If you have sensitive or dry skin and you suffer from acne you’ll need to take special precautions to, not only cure your acne, but to take care of your skin. Nearly all acne treatments will be very drying to the skin as they are intended to check overproduction of oil and if if your skin is dry already this will just make things worse. Your skin will probably become flaky and irritated. If you have very sensitive skin the chemicals in many of the acne remedies can increase irritation and redness so you must be especially cautious which treatments you use.
Skin Treatment for Dry and Sensitive Skin
As we age our skin has a tendency to become dry as the cells begin to make less sebum. Collagen and elastin in the skin become damaged and are less efficiently repaired, which results in to less elastic, drier skin. In addition as women approach the menopause estrogen levels decrease which also causes dryness. Dry skin may also be a result of very cold weather and for those of us with sensitive skin it can be irritated very easily by some ingredients in skin care products and cosmetics as well as fragrances and rough fabrics.
Acne Remedies For Dry and Sensitive Skin
1. Cleansing
A routine for skin care including very gentle cleansing with a very mild cleanser and moisturizing is necessary if you have dry or sensitive skin. Cleansers that can be purchased especially for acne sufferers are not really suitable for these types of skin. They contain very harsh ingredients for treating the acne but will probably cause redness and irritation on sensitive skin. You ought to choose a gentler cleanser instead that contains only mild ingredients and will not irritate your skin any further. Do not wash your face too frequently and on no account scrub strongly or use a rough washcloth in an attempt to remove the dirt that is supposed to be the cause of acne. This will simply cause increased inflammation and distribute the acne causing bacteria around your skin which will certainly bring about more outbreaks. Washing twice a day is sufficient using a very gentle soap. Use either your hands or a boiled, soft washcloth or preferably use throwaway 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 very light and that won’t increase the oil on the skin which will only make your acne worse. Thick creams and lotions are unsuitable as they will clog the pores and result in more irritation.
3. Acne Remedies For Sensitive or Dry Skin
Some ingredients that may be used in acne treatments include benzoyl peroxide, vitamin A derivatives and salicylic acids. For sensitive or dry skin use one with a very low concentration of the active ingredient to begin with so that you can see your skin is affected. If it does not cause redness or irritation you could increase the concentration. Do not use all over your face but use a only a small amount only where you have breakouts and only apply once a day until your skin becomes more used to it. You might also consider using a natural cure for acne such as tea tree oil, either in a purchased product that contains tea tree oil, or by making a solution of pure tea tree oil diluted in water and using on problem areas. Tea tree oil has been shown to be very nearly as helpful as benzoyl peroxide but does not dry out the skin as much.
In Conclusion
Dry and sensitive skins do suffer from acne and require particular looking after to prevent making the condition of your skin much worse while you are treating the acne. Always use acne remedies with as gentle ingredients as you can and think about trying acne home remedies as a replacement for the harsher OTC products that are available.
