If you suffer from acne you are not alone. Whether you are in your teens, twenties, thirties or older your acne can be cleared. The first step to having clear skin is using products that help the skin heal and eliminate the bacteria or irritants that cause acne.

Do not be swayed by products with fancy packaging, organic ingredients, high price tags or wild claims to clear your skin. Even the acne clearing "systems" sold online, at the drugstore, in the supermarket or anywhere else are not what they claim to be.

When choosing a product for acne prone skin make sure to buy a cleanser that meets the following criteria:

Avoid Sodium Laureth Sulfate: have a look at any cleanser, shampoo or soap that you currently use and chances are that it will have Sodum Laureth Sulfate in it. Sodium Laureth Sulfate (or any variation of the spelling) is a chemical used to form a soapy lather and produce bubbles. It is a known skin irritant and a harsh chemical that should never be used on the skin especially the face.

It doesn't matter how "high end" the product is considered to be - if it has this ingredient in it then the manufacturer and the company that produces the skin care product is just trying to make a quick buck - because if you use a product with Sodium Laureth Sulfate on your skin it will NOT clear up. In fact, if you are acne prone chances are it will only get worse when it reacts to the chemicals in the product.

Avoid products with dyes or colorants: Continue to check the ingredient list of your skin products. Are there any dyes or colorants being used? Anything that says "red #" or "yellow #". Again, if you are prone to break outs, pimples and acne anything that has dyes or colorants will cause further irritation.

Avoid added fragrances: If you are using an organic product chances are that it will have essential oils which are healing and possess a natural fragrance. Essential oils such as rose oil is soothing and naturally gives off a fragrance which will not irritate your skin.

Any other added fragrances or fragrances that are not essential oils will irritate your skin and can further aggravate acne.

When you first use any of the below cleansers you may think it will do nothing for your skin because it is not strong enough but the cleansers listed below are by far the best for products for acne prone skin. Not only are they affordable but they will help you on the road to clear and glowing skin.

1. Zenmed Cleanser for sensitive skin: This is an ideal cleanser because it is fragrance free, dye free and free of sodium laureth sulfate. In fact, this cleanser is made up of mainly all natural ingredients.
   
2. Demalogica Ultra Calming Cleanser: A perfect choice for soothing irritated skin and for healing breakouts. It is also fragrance and dye free as well as sodium laureth sulfate free.
3. Mary Kay Gentle Timewise 3-in-1 Cleanser: I know what you're thinking Mary Kay? Isn't this for my grandmother? Certainly not - this is a superb cleanser for sensitive or acne prone skin. In addition to being gentle on skin it also has salicylic Acid which can help skin become clear and acne free.
4. Kiss My Face Clean For A Day - Creamy Face Cleanser: A gentle all natural face cleanser that won't irritate skin or aggravate existing acne. This cleanser makes your face feel clean and fresh but not dry. It has soothing ingredients and is great for acne prone skin.
5. Proactive Face Cleanser: The active ingredient in this product is 2.5% benzoyl peroxide which is pretty harsh and very drying to the skin. If you fail to use a great moisturizer (and maybe a touch of jojoba oil) on your skin it could lead to further breakouts. When using proactive face cleanser try using it only one a day for the first few weeks to see how it works.

When looking for a cleanser make it a point not to become overwhelmed by marketing strategies used by big companies. Commercials, fancy packaging and promises of clear radiant skin if you BUY their product is simply a marketing tool used to get you to pay up. You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars.

Do your research and look up the affects that Sodium Laureth Sulfate, dyes and fragrances have on sensitive and acne prone skin.

The products I have listed above are ones that have worked for me and continue to work for me.