Once you have acne breakouts, all you want is to find a way to clear them up. Although your local grocery store may have shelves full of products meant to clear up blemishes, all of these choices can make you feel overwhelmed and confused. How do you know which products will actually work and which ones will just leave you with a face full of pimples. Start by sticking with the best acne products your dermatologist recommends that will give you that clear complexion that you dream of.

Soaps

Don’t just reach for your deodorant bar soap if you are trying to clear away acne. All of the artificial perfumes, colors and preservatives found in deodorant soap can irritate your skin and can actually dry it out. Although soaps designed for acne may seem like they would help your skin, they will actually cause it to become more dry and tight as well. When your skin becomes too dry, it will start to produce more oils in order to compensate for the dryness, resulting in more acne breakouts. Look for a simple, basic soap that is perfume-free, dye-free and preservative-free, which you can find at any natural food store or in the beauty section of a grocery store. Wash your skin gently, and avoid scrubbing whenever possible as this can irritate and aggravate acne.

Toners

You don’t really need a toner in order to clear acne, but some people find that using a toner can help remove additional dirt and bacteria from their skin after washing. When you have acne, you should avoid using any toners that have an alcohol base because alcohol will dry out your skin. Look for a toner that has a witch hazel base instead, which will help kill off acne-causing bacteria and will not dry your skin. Some toners also contain very small amounts of tea tree oil, which can be very beneficial in treating your skin before you apply any lotions or other acne treatments.

Lotions

To clear your acne effectively, you can benefit from using two different skin lotions; one to treat the acne specifically, and one to keep the skin hydrated. Look for an acne cream or lotion with 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide or less. If you apply a stronger concentration of benzoyl peroxide than this, your skin could become very irritated, red and inflamed. One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to clear their skin is avoiding hydrating lotions to their skin. Don’t make this mistake. Your skin will become overly dry if you do not use a hydrating lotion after you use benzoyl peroxide, but you need to make sure to use a skin lotion that is oil-free and designed for sensitive skin types. The best acne products will help your skin become clear and soft at the same time. Using a sensitive skin lotion that is oil-free will ensure that the benzoyl peroxide will be effective, and will keep your skin soft and supple at the same time.