I guess it would be safe to say that there is a wide and sometimes bewildering array of ways to get rid of acne floating around all over. Even the most basic understanding of how acne occurs in the first place should lead you to at least one conclusio ny acne treatment program that deals with getting rid of acne purely by just treating the skin in some way cannot succeed. Treating the skin as a way to get rid of acne is just treating the symptoms and not the cause. Acne skin care products at best can only ease the discomfort of an acne breakout and speed the skin's recovery. In mild cases they can sometimes prevent re-occurrence provided you continue using the product even after the acne has cleared up. They cannot get rid of acne as a condition because they do not address the cause of the acne in the first place. This holds true for any of the countless acne home remedies that again, address the acne as it exists on the skin. These ways to get rid of acne whether natural or "over the counter" generally break down into three main categorie 09Disinfectants. Under this heading comes tea tree oil, cinnamon, clove oil, garlic and a whole range of over the counter preparations. Regardless of the product they are all totally ineffective in preventing acne in the first place and are only minimally effective in preventing the acne from continuing once started. The bacteria naturally present on the skin that leads to the infection of the blocked skin pores can easily resist these products and can even resist many forms of antibiotics. At best their only use would be to reduce the possibility of further infection on the face. Exfoliants. Here we have the acidic products like vinegar and lemon juice as well as countless other mildly abrasive substances for washing the skin. The idea here is that by exfoliating regularly the pores will remain open and the skin free of dead skins cells. With the pores remaining unblocked and the food source of the bacteria reduced infections are less likely to occur. At best this will keep the openings of the skin pores relatively free of a food source for the bacteria but dead skin is not what blocks the pores in the first place. The main cause of the tiny plugs that form in the skin pores to block them is not actually dead surface skin but a substance called sebum. Sebum coming into contact with the air dries to block the pores and after that happens the bacteria present causes the infection you see. So yes, exfoliation is a worthwhile activity to engage in if you are prone to acne but it cannot be described as an effective way to get rid of acne. Soothing Products. Typically these are products containing aloe vera or even tea tree oil which have a cooling effect on the skin that reduces discomfort and for that they are effective. Many others have trace amounts of alcohol in them to achieve the same soothing sensation BUT they cannot be considered as ways to get rid of acne. All they can be looked upon as is ways to alleviate the discomfort of existing acne and reduce your chances of the current outbreak spreading further. The thousands of acne skin products available today generally fall into the previous three categories. They are products that are promoted as ways to get rid of acne by treating existing acne and it is this idea that you need to take a logical look at. How can these products stop acne if they are not applicable until after you actually have acne! That doesn't make sense! Real Ways to Get Rid of Acne. Any real system of getting rid of acne would have to isolate the actual cause of your acne in the first place. The key to this is understanding that either diet, stress, hormones or in most cases a combination of these factors holds the key to what is triggering YOUR acne. It would then have to lay out a procedure to address each of these points individually and as a group so as to be certain to cover all of them as they apply to YOU. Quite simply put this is what is known as a "holistic" or "whole" approach to a problem and is the only way you can identify and deal with the causes of YOUR acne. To take a look at some of the best acne treatment programs available today go t ww.youracnepro.com