What are The Best Treatments for Dry Skin?
If you have sensitive or dry skin and you also have acne you’ll need to be careful to, not only cure your acne, but to take care of your skin. The majority of acne remedies will cause your skin to dry out as they are made to prevent the production of oil and if if your skin is dry already this will just make things worse. Your skin could become flaky, irritated and red. If you have skin that is sensitive the ingredients in some acne treatments will probably cause redness and irritation so you must be especially careful which treatments you use.
Why Our Skin Becomes Dry and Sensitive
As we age our skin has a tendency to dry out as the cells start to make less sebum. Collagen and elastin in the skin are damaged and are less efficiently repaired, which leads to to less elastic, drier skin. Additionally as women approach the menopause estrogen levels decrease which also causes the skin to dry out. Dry skin can also be caused by cold weather and if you have sensitive skin it can be irritated very easily by a number of ingredients in skin care products and cosmetics as well as fragrances and rough fabrics.
Acne Remedies For Dry or Sensitive Skin
1. Cleansing Products
A skin care routine including very gentle cleaning with a very mild cleanser and moisturizing is necessary if you have sensitive or dry skin. Cleansers that are sold specially for those who suffer from acne are not very suitable for these skin types. They have very harsh chemicals for curing the acne but will probably result in redness and irritation on sensitive skin. You need to choose a more gentle cleanser instead that contains only mild ingredients and will not any more irritation to your skin. Do not wash your face too frequently and on no account scrub vigorously or use a harsh cloth in an effort to remove the dirt that is thought to be the cause of acne. This will merely cause increased inflammation and distribute the acne causing bacteria around your skin which will inevitably result in more outbreaks. Washing your face two times a day is enough with a very gentle soap. Use either your hands or a boiled, soft washcloth or if at all possible use disposable cotton pads.
2. Moisturizing For Dry and Sensitive Skin
You should use a good quality moisturizer on dry skin but ensure you use one that is light and that will not add more oil which will make your acne worse. Thick creams and lotions are not suitable as they will clog the pores and cause further irritation.
3. Acne Treatments For Dry or Sensitive Skin
Some ingredients often used in acne treatments include vitamin A derivatives such as retinol, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. For dry or sensitive skin choose one with a low concentration of the active ingredient to begin with to see how your skin reacts. If it does not cause irritation and redness you can use a more concentrated product. be careful not to use all over the face but use a small amount directly where there are pimples and apply only once a day until your skin gets used to it. You could also think about using a natural cure for acne such as tea tree oil, either in an over the counter lotion or cream containing tea tree oil, or by diluting some pure tea tree oil with water and using on problem areas. Tea tree oil has been shown to be nearly as successful as benzoyl peroxide without drying out the skin as much.
In Conclusion
Dry and sensitive skins can suffer from acne and require particular care so that you don’t make your skin condition much worse while you are treating the acne. Always use acne treatments with as mild ingredients as possible and consider trying acne home remedies instead of the harsher OTC preparations available.
