India 15 October 2016: These pimple and acne creams come in varying strengths and work on different kinds of acne. For blackheads, you are better off using a salicylic acid pimple ointment or face wash. For whiteheads, exfoliating acne creams such as glycolic acid based ones work better. For cystic acne, retinoids works better.
Acne and Pimple Creams in India
Retinoid cream for acne
Tretinoin cream such as Retino-A 0.025% or 0.05% contains a type of vitamin A.
Creams containing Retino-A work amazing to treat cystic acne. Applying a little Retino-A on the acne affected region suppresses the cyst when it’s still under the skin, this helps in minimizes the chances of acne marks from a popped pimple.
You need to be careful while using Retino-A creams on a single spot as it may burn the skin in that area and leave a dark mark.
How to Use Retinoid Creams for Acne
To use retinoid cream for acne you need to take a cotton bud and scoop out a very little amount of Retino-A and put it on the pimple affected area.
Retino-A Creams are a prescription grade ointment which you won’t get without a doctor’s prescription.
Adapalene is another retinoid cream which is also very effective in getting rid of acne when used for a few weeks.
Avene Diacneal Treatment Care for Acne-Prone Skin
If you can't find Retino-A then you can go for Avene Diacneal Treatment Care for Acne-Prone Skin as it is an excellent alternative to Retino-A. This cream contains Retinaldehyde (0.1%) and Glycolic Acid (6%). You can use Avene Diacneal cream to treat existing acne and prevent any further acne breakouts. This cream contains ingredients like retinoid and glycolic acid in a non-comedogenic, gentle base. This cream can be purchased at any medical store or online shopping sites, as you do not need a doctor’s prescription for it. A 30ml tube of Avene Diacneal costs Rs. 1300 in India. Avene Diacneal is very effective in treating acne.
If Avene Diacneal is not available you can buy Avene Triacneal which is the newer formula for fighting acne. If price is an issue you can go for Yugard cream which is a cheaper alternative and it helps in reducing dark spots, acne and acne scars.
Benzoyl peroxide acne creams
Benzoyl peroxide (BP)is said to be very effective to fight acne bacteria and cure acne breakouts, But it has side effects like skin irritation and excessive drying of skin.
These side effects increase with the percentage of benzoyl peroxide in the cream. Studies conducted show that even applying a cream containing 2.5% benzoyl peroxide is as effective as a cream which contains 5% and 10% of it. Applying creams having lower percentage of Benzoyl peroxide can also provide you with the acne fighting benefits of BP creams without any side effects.
Benzac-AC gel (Galderma) is one of the most popular benzoyl peroxide gel available in India. Benzac AC acts very quickly on bacteria which cause acne it is proven to reduce bacteria by 94% within 48 hours of application. Benzac AC is a water based benzoyl peroxide treatment for mild to moderate acne. Benzac AC helps in getting rid of acne by absorbing the excess oil, kills bacteria and does not excessively dry skin.
Benzac AC gel is available in two variants that is 2.5% and 5% concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide and is priced at Rs. 67 & Rs. 74 respectively. Benzoyl peroxide creams are easily available at any medical stores.
Topical antibiotic acne creams
Clindamycin and erythromycin are topical antibiotics which helps to inhibit growth of certain acne causing bacteria. Topical antibiotics creams like Faceclin, Clindac A, Erytop and Eryacne are available to treat acne. Study shows that topical effect of topical antibiotics stop working after using it continuously and the acne comes back. Topical antibiotics are very effective in providing a temporary relief from acne. These again are prescription only acne creams for which you will need a prescription from the doctor.
Glycolic acid cream for acne
Using a Glycolic acid creams (Alpha Hydroxy Acid AHA) helps in exfoliating dead skin cells from the surface of the skin and gets rid of acne. This cream helps in removing dark pimple marks and prevents clogging of pores. Glycolic acid works amazingly for preventing acne as well as removing acne scars.
Some glycolic acid creams available in india are Glyco 6 (6% glycolic acid), Glyco-A (12% glycolic acid) by MICRO Labs. We also have Glyaha lotion by Shalaks Pharma which is a lotion which contains 10% glycolic acid. The Other options that we have are Decroma-6 by Ranbaxy and Golic both these creams contain 6% glycolic acid.
Glycolic acid is also known to have side effects if not used appropriately. AHAGLOW face wash which contains just 1% glycolic acid is just a great product to start with. This face wash works good enough to lighten your acne marks and fight acne causing bacteria. All these glycolic acid products are available without a prescription in medical stores.
Salicylic acid pimple creams
Today there are various salicylic acid (Beta Hydroxy Acid BHA) based acne creams available in the market. Two of the most popular acne creams which contains 2% salicylic acid are Clearasil Ultra Rapid Action Pimple Clearing Cream and Garnier Pure Active Pimple Relief Roll On.
Salicylic acid works amazing in treating blackheads and minor pimples. Using Salicylic acid based pimple creams are not enough to treat cystic acne and can bring them to a head which creates pus and further a pit hole in your skin. Excessive use of salicylic acid can darken the skin around the pimple.
Using salicyic acid in combination with glycolic acid based products (AHA) may work amazing to get rid of acne. Sebonac gel is an effective acne cream containing 1% salicylic acid gel which works well for acne prone skin.
Herbal pimple creams
There are many herbal and ayurvedic pimple creams available today in the Indian market. Our main complain while using these herbal acne creams is that even though they contain the herbal products to fight acne, they contain a base cream which tends to cause blackheads by blocking the pores of the skin. But some of these herbal acne creams work amazingly for treating mild cases of acne.