Is Sudocrem good for acne?
Acne is a painful and often embarrassing condition that impacts 95 percent of people between 11 and 30 to some extent. Lots of people swear by Sudocrem as a cheap and cheerful method for getting rid of spots overnight… But why is Sudocrem good for acne? Express.co.uk chatted to surgeon, world-leading Aesthetic Doctor and Global Lecturer in beauty and wellbeing Dr Jonquille Chantrey (@drjonquillechantrey on Instagram) to find out.
Sudocrem is primarily a product that soothes sore skin on a baby and treats nappy rash, but millions of adults use it too.
According to Sudocrem, the product heals and protects your baby’s delicate skin because it contains an emollient which soothes sore or inflamed skin and works as a mild local anaesthetic to help ease pain and irritation.
It also has a water-repellent base that forms a protective barrier, helping to stop any irritants (urine and faeces) coming into contact with the skin.
Why is Sudocrem good for acne?
While Sudocrem isn’t meant for acne specifically, Sudocrem does recognise it can help spots and pimples.
The site reads: “Sudocrem can be used first thing in the morning and the last thing at night to help soothe, moisturise and reduce the redness of spot prone skin.”
The ingredients are Zinc Oxide Ph. Eur., Benzyl Alcohol B.P., Benzyl Benzoate B.P., Benzyl Cinnamate, Lanolin, Purified Water, Liquid Paraffin, Paraffin wax, Beeswax, Micrcocrystalline wax, Sodium Benzoate, Linayl Acetate, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Butylated Hydroxyanisole, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Lavender fragrance.
It is thought the zinc oxide and benzyl alcohol in Sudocrem are what help to fight off spots and inflammation.
Sudocrem might work for some people but there are better options.
Dr Chantrey said: “I personally do not recommend Sudocrem for my patients with breakouts as they need a targeted approach with specific key topicals to treat and help maintain control of their sebaceous glands and skin barrier, from cleanser through to night time actives.
“Whilst Sudocrem has been used for a long time as a form of antiseptic (it contains zinc and benzyl compounds) it is better suited to other skin conditions.”
If you’ve got a big spot and need it to disappear by tomorrow, Sudocrem might reduce it but it won’t help to prevent the spot in the first place
Instead of relying on Sudocrem to take down spots, Dr Chantrey recommends starting a regime that will keep spots away.
She said: “Depending upon the severity and cause of the acne, a regimen that treats and protects the skin should include: cleanser, toner, exfoliation, antioxidant serum, sunscreen and a vitamin A derivative such as retinol or retinoic acid.”
You can choose any products you like, but some brands work better than others according to Dr Chantrey.
She explained: “Whilst I prescribe a number of different skincare brands and topical agents for my patients, I do recommend SkinCeuticals Blemish and Age range as well as their Silymarin CF antioxidant serum.
“I also recommend their Oil Shield Defense sunscreen (which is brilliant as it doubles up as an oil reducing primer) and their retinols.
“These tend to be very well tolerated but any medical skincare regime needs guidance from a skincare expert to support the patient to their optimised skin health.”
Post source Daily Express
