time to take
serious steps toward a safe and successful skin care technique. The
simple truth is that you do not have to suffer any longer, not for
another day.

Without question, acne is one of the most common and far reaching
skin problems found in the United States. One out of every twenty
people in the United States is currently afflicted with acne; many
more of them will ultimately suffer from it. As you might expect
from such a common but debilitating problem, there are many myths
about acne, especially about what causes it. Sometimes it seems
like there are more myths and urban legends about the subject than
there are actual facts. Misinformation in general is never a good
thing, but here, about such a pervasive, painful, and ultimately
embarrassing problem, misinformation is a borderline sin. It leaves
many people trying out fraudulent and even harmful remedies, in
an attempt to make their blemishes go away. Few of them may
ever realize that they are doing themselves more harm than good.
It is time to debunk these myths; acne is not a mystery – at least,
it does not have to be; however, the time has come to unravel the
truth from all the false information about acne.

One common myth is that only your appearance is affected by acne
but in truth, having acne can cause emotional trauma and
psychological difficulties. How could it not cause these things? Acne
can make you ashamed to even show your face in public, and that
is bound to have an effect on your psyche. You feel isolated and
alone, and there may be times when other people do not understand
why you are feeling depressed because of “a few bumps.” Acne is
so much more than that, which is something everyone needs to
realize.

Unfortunately, a lot of people believe that poor hygiene causes
acne. This belief, though unfounded, can help make like miserable
for a large number of people suffering from acne. Worse, it can also
lead to people exacerbating their acne and ultimately making it even
more painful, because they try to overcompensate by scrubbing
their skin much too often, with harsh soaps and unsafe products.
However, the very fundamentals of acne – the fact that it is
caused by a build up of oil, dead skin cells, and sebum located
beneath the skin – make it impossible for that to help. Simply
washing your face with a gentle, non-invasive soap and warm
water a few times a day will help but in truth, products specially
designed to help acne, such as Acne Complex by Murad, are far
more helpful.

If you have acne or even if you have simply heard about it, you
likely think that it is caused by certain foods. You may even stay
away from chocolates, cheeses, potato chips, foods with a high
sugar content, and fast food. Well, in some of those cases, while it
may indeed be healthier to stay away from those foods, they do
not affect your complexion one way or another. There is no clinical
or scientific proof that any of these foods cause acne or increase
your chances of a breakout.

Another common misconception is that acne will clear up over time.
This is patently untrue. Acne is not like a simple outbreak of pimples,
blackheads, or whiteheads – although those are related to it.
However, unlike typical skin blemishes, acne is a condition and it
simply does not run its course over time for most people. If you
have deep, cystic acne, for example, you will likely have to seek
help from a dermatologist to help clear up your skin; for others,
products which are specifically formulated to help acne can be
extremely beneficial. Many of these, like the products offered in the
Murad Acne line, offer an intensive but gentle regime which involves
daily and nightly skin care applications to help with the effects of
acne.

Another common myth is that the more acne treatments you use,
then your skin will clear up faster. Quite the contrary, you can
make your acne worse by subscribing to this philosophy. That is
why strictly regulated regimes like those offered by Murad are
helpful. There are specific instructions concerning when to use the
products on your skin, which is far more advantageous than simply
slathering on ointment in an attempt to cure a particularly heavy
outbreak.

A lot of people also believe that exposure to the sun will dry up
their acne – and this is somewhat true, but only to an extent.
Exposure to the sun is only a short lived remedy. In fact, you may
find that your acne is worse once those affects wear off; worse
still, you risk damaging your skin. You run a higher risk of getting
everything from wrinkles and a leathery texture to your skin, to skin
cancer.

Far, far too many people believe that squeezing pimples, blackheads,
whiteheads, and other bumps is a good way to get rid of them. In
truth, squeezing bumps can make your acne get worse. Not only
does it spread bacteria, but you can get scarring – and that can be
permanent. Not to be crass, but sometimes popping a pimple is too
tempting, especially for acne sufferers; if you have used this
“remedy” and notice facial scarring, you may want to think about
trying Acne Medications like Acne Complex, which is an all around
skin care regime that is known to help with scarring as well as
blemishes.

Lastly, the most pervasive and unfortunate myth about acne is that
only teenagers suffer from it. While it is true that those going
through puberty and adolescence do frequently suffer from skin
problems, acne is a condition, and no matter how old you are, you
can suffer from it. Even the myth that acne usually clears up by
your twenties is untrue – everyone’s body functions differently,
and while that might be true for some people, they are by no means
the majority. Some people have to deal with acne all their lives –
however, by choosing a skin care regime like Murad Acne, you do
not have to suffer from it any longer.

Did you know that there are many different types of acne? Pretty much
all of us know about teenage acne. A lot of us are also aware of adult
acne. More than a few of us are likewise aware of seasonal acne, even
if we have only heard about it on commercials. However, what do you
know about hormonal acne? Unfortunately, of all the different types of
acne, this seems to be the one talked about the least. This is actually
literally unfortunate, because with no one talking about it, it can be
difficult to look for acne treatments which will be helpful in dealing with
it. Very few types of acne medicine are designed to deal with the
specific signs and symptoms of different types of acne. More often,
most products just deal with general things, which generally does not
provide long term help. Thus, it is even more important for you to
understand all you can about your specific type of acne. Only then can
you start considering different acne treatments. You have to be
particularly careful with hormonal acne because, like say, so little is
known about it.

Before we even begin, this needs to be said: the acne kits offered by
Murad can and do help hormonal acne. In order to prove that fact, we
are going to discuss the symptoms of hormonal acne, and how the
Acne Complex line addresses those specific symptoms. For starters, as
you can imagine, hormonal acne occurs mostly in women – millions of
them, in fact. To be exact, it happens during their menstrual cycles.
Until very recently, almost nothing was known about the influence
hormones have on acne. However, studies conducted not so long ago
indicate that almost half of all the women currency menstruating, an
astonishing one half of them suffer from acne breakouts during the
week leading up to their periods. The problem is that this type of acne
is influenced so heavily by hormones that some acne treatments just
cannot cut the mustard – or the oils, dry skin cells, and bacteria –
when it comes to blemishes and outbreaks.

In order to tell if you have hormonal acne, some of the signs are
obvious. We will get to those in just a moment. First of all, thanks to
the long overdue study of hormonal acne, there are possible ways to
test for it. For example, if you have high levels of certain variations of
the androgen hormone in your blood stream, you may already have or
be predisposed for this type of acne. Otherwise, there are a few ways
to tell yourself, such as if you have a history of erratic periods.
Hormonal acne is also frequently the culprit when you start having
outbreaks for the first time as an adult. You may also notice that your
face is oilier, and you will most likely see a developing pattern of
outbreaks which occur heavily right before you menstruate. Basically,
all of these lead in some way to an over production of oil, or sebum,
from your sebaceous glands. The good news is that the Acne Solutions
line offered by Murad can help with that, without drying out your skin
to the point of pain, like the majority of its competitors.

If you are just beginning to notice a pattern of these flare ups, you
may consider being tested for hormonal acne, especially if you notice
any of the other symptoms as well. You see, this type of acne is tricky.
It can strike teenage girls as easily as it can older, more mature
women. It commonly begins when a woman is between twenty and
twenty five, but it most often shows up in women who are thirty and
over. In other words, it can happen at any time. Thus, it is possible to
take preventative measures. Of course, the only problem there is that
so few acne treatments actually prevent outbreaks from forming. They
tend, instead, to blast existing outbreaks. Mind, they do not heal them,
they blast them. They choose to deal with excess oiliness by utilizing
benzoyl peroxide, which until recently was the first choice in acne
remedies, even though it basically clears your complexion by drying out
your skin to extremely painful degrees. Because the heightened
influence of hormones tends to make a woman’s skin more sensitive,
this is an exceptionally unsavory side effect. The acne treatments
offered by Murad do not rely on benzoyl peroxide. Instead, two
products out of the three product line use salicylic acid instead, a
much gentler, altogether more effective alternative to the old stand by
of peroxide. Furthermore, the Acne Complex line does not contain
alcohol, another astringent ingredient frequently used in other kinds of
acne medicine. In addition to making your skin dry and irritated, it
stings awfully bad.

The really good news about the Acne Solutions products is several fold.
For one thing, no matter what age you are, no matter when acne
strikes you, you can use this line. It is as safe for teenagers as it is for
menopausal women – and everyone in between. For another, you get
everything you need with Acne Complex. Within its three step line, it
contains a facial cleanser, an exfoliating gel for deep pore cleaning,
and a lotion for essential moisturizing and smoothing. The former two
products are not irritants by any stretch of the imagination. Rather,
they calm and smooth your skin. The exfoliating gel is both a healing
agent and a preventative measure, taking care of existing blemishes
and protecting your skin against forming ones. And the lotion, well,
that is just an innovation. You see, not to name names, but other
acne treatments either forget the need for an effective moisturizer and
do not offer one at all, or else they compensate for the drying,
irritating effects of their products by including a lotion filled with oil,
which spells disaster for acne prone skin. Quite the contrary, Murad’s
lotion is completely oil free, so you can keep your skin smooth,
soothed, hydrated, and supple without clogging your pores with more
oil.

What do you really know about acne. Unfortunately, for the average
person, the answer to that question is “not much.” However, if you
have acne, or if you even simply have acne prone skin, then you
absolutely have to know all there is to know about the subject. There
are so many myths and misconceptions about this particular skin
condition that being in the dark about it can actually be a detriment to
your skin. Keeping yourself informed about what to expect and how to
help yourself is the key to clear skin. Where acne is concerned, you
cannot adopt a “wait and see” attitude. Doing so is going to cause you
undue pain and embarrassment. Besides, it is only when you know as
much as possible about acne in general and your skin in particular that
you really have to tools to choose the best and most effective acne
treatment and skin care regimen for you.

One of the biggest mistakes people make is using the word “acne” as a
catch all term to describe every skin condition out there. This is not at
all true. There are all different types of acne, and understanding that is
one of the first steps towards choosing the right products to help your
skin. You see, even though acne vulgaris is the most common skin
problem, it ranges from mild to severe. Furthermore, there are a number
of other skin conditions which resemble acne very much.

Even those of us who do not suffer from hardcore, serious acne are
very familiar with blackheads and whiteheads. These two types of acne
vulgaris blemishes are often grouped together, which is understandable.
However it is also important to understand what they are. That way
you can choose the best skin care product for your most common
problems. Blackheads, contrary to widespread belief, are not dirt, nor
are they pieces of dirt lodged in your skin, or any other such silly thing.
Rather, when your pores get partially blocked, some of the sebum –
better known as oil – trapped within them starts to leak out, along with
a mixture of debris comprised of dead skin cells and debris. They appear
dark because of your own pigmentation; specifically, their darkness is
your skin’s melanin reacting to the oxygen in the air – to which your
pores are exposed, because they are only partly blocked. Whiteheads,
on the other hand, occur when your pores are completely blocked. All
of the oil, bacteria, and expired skin cells which are partially revealed in
blackheads are completely trapped.

In order to get rid of blackheads and whiteheads, you need a cleanser
which will work to deep clean your pores. The key is that you do not
want just a blackhead and whitehead cleaner; likewise, you also do not
want something meant just to deal with pimples or even more severe
breakouts. Sadly those conditions have already knocked any number of
popular cleansers out of the running. However, Murad Acne Complex
conforms to all of those standards – it can take care of blackheads,
whiteheads, and more serious outbreaks. In fact, the first product in
the three step regimen, the Clarifying Cleanser, is particularly ideal for
cleaning the bacteria and dead skin cells which ultimately cause
blackheads and whiteheads.

Naturally, pimples are a huge part of acne. As it so happens, however,
“pimple” is another of those catch all terms which applies to a number
of different specific blemishes. Most commonly, what we know as
pimples are more accurately known as papules and pustules. Papules
are characterized as inflamed and tender red bumps which do not have
a head – i.e., they lack the telltale whitish yellow spot indicative of a
“ripe” pimple. Pustules have those – they often entice us to pop and
squeeze them. So do papules for that matter. You must never, ever do
that, in either case – the same goes for whiteheads, blackheads, and
any other type of skin blemish. Squeezing these spots can lead to
spreading bacteria. Even worse, they can result in unsightly scarring,
meaning that the visible signs of your acne can remain even after the
bumps themselves are gone.

Unless you want to spend a small fortune buying a bunch of different
skin care products, you need to choose a regimen which can deal with
all the manifestations of acne. However, it is better to stay away from
those single products which promise to miraculously take care of every
aspect of acne. These never work. Instead, go with a product like
Murad Acne which contains three separate products designed to deal
with the individual symptoms of acne. For instance, the second step
product is an exfoliating gel, which is perfect for dealing with more
intense pustules and papules. You see, these require a deep cleansing.
The catch is that it needs to be gentle in order to keep from irritating
your already sensitive skin. Murad’s Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel is
gentle but effective, so you can rest assured that it will not only
penetrate your pores and heal your existing blemishes, it will also
prevent new outbreaks from forming.

As mentioned, there are a number of different conditions which mimic
the appearance and symptoms of acne. Acne rosacea is probably the
most common of these. It appears as a red, dry rash which generally
affects the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead – similar to acne. Likewise
similar, rosacea also causes pimples and other skin blemishes. It is rare
to find an acne treatment which will effectively treat conditions like
rosacea. Again, however, Acne Complex does just that. In fact, it also
addresses the redness and irritation common to both rosacea and acne,
and also recognizes the importance of keeping acne prone skin
moisturized. Step three in the line, the Skin Perfecting Lotion, works to
restore essential moisture to your skin. However, it is not made with oil,
unlike many of its counterparts, so you will never have to worry about
making your already oily skin even worse. All in all, clearly, Murad Acne
Complex is the ideal choice no matter what kind of skin condition you
have.

Take a minute, and think about all the commercials you have seen for
various acne treatments. Do you have the number in your mind? There
are dozens at least, right? From ads in teen and women’s magazines to
regular commercials to infomercials, it seems like a new product comes
out every other week. Now, forget about half of those. Just wipe them
from your memory. You see, unfortunately, about that many products
actually will not be effective in battling hardcore acne breakouts. Most
of them are much better for occasional breakouts. So, if you happen to
get a bump or two before your period, then sure, those things may be
good for you. Acne is a skin condition, however, and it requires serious
acne treatments. Some types, such as deep cystic acne, may even
require prescription acne medicine; a visit to the dermatologist is always
recommended in such cases. Still, acne is serious no matter what. Even
if you never get a cyst, you still have to deal with papules and pustules
– zits and pimples, in other words. Even if they are not as bad as cysts,
the fact remains that they are extremely painful. In fact, they are the
direct result of infection. So some products just are not going to work.
It is so important to consider what a product can and cannot do for
your acne before you even consider buying it. In some cases, you will
have to deal with more than the fact that a particular product does not
work. Some of them can even make your condition work. So to help you
figure out what to look for, we need to talk about what your acne
treatments need to do and how you can make sure they will do them.

Let’s talk about cleansers first. If you have acne, you need a good
cleanser – that is the bottom line; no ifs, ands, or buts allowed. When
choosing one, however, you need to be careful of several things. For
instance, it has to be strong enough to do some good. It really needs
to be able to get down deep in your pores – without you having to scrub
the heck out of your face. You should never, ever do that – you can
seriously damage your skin, not to mention cause yourself massive
amounts of pain. Now, you also have to make sure that your cleanser
is not so abrasive that it will do your harm. To that end, although you
may hate hearing it, you should really stay away from products which
contain benzoyl peroxide. Once upon a time, it was the best ingredient in
most acne treatments. However, times are changing – there are better
ingredients out there. For instance, salicylic acid is a great alternative.
You can find that in the cleansing and exfoliating products contained in
the Acne Complex line of products.

Since we are on the subject, how about we go on to discuss the
importance of exfoliating? It is especially important if you have acne
prone skin. A good exfoliating acne medicine is going to get way down
deep into those clogged up pores. With the help of a good cleanser
especially, it is going to get rid of all those dead skin cells, as well as oil,
bacteria, and other debris. Once again, however, you have to make sure
that you choose an exfoliating product which is neither too weak nor too
abrasive. It is better to stay away from benzoyl peroxide here too.
Another problem is that some acne skin care lines do not even consider
the importance of exfoliating. Those that do generally only consider it as
a healing agent. However, Acne Solutions by Murad is being truly
innovative in the exfoliating field. Their exfoliating gel is a preventative
measure as well. Not only does it use salicylic acid rather than benzoyl
peroxide, but it prevents new breakouts from forming even as it heals
your existing ones.

Another thing that the Acne Kits from Murad consider which a lot of
other skin care lines do not is the importance of moisturizer. Just
because acne prone skin has extra oil does not mean that it does not
require moisture or essential hydration. If anything, you need to worry
about keeping your skin moisturized even more when you have acne.
All too often, acne treatments contain things which cause your skin
to dry out – such as benzoyl peroxide. Clearly, Acne Complex does not
have that problem. Rather, even the cleanser and exfoliating gel have
ingredients which soothe and calm your skin. Even still, the Murad line
also provides a wonderful moisturizer. It does not contain any oil.
Therefore, you can rest assured that it will simply keep your skin
moisturized, hydrated, and radiant, without clogging your pores even
more. This is not something which can be said about a lot of other
moisturizers. It is like the majority of acne skin care lines out there seek
to make up for the fact that their cleansing products are abrasive by
packing their moisturizers full of oil. That is the last thing you need if
you have acne!

What is the first thing you need when you have acne? Clearly, it is the
Acne Complex line. The effective, specially formulated line works around
a three step process. When you are dedicated to clearing your skin,
then it will be clear. Working around that philosophy, Murad designed
this line. By using the cleanser, exfoliating gel, and moisturizer daily,
you are doing more than healing your existing blemishes and keeping
your skin healthy. You are actually protecting your skin against future
breakouts as well. This is doubly important, because you can never really
tell when you are going to get an acne outbreak. They can ruin the best
occasions – they can even make you ashamed to go out in public. Why
should you have to deal with that? The simple answer is that you should
not – and with Murad, you will never have to again.