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Fighting Acne and Aging?
Can a single product fight pimples and attempt to beat wrinkles?
There was an interesting article in a recent issue of The Wall Street Journal about products targeted at adults with acne. You have probably seen products now being marketed as having an anti-aging benefit as well as bringing the fight to acne.
What I see is that the cosmetics industry realizes that they can broaden the appeal of a single product by directing interest to both young and old. Younger people suffer from acne. Older people despise wrinkles.
The article points out that the combo skin care products can contain antibacterial, anti-acne ingredients, such as benzoyl peroxide. They may also contain salicylic acid, which helps clear the pores. These medicines are the old reliable — they work. It is clogging of the pores that sets the stage for acne whether it is adolescent or adult skin. Remember, each acne spot is a mini-infection.
The other components of the dual-mission products can be moisturizers and clarifying cleansers to further improve the skin’s appearance, and, hopefully, slow the aging process. A frequently recruited fighter against aging would be retinol, a form of retinoic acid (Retin-A), as an ingredient.
Read the labels, study the components, and make a good decision. Most importantly, you do not have to spend a fortune on these products. Remember, often, the difference in product cost reflects the expensive product’s need to recapture its marketing and advertising expenses.
- Robert Kotler, MD, FACS
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