Overview
ZapZyt has become one of the most popular acne products on the Internet, mainly due to the formula’s presence on MySpace and other web sites visited by younger people. The company offers a full line of acne fighting products, including cleansers and spot treatments. Some of these products are included in a three-step system, which we have found is a logical approach to treating acne. But, since ZapZyt has become so visible on the Internet, we decided to give it a more critical look.

Featured Ingredients
Benzoyl Peroxide. This chemical was developed in the 1920s as a peeling agent. It was found to be an effective treatment for acne, since it promotes the remove of dead skin cells from the surface of skin. Because of its harsh effects, it also clears pores. Unfortunately, Benzoyl Peroxide is slowly becoming phased out, due to the fact that several studies - including research conducted in 1977 - estimate that as many as 76% of people may develop adverse itching and drying reactions to Benzoyl Peroxide.

Salicylic Acid. Fortunately, a few ZapZyt products contain Salicylic Acid, which is one of the best acne-treating ingredients available. Salicylic Acid clears pores and eliminates many types of blemishes. It also encourages the natural skin cell replacement process. Scientists have found that the best treatments contain Salicylic Acid at its maximum strength concentration of 2.0%, which will treat even the most stubborn forms of acne. But be sure to check the label, since not all ZapZyt products will contain the optimum 2.0% concentration. 

Even though Salicylic Acid is a good choice, we are disappointed that the ZapZyt line of acne products fail to include other recent breakthroughs, such as Silicol Dioxide (which helps control oil), Inflacin (which helps soothe skin and buffers the drying effects of some acne treatment medications) or QuSomes (they ensure deep delivery of key active ingredients). Hopefully, as ZapZyt’s popularity increases, those in charge of the company will change the formulas to include these ingredients as well. Until then, we can only half-heartedly recommend the ZapZyt products that contain Salicylic Acid.

Web Site at a Glance
ZapZyt contains a well constructed site that seems to have the younger consumer in mind. The web site features bright colors and a video greeting from two spokespersons on the home page. The ZapZyt site does contain a fairly large amount of customer testimonials, but no photos of these people are included, which could lead to someone questioning their credibility. In addition, the ZapZyt site only presents the simplest presentation of how its products – and the active ingredients – work. No scientific research or data on testing is given. Plus, even though the site promotes a $2 Back offer, there is no chance to try ZapZyt for free before deciding if the product is right for you.

Pros
- Does contain Salicylic Acid, one of the best ingredients for clearing acne

Cons
- No free trial offered

- Lack of scientific research or testing data

- Does not contain Inflacin, Silicol Dioxide or other proven acne fighting ingredients

Summary
Even though Salicylic Acid is a good choice, we are disappointed that the ZapZyt line of acne products fail to include other recent breakthroughs, such as Silicol Dioxide (which helps control oil), Inflacin (which helps soothe skin and buffers the drying effects of some acne treatment medications) or QuSomes (they ensure deep delivery of key active ingredients). Hopefully, as ZapZyt’s popularity increases, those in charge of the company will change the formulas to include these ingredients as well. Until then, we can only half-heartedly recommend the ZapZyt products that contain Salicylic Acid.

Overview
Clinique is a large cosmetic company known more for its bestselling makeup products than its acne formulas. But like many retail giants, Clinique has realized that a majority of American consumers will – at some in their lives – be forced to deal with the unsightly results of acne. Therefore, Clinique now offers its Acne Solutions line of acne control products. The line consists of three products – Cleansing Foam, Clarifying Lotion and Cleansing Moisturizer. 

Featured Ingredients
Unfortunately, Clinique does not list full ingredients for any of the three formulas in its Acne Solutions line. It merely contains brief descriptions of the supposed effects of the products on acne. The only active ingredient listed is contained in the Cleansing Moisturizer – Benzoyl Peroxide.

Benzoyl Peroxide. This chemical was developed in the 1920s as a peeling agent. It was found to be an effective treatment for acne, since it promotes the remove of dead skin cells from the surface of skin. Because of its harsh effects, it also clears pores. Unfortunately, Benzoyl Peroxide is slowly becoming phased out, due to the fact that several studies - including research conducted in 1977 - estimate that as many as 76% of people may develop adverse itching and drying reactions to Benzoyl Peroxide. 

Web Site at a Glance
As mentioned, the Clinique web site spends most of its focus discussing its many makeup and skincare products. Very little information is given about the Acne Solutions products, leaving many consumers to guess what the active ingredients in the products are. In addition, the web site does not contain any scientific evidence about the effects of the Acne Solutions formulas, and there are no testimonials from real people who have used the products.

Pros
- Well-established retail makeup company with a history of producing satisfactory products for skin

Cons
- Not much research information is given – no full ingredient listing

- Product contains Benzoyl Peroxide, which is effective but becoming less common

- No customer testimonials on web site

- No free trial offer

Summary
Even though we would like to believe that Clinique automatically would create an effective acne treatment solution, our researchers cannot make such a judgment due to the lack of information available about these products. We’re also concerned that consumers don’t have the chance to try Clinique Acne Solutions for free, since this would be a wonderful way to see if the formulas work without having to risk any money.

Overview
In the field of cosmetic products intended to specifically treat acne, Clearasil was the first. Created in 1950 by inventor Ivan Combs, Clearasil became the top acne treatment product in the 1980s when the brand was purchased by retail giant Proctor and Gamble. Today, Clearasil still claims a large share of the retail acne product market, but its foothold on the top spot has dwindled. Although the Clearasil family of products are still popular, the rapid rise in new acne treatments, especially those that feature new and unique ingredients, has given consumers more choices. 

Featured Ingredients
Today, Clearasil features a wide array of spot treatments, face washes and masks. These products contain different active ingredients for treating acne, which may be confusing to some potential consumers, especially those who prefer a limited number of products with the same proven compounds.

Benzoyl Peroxide. This chemical was developed in the 1920s as a peeling agent. It was found to be an effective treatment for acne, since it promotes the remove of dead skin cells from the surface of skin. Because of its harsh effects, it also clears pores. Unfortunately, Benzoyl Peroxide is slowly becoming phased out, due to the fact that several studies - including research conducted in 1977 - estimate that as many as 76% of people may develop adverse itching and drying reactions to Benzoyl Peroxide.  Resorcinol. Some products in the Clearasil line contain Resorcinol, which was originally developed for specific skin problems such as psoriasis and eczema. It does seem to have a limited effect on acne, but since research on the Clearasil site is largely absent, Resorcinol may only work for a few people.

Triclosan. Clearasil products may also contain Triclosan, which is intended to target some of the bacteria responsible for acne breakouts. While this chemical does have an effect on many strains of bacteria, there has been some recent concern over its use. A scientific debate has been waged over the last few years over whether or not Triclosan causes antibiotic resistance. And the chemical’s tendency to break down natural oils in skin may lead to dryness and irritation. 

Salicylic Acid. Fortunately, a few Clearasil products contain Salicylic Acid, which is one of the best acne-treating ingredients available. It clears pores and eliminates many types of blemishes. It also encourages the natural skin cell replacement process. Scientists have found that the best treatments contain Salicylic Acid at its maximum strength concentration of 2.0%, which will treat even the most stubborn forms of acne. But be sure to check the label, since not all Clearasil products will contain the 2.0% concentration.

Web Site at a Glance
Clearasil currently has several web sites on the Internet, depending on where the consumer resides. For the purposes of this review, we only looked at the U.S. Clearasil web site, which was very clear and easy to navigate. Even though the web site lacked very much scientific backup for Clearasil products, the descriptions were clear and easy to understand. We would have preferred to see more customer testimonials, which help illustrate how the products are used by real people. Currently, Clearasil is running other sites that discuss its promotion of special contests and acne tips, which may be somewhat useful.

Pros
- Some Clearasil products do contain Salicylic Acid

- Web site was clear and easy to navigate

Cons
- Use of outdated or concerning ingredients, such as Benzoyl Peroxide, Resorcinol and Triclosan

- Web site lacks sufficient scientific research

- Inconsistent ingredients across all products in the line

Summary
Based on its historical success alone, you could do a lot worse than choosing Clearasil. This popular brand will work for many people, although it may take some time to figure out which combination of ingredients and products will work best. We’re concerned over some of the ingredients in Clearasil, and wonder if the company may have expanded its product line to the point where too many choices could be confusing for people looking for a fast and direct answer for acne.

Overview
Silicol Dioxide has become the top choice in Europe as an acne treatment, since it makes a more effective and safer alternative than Benzoyl Peroxide and other chemical methods. When applied topically, Silicol Dioxide forms a light gel layer, which quickly dries and absorbs oil from the skin. When the gel is rinsed off, this process removes excess oil and other impurities that are responsible for acne. Silicol Dioxide also helps control oil production in the skin, which helps prevent breakouts.

A few years ago, researchers in Finland tested Silicol Dioxide on a group of volunteers with various forms of acne, from moderate to severe. The research team, who later published this groundbreaking study in the prestigious Journal of International Medicine Research, measured the effects of Silicol Dioxide both on the number of acne lesions (pimples, postules, etc.) and the amount of sebum (oil) produced by the skin before and after treatment. They found that Silicol Dioxide decreased the number of acne pimples by more than 69%, while also cutting oil production by more than 54% in just a few days. 

Web Site at a Glance
Since Silicol Dioxide is not a separate product itself, but rather is included as an ingredient along with other acne-fighting ingredients within a formula, there is no central web site for Silicol Dioxide. However, some information is available by visiting the web sites for the few U.S.-based products that contain this compound. One of these is TriClear, which you can check out at www.triclear.com.

Pros
- Reduces number of pimples and cuts oil production in skin

- Preferred acne treatment in Europe, where some of the best skincare methods are developed

- Creates a light silky layer on the skin that absorbs oil and impurities, which is then washed off easily

Cons
- Only one U.S. product - TriClear - is known to use Silicol Dioxide

Summary
Considering the fact that Silicol Dioxide is the preferred method of treating acne in Europe - and that it has an impressive body of scientific research behind it - one would think that more American products would contain this dual-action acne fighter. But to our knowledge, only TriClear contains Silicol Dioxide in the same concentration as you’d find in Europe. This is a shame, since the team at ClearSkinReviews.com knows how well this ingredient works, but at least Americans have one product that they can consider when looking for Silicol Dioxide.