Aftershave Lotions and Acne
Ideally, aftershave creams and lotions are intended to soothe and protect your skin after the somewhat harsh process of shaving. The danger is that sometimes the wrong product can cause more harm than good. If you have acne-prone skin, it's not enough simply to feel "refreshed", you should choose a gentle aftershave that will leave your skin moisturized rather than dry and irritated.
A large percentage of aftershaves on the market are alcohol-based, and these products are best avoided if you have sensitive or acne-prone skin. Alcohol naturally saps the moisture from your skin cells, leaving your skin less supple and more prone to damage. The alcohol may initially cause your pores to contract, and can also kill some bacteria, but these benefits are offset by the dryness and dilated red blood vessels that follow. Unfortunately, even some aftershaves marketed towards acne sufferers contain a large degree of alcohol (often in addition to salicylic acid, an exfoliating agent which is even more drying). The intention behind some of these products is to prevent acne by enhancing exfoliation. However, the very act of shaving naturally exfoliates your skin. After a shave your skin needs to be healed and protected, not further stripped away.
Another popular in gradient to look out for is menthol. Menthol is the ingredient that gives your skin that "refreshing cool breeze" feeling. While menthol is safe in small doses, like alcohol, its antibacterial properties are offset by the fact that it can irritate your skin. You're better off with an aftershave that either contains very little menthol or is menthol-free. The popularity of Menthol comes more from the refreshing feeling it gives users, rather than any real benefit to your skin.
Choosing an alcohol-free and menthol-free (and potentially oil-free) aftershave may leave you with a smaller list of products, but these are the aftershaves that will truly provide real protection for sensitive or acne-prone skin. These products are usually preferable to the "for acne" aftershaves that may still rely on the above mentioned ingredients. So if you suffer from shaving-related acne and/or razor burns, bumps, or ingrown hairs, take the time to choose a gentle aftershave that will genuinely protect your skin rather than one which simply feels and smells nice, and then leaves your skin dry and vulnerable.
Related Tags: acne, acne treatment, aftershave, clear skin
Don Amodeo is the webmaster of Acne-Vitamins.com, your source for vitamin B5 acne products and a free guide to vitamins for clear skin. You can also learn more at the Clear Skin Blog. This article may be republished provided that the author's information and all active links are left intact.
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