Skin Actives Zit Ender should become a “disruptor” in the skin care world.

It should end the reign of benzoyl peroxide, a Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS*) producer, as a go-to ingredient for acne. “Should” does not mean that it will happen but below we’ll outline some reasons as to why maybe it should.

Benzoyl Peroxide: How Does It Work?

Benzoyl peroxide is a bully of an ingredient that ages your skin as it gives some temporary relief from acne.

Benzoyl peroxide breaks down in contact with skin, producing eventually benzoic acid and oxygen. The free-radical reaction of benzoyl peroxide can break down the keratin, helping unblock clogged pores (which is good) and it causes nonspecific peroxidation of P. acnes, making it bactericidal (also good).

But this reaction is non- specific and the free radicals will also damage the skin of the user just as they damage the bacteria. It is obvious, at least to us, that benzoyl peroxide should go away, but why should our Zit Ender replace it? As usual for a Zit Ender?

It was designed with a completely different aim. There is nothing in it to age your skin. What it does contain is a synergistic combination of active ingredients that:

• Kill bacteria without killing your cells
  
• Strengthen the immune response of your own skin so it can fight infection
  
• Decrease inflammation (acne is essentially an inflammatory disease)
  
• Decrease sebum secretion (decreasing food supply to the bacteria)
  
• Normalize pores (making it harder for the bacteria, which prefer an anaerobic environment, to colonize the pores)

Ingredients For Fighting Acne

This is (as usual for Skin Actives) a very complicated formulation, but every ingredient has a function. What are they?

• Sea Kelp Bioferment supplies a complete nutrient medium to moisturize skin and scalp
  
• White Willow Bark Extract (Salicin):
normalizes keratinization, keeping pores open, and has anti-inflammatory properties

• Epigallocatechin Gallate and Zinc PCA: inhibit 5-alpha-reductase activity and decrease sebum secretion. EGCG is also an antioxidant, helping prevent hyperpigmentation that often follows an acne lesion
  
• Galangal Root Extract and Coleus Forskohlii essential oil: antibacterial activity
  
• Fucoidan, Oleanolic Acid and Oat Beta Glucan: anti-inflammatory properties
  
• Yeast beta glucan: immune response enhancer
  
• Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate from Licorice and Porphyridium Polysaccharide: anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity
  
• Aloe Vera Leaf Extract: improves skin hydration, has anti-inflammatory properties and aids healing of cuts, grazes, burns and insect bites. The polysaccharides in this extract include acetylated mannans
  
• Galactoarabinan: stimulates dermal fibroblast activity and proliferation, promotes keratinocyte differentiation and the production of keratinocyte growth factor.
  
• Prickly Pear Extract: contains methylated rhamnogalacturonans benefiting inflamed skin.
  
• Apple Pectin: can lead to increased synthesis of collagen and strengthened epidermal-dermal junction.
  
• Arthrospira Extract: anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties
  
• Granulysin: Last but certainly not least, granulysin is a special active developed by Skin Actives to target blemish prone skin. It is bioidentical lysosomal proteins.
  

Although several of these actives are available to other skin care manufacturers, they don’t use them. It simply takes a long time for the big guys to change course, when most of the acne suffering population goes automatically for benzoyl peroxide. Skin Actives Zit Ender is very effective, but it should be part of a comprehensive plan for your skin. Acne is best prevented rather than cured. See Dr. Sivak's blog post about this subject.

DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.