Sulfur Acne Treatment – What is it and How Does it Work?

Acne is a skin condition that effects most people at one point or another. It can be caused by a number of factors, from stress to hormonal changes, and has multitudes of prescription, over the counter, home and homeopathic treatments. Acne is caused by a process where dead skin cells block the pores on your skin and all the treatments help in either stopping this from happening, or treating the presentation of the condition.

One of the oldest acne treatments uses sulfur. Sulfur is usually found near hot springs and volcanic craters, but it is also present in some foods such as meat, fish and eggs. Sulfur, when applied to the skin, causes it to dry up. It reduces the oiliness on your skin and thus stops pores from getting blocked due to too much oil production. It also prevents your dead skin cells from getting blocked in the pores.

While ancient Sulfur treatments were in the form of taking baths in the sulfuric waters at hot springs, you can now find sulfur in many modern beauty products as well. Sulfur is found in soaps, cleansers, lotions and masks. You can also get it in the form of products that need to be applied directly on the pimple or eruption to reduce its swelling.

Sulfur is usually used to treat mild forms of acne and not very severe cases. Combined with another substance like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, it is a very effective treatment for acne, blackheads and whiteheads.

Since sulfur can be quite strong, it is important that you read the instructions for the product you are using. While some can be safely left on for hours, some need to be washed off after a few minutes. Leaving a product for too long can lead to overly dry skin and cause your skin to get irritated which can make the acne problem worse.

Side effects of sulfur treatments include drying and peeling, redness and skin irritation. These are usually present when you start your treatment, but will go away over time. It is recommended that you take lower doses of the treatment when you first start and gradually build up to the full dosage. It can also cause discoloration of the skin, and in some people, an allergic reaction. If you feel that your condition has gotten worse since you start using the sulfur treatment, you should stop using it and talk to your dermatologist.

Don’t use sulfur treatments on broken or irritated skin as that will make it worse. Stay away from soaps while you are using sulfur treatments since soaps dry out the skin further. Use a non-soap face wash. If you are using another treatment for acne as well, make sure you talk to your dermatologist before adding the sulfur treatment.

When taken in the correct doses, sulfur treatments can reduce your acne problem and help with reducing the presentation of blackheads and whiteheads.