Although advertisers like to push their products as “newer,” assuming that newer is better, sometimes old remedies work surprisingly well. One woman describes her success with a very old-fashioned approach to clearing the complexion.
Q. I am a 41-year-old woman who never experienced acne until the past few years. I tried several medications, soaps and creams, but I found nothing to be particularly effective.
Recently, a friend recommended sulfur soap. I find it on the Hispanic product aisle.
After using it for a few weeks, my face is starting to clear up. Is this product safe, and how could a bar of soap costing less than $3 be more effective than salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide?
A. Topical sulfur is an old-fashioned skin treatment that has antifungal and antibacterial activity (Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, Jul-Aug., 2004). It does appear to be safe, though a few people may have a mild skin reaction.
Sulfur is found not only in bar soap, but also in some liquid face washing products and certain creams and lotions. It may make a helpful addition to an anti-acne regimen.
6/7/18 redirected to: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/how-can-you-treat-acne-without-antibiotics/
