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Acne Products
The most common over-the-counter medications used to treat acne contain one of the following ingredients: Benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, zinc or sulfur. Each works a little differently. These acne medications are available in many forms, such as gels, lotions, creams, soaps or pads.

Many of these over-the-counter acne medications may cause side effects such as skin irritation, burning or redness. These products can take between 4 and 8 weeks before you notice an improvement in your skin. If an over-the-counter acne product doesn't seem to help after 2 months, get advice from your doctor. Likewise tell your doctor if you have side effects that are severe or that don't go away over time.

To be effective, an over the counter acne medication needs to have the right concentration and combination of helpful ingredients to avoid causing further damage to the skin.

Beta Hydroxy Acid for Acne Control
Beta Hydroxy Acid or BHA is a derivative of aspirin and is often used in skin care products to accelerate skin cell turnover and help clear pores. Beta Hydroxy Acid is salicylic acid. This occurs in nature in sweet birch and in wintergreen leaves. Its effect on the epidermis and upper dermis are similar to those of Retin-A, but with less irritation. It is soluble in oil and can exfoliate oily skin areas, even within oil-rich pores. Therefore, it has a beneficial effect on acne, pigmentary disturbances, and sun damaged skin. Because it does exfoliate, use of sun protection is needed.

BHA ingredients may be listed on packaging inserts as:
Salicylic acid
Salicylate
Sodium salicylate
Willow extract
Beta hydroxybutanoic acid
Tropic acid
Trethocanic acid

Currently, the most commonly used BHA in cosmetics is salicylic acid. On rare occasions, citric acid is also listed as a BHA in cosmetic formulations; although, citric acid is more commonly considered to be an AHA.

The long-term safety of salicylic acid in cosmetics is being evaluated in studies initiated by FDA and sponsored by the National Toxicology Program. These U.S. government-sponsored studies are examining the long-term effects of both glycolic acid (an AHA) and salicylic acid on the skin's response to ultraviolet (UV) light. These studies have determined that applying glycolic acid to the skin can make people more susceptible to the damaging effects of the sun, including sunburn.