If you have sensitive or dry skin and you suffer from acne you’ll need to be careful to, not only cure the acne, but to look after your skin. Nearly all acne remedies will be very drying to the skin as they are designed to check overproduction of oil and if you have dry skin this will just make things worse. Your skin will probably become flaky and irritated. If you have sensitive skin the ingredients in some acne treatments can result in redness and irritation so you need to be especially careful which treatments you use.

Why Our Skin Becomes Dry and Sensitive

As we get older our skin tends to dry out as the cells begin to secrete less sebum. Elastin and collagen in the skin are damaged and are less efficiently repaired, leading to drier, less elastic skin. Additionally as women approach the menopause decreases in estrogen production also causes the skin to dry out. Dry skin may also be caused by very cold weather and for those with sensitive skin it can be very easily irritated by many of the ingredients in skin care products and cosmetics as well as fragrances and rough fabrics.

Acne Remedies For Dry and Sensitive Skin

1. Cleansing Products

A skincare routine that includes gentle cleaning with a very mild cleanser and moisturizing is needed if you have dry or sensitive skin. Cleansers that are sold specially for those with acne aren’t very suitable for these skin types. They have abrasive ingredients for treating the acne but will more than likely result in irritation and redness on sensitive skin. You ought to choose a more gentle cleanser as an alternative that contains only very mild ingredients and won’t further irritate your skin. Don’t wash your face too often and never scrub vigorously or use a rough cloth in an attempt to get rid of the dirt that is thought to be the cause of acne. This will simply result in increased irritation and spread the bacteria that cause acne all over your skin which will certainly result in more flare ups. Cleansing two times a day is adequate with a very gentle soap. Either use your hands or a freshly boiled soft washcloth or if possible use disposable cotton pads.

2. Moisturizing For Dry or Sensitive Skin

You should use a good quality moisturizer for dry skin so make sure you use a preparation that is not too heavy and that will not add more oil which will . Heavy lotions and creams are inappropriate as they will clog up the pores and set off further irritation.

3. Acne Treatments For Sensitive or Dry Skin

Some ingredients used in acne remedies include vitamin A derivatives, benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, salicylic acid, vitamin A derivatives such as retinol or benzoyl peroxide. For sensitive or dry skin pick one with a low concentration of the active ingredient at first to see how your skin reacts. If it does not result in redness or irritation you could use a product with a higher concentration. Don’t use all over the face but use a small amount directly in the problem area and apply only once a day until your skin becomes more used to it. You could also consider using a natural cure for acne such as tea tree oil, either in a ready made preparation that contains tea tree oil, or by making a solution of pure tea tree oil diluted in water and applying it to your face. Tea tree oil has proved to be almost as helpful as benzoyl peroxide but does not dry out the skin as much.

Conclusion

Sensitive and dry skins do get acne and require particular care so that you do not make your skin condition much worse while you are treating your acne. Always use acne treatments with as mild ingredients as possible and think about trying acne home remedies instead of the strong over the counter products that are available.

 

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