This brand uses the most unexpected ingredient to treat acne

For years we’ve believed the best way to tackle acne has been by having exceptional levels of patience and arming ourselves with ingredients such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide. And with good reason. If you look to the ingredient list of most spot treatments, serums and cleansers designed to banish blemishes, the vast majority will feature at least one of those ingredients.

American skin care company, Nerd Skincare, has taken an alternative approach, however. Instead of incorporating traditional acne fighting ingredients, the brand integrates bacteria into their formulas. Yes, bacteria. And no we’re not kidding.

Before you get too grossed out, it’s important to know the brand utilises ‘good’ bacteria, namely S. epidermis to produce short chain fatty acids to suppress the growth of acne and reduce inflammation. This approach differs to traditional acne treatments that work to rid the skin of acne bacteria altogether, which can sometimes result in stripping the skin of much-needed moisture. The formula also features soothing ingredients such as coconut oil, licorice extract and green tea to calm irritation and avoid the dry and flaky skin that is so often synonymous with harsh blemish treatments.

There’s no doubt that Nerd Skincare has adopted an unusual approach to fighting acne, however it might be a good alternative to try if traditional blemish tackling products haven’t worked for you. If you’re looking to give the brand a go, products are available online at nerdskincare.com

Suffering from acne is never fun, however there may be one major silver lining to having pesky pimples.

Image credit: Getty