Learn About Frutels: Comparison of Acne Products and Treatments

Most acne products look at what is on your face or back or elsewhere and investigate how to dry up what appears on the surface. Salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and Accutane all treat the appearance of acne, after your body has created it. Lasers do the same, looking no further than the surface appearance of acne.

Frutels operates on the principle that acne starts under the surface of your skin, inside your body. Frutels supports the body with vitamins and minerals that regulate hormones, diet and stress.* This is a different theory than products that look at acne as an external problem, or a problem of sebaceous glands, only. We do not look at the sebaceous glands as the cause, but rather as the effect. When the causes are eliminated, so are the effects.

Frutels holistic, or even wholistic, approach, looks at the body as a whole, where changes which occur in the body will need additional immune support at certain times, due to a variety of causes.

There are many over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription acne treatments on the market. It is important to keep potential side-effects in mind when comparing these acne products.

As The National Institute of Health (NIH) states in their Questions and Answers About Acne: “Topical OTC medicines are available in many forms, such as gels, lotions, creams, soaps or pads. In some people, OTC acne medicines may cause side effects such as skin irritation, burning, or redness.”*

“Oral antibiotics, are thought to help control acne by curbing the growth of bacteria and reducing inflammation…Some people taking these antibiotics have side effects such as an upset stomach, dizziness or lightheadedness, changes in skin color, and increased tendency to sunburn…Prolonged treatment with oral antibiotics may be necessary to achieve the desired results.”*

Presented below is a chart comparison of acne products.

Top Brands	Active Ingredient	How It Works	Side-effects
Proactiv, Oxy, Clearasil, Neutrogina, Murad	Benzoyl Peroxide	Bleaching agent used to destroy bacteria.** The NIH says, “somewhat effective in treating acne when used regularly; however, it may take up to 8 weeks before you see noticeable improvement.”*	Skin worsens before it improves; can cause burning, irritation, dryness, redness.* 10% solution increases adverse effects without significant advantage over 2.5% solution.** Can cause hypopigmentation (or bleach spots) in individuals with darker skin tones.*
Proactiv, Oxy, Clearasil, Neutrogina, Murad	Salicylic Acid	Chemical exfoliating agent used to prevent build up of skin cells that block pores.** The NIH says, “somewhat effective in treating acne when used regularly; however, it may take up to 8 weeks before you see noticeable improvement.”*	Skin worsens before it improves; can cause burning, dryness and peeling of skin, flushing, redness of skin, and unusually warm skin.* Can also cause hyperpigmentation (or dark spots) in skin of all complexions.*
Proactiv, Murad	Sulfur	Exfoliating agent, anti-bactericidal. The NIH says, “somewhat effective in treating acne when used regularly; however, it may take up to 8 weeks before you see noticeable improvement.”*	Skin worsens before it improves; can cause burning, irritation, dryness and redness.*
Retin-A, Differin, Tazorac	Vitamin A derivatives (Retinoids)	From the NIH: “Unplugs comedones for other topical treatments to have better penetration. May prevent formation of comedones."*	Side effects include stinging, burning, redness, dryness and irritation. Cannot be used by pregnant or nursing women as it can cause complications. Can cause unwanted darkening or bleaching of skin tone.*
Common antibiotics include: tretracycline, minocycline, doxycycline, amphicillin	Antibiotics	Prolonged treatment with oral antibiotics may be necessary to achieve the desired results.***	According to the NIH, side effects include: “upset stomach, dizziness or lightheadedness, changes in skin color, and increased tendency to sunburn.” Antibiotics can also lead to the development of resistant strains of bacteria that do not respond to any treatment.*
Accutane	Isotretinoin 10, 20, or 40 mg	Isotretinoin used to reduce size of oil glands through unknown mechanism****	May cause depression, psychosis, and suicidal tendencies; increases pressure on the brain and blood-lipid levels; may cause liver and pancreas problems, as well as vision, hearing, and skeletal problems, some lasting after treatment is stopped.****
Pantothenic Acid	10 grams B5	B5 hypothetically aids in the reduction of oil production on the surface of the skin.*****	Unknown effects of high doses of vitamin B5. Takes up to 8 weeks to be effective.*****

* NIH Questions and answers about acne.
** Wikipedia article on benzoyl peroxide.
*** Lancet study on antibiotics as a treatment for acne.
**** Accutane drug description.
***** Article by Dr. Lit-Hung Leung, M.D..