If you have mild acne, good skincare and over-the-counter acne treatment products will usually help keep acne under control. Give these 6 – 8 weeks to work*.
4 Tips – How to use over-the-counter treatments
- To avoid irritation, don’t use too much of the product or apply too often.
- Introduce leave-on treatments gradually to lessen irritation. Start with leaving the product on your skin for 30 minutes to an hour a day for 1 week, then double the time every week until you can leave it on all day or all night, or can use it more often such as twice a day.
- Don’t spot treat. Applying treatment to all the areas where you get acne spots is key to preventing new spots from developing. Early acne spots are not visible. These take around 1-2 weeks to develop.
- You may need to continue treatment to maintain improvement.
*Be aware: Some with mild acne or mild-moderate acne need medical help to get this condition under control and to prevent scarring (see Checklist – When to see a doctor for more).