Finding good skin care products is a mine field of snake oil salespeople and overpriced jars that contain only disappointment. There are so many different, conflicting pieces of advice, and nearly everyone giving that advice has a stake in your decision.
Acne
Taking good care of your skin can help to reduce acne breakouts.
Cleansers
One of the primary ingredients to avoid in any cleanser is sodium lauryl sulfate, which is commonly used in detergents to remove oil. Many of the bar soaps on the market use this chemical, but it is less commonly found in liquid cleansers. Better bar soaps for your skin will use glycerin or plant-based oils.
It's also important to find a cleanser that is appropriate for your skin. Maintaining a neutral pH of about 5.5 is very important to have the best-looking skin, so it might take a bit of experimentation to find the right product for you. If you have more acidic skin, you will need a product that is slightly alkaline to help balance things out. Conversely, if you have alkaline skin, you need a slightly acidic product.
Exfoliators
In order to remove dead skin cells, an exfoliation product is used. These products get past the skin's outermost layer, and help to expedite the skin's natural process of sloughing off dead skin cells. Exfoliators need to be strong enough to do their job, but not so strong as to damage the skin. Better exfoliation compounds include glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid, and malic acid.
Psoriasis
Psoriasis is another common skin condition, which affects approximately 2-4% of the population. Psoriatic skin is characterized by "plaque", which are scaly patches of skin that look silvery-white. Psoriasis is most commonly considered to be a genetic condition, although there are other factors which make this disorder more likely to occur (like stress or other co-occurring conditions). Unfortunately, there is no cure for psoriasis, although there are various ways to control the symptoms.
Topical Treatments
While a variety of compounds has been tried on psoriatic skin, one of the best ways to help remove plaques is simply moisturizer. By keeping the plaques soft, they come off much more easily.
Phototherapy
Sunlight between the wavelengths of 311-313 nanometers is another of the most effective treatments for psoriasis. In order to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, however, use of a purpose-build lamp is recommended. Because the time of exposure is so small, there is little increased risk of cancer.
