Finding the best treatment for adult acne depends on the individual. The causes of skin blemishes in adults varies from person to person. The home treatment that works for one, may not work for someone else. The basic cause for pimples and blackheads is the combination of the skin producing excess oil which traps dead skin and bacteria in the pores. The pores become infected and irritate the skin.

Women suffer from adult acne outbreaks twice as much as men because they naturally go through more hormonal changes. There is the month hormonal change, the change with pregnancy, and the change with menopause. Each of these changes can cause a breakout of acne and require an adult acne home treatment.

Steps to Take

Adult acne home treatment starts with keeping the skin clean and dry as much as possible. Wash the face  twice a day but avoid using harsh cleansers on the skin that can unnecessarily dry out the skin. Also avoid products with granules, since they are known to irritate the skin in some and cause additional outbreaks.

These granules are often promoted as exfoliants, but they are not the best to use as an at home adult acne treatment. Instead, products like Cetaphil and Aquanil are gentle cleansers that do the job. In addition, when using the cleansers, the person should use his hands rather than a washcloth because they are gentler and the water that is used should only be warm and not hot.

In addition to these cleansers and cleansing methods, adult home treatment of acne should also include moisturizers of some sort to replenish the skin. There are some moisturizing products that have retinol in them which helps to clean the pores of the skin and also smooth out lines in the skin. For those who have scarring already on the skin, there are some moisturizing products that contain salicylic and glycolic acids which help to lighten the scarring so that it is not as noticeable. There are also some creams that contain benzoyl peroxide which are good to use when there is a breakout to spot treat at home the problem areas of the adult acne.

If these methods are not enough, there are some prescription medications that can be used. However, these medications often dry the skin and are usually only used on breakouts rather than on a consistent basis.