For a long time the most common way to treat acne or other types of skin problems has been to attack the problem from the outside in by slowly drying out the skin with strong chemical creams or gels. New advances show that the most effective way to treat acne and blemishes is to go to bottom of the real problem and to stimulate the body's own defense system. Your skin is a complex environment that needs both moisture and antioxidant protection to stay healthy.

Choose the types of skin care products that:

* Calm the inflammation started by closed hair sacks and infected hair follicles. By supporting the body's own protective strategies the active components in acne treatments start working inside the hair follicles and at the first site of skin lesions.

*Activate the messengers of your cells and send signals that the infection has already started and can therefore moderate an otherwise fast growing inflammation that could end up damaging healthy skin cells.

*Provide the skin with antioxidants that fight free radicals.

* Open up clogged pores with gentle enzymes that dissolve or "melt" the plugs without chemical treatments or a feeling of dryness from strong chemicals. On the other hand, while moisturizing the skin deeply and providing healthy skin regeneration it stimulates the release of amino-acids accelerates. It also relieves the side effects of Accutane.

* Fight bacterial infection by communicating with your system to increase the release of the skin's natural antimicrobial peptides. This unique system which was once a healthy feeding ground for bacteria turns into an unwelcome place for bacteria to grow.

Benzoyl Peroxide and persistent acne Cause Premature Skin Aging

While moderate to extreme acne will make the skin age faster the use of benzoyl peroxide increases this speed. Skin damage depends on the concentration of benzoyl peroxide and the frequency and time of use. Another important fact is the daily exposure to UV light which increases the importance of using an intense sunblock during skin treatments and, of course, afterwards. It's recommended by dermatologists to use spf 50 and up.