Most common acne treatments use salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. Chances are you have been prescribed a topical treatment or a spot treatment that uses one of the two ingredients. But if you have sensitive skin, benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid probably won’t work as well as they should. Sulfur has been around for centuries and is most commonly used in the beauty industry for acne. Sulfur is mostly associated with a foul rotten egg-like smell, though, is one of the mildest ingredients used in the treatment of acne.
I’ve used tons of spot treatments with benzoyl peroxide only to end up with dry, cracking chafed skin. In my journey battling a chronic case of adult acne, I noticed a pattern in ingredients and products that worked to clear out my skin and much to my surprise – Sulfur was present in every kind of product that worked wonders on my sensitive, irritation-prone skin.
Here’s why
Sulfur is used to treat a wide range of problems like acne, dermatitis, dandruff, rosacea and warts. When you apply it topically, Sulfur causes your skin to dry and peel. This basically means that it’s going to be especially beneficial for oily and combination skin types. Its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties combined with its ability to dry out your skin makes it ideal for mild exfoliation. It is a gentler way to exfoliate sensitive skin and sulfur gets bonus points for clearing out your pores too. Sulfur works best on mild to moderate acne, inflammatory acne, comedones, whiteheads and blackheads. I decided to dive a little bit deeper and bring in an expert to tell us more about Sulfur.
Dr Sheth’s is one of the homegrown Indian brands on the market that uses this wonderful ingredient in their product so I got in touch with Dr Aneesh Sheth and here’s what he tells us “Sulphur works as an antibacterial and an exfoliator and is one of the oldest remedies that exist. My grandfather used to use it in one of his formulations, which we updated as a mask and spot treatment. It predominantly works to treat superficial acne superficially by killing the bacteria that causes the inflammation. I’m not sure if in India there are any other branded products available but globally there are several. Other than sulphur mask there are many AHAs and BHAs also help with acne since they exfoliate and unclog the pores gently”
So there you have it, pick up one of these treatments with sulfur and you may have just found that ONE product that finally cures your acne!
Dr. Sheth’s Clarifying Sulphur Face Mask (Rs 749)
O3+ Sulfur Cooling Mask (Rs 150)
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion (Rs 1,626)
Mario Badescu Drying Cream (Rs 1,432)
Mario Badescu Special Cleansing Lotion C (Rs 1,585)
De La Cruz Sulfur Ointment and Sulfur Soap (Rs 2,056)
Don’t forget to use sunscreen after!
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