If you have dry or sensitive skin and you also have acne you'll need to take care to not only cure your acne but to take care of your skin. Most acne treatments will be very drying to the skin as they are intended to check the production of of oil and if if your skin is dry already this will only make things worse as your skin will more than likely become flaky, irritated and red. If you have sensitive skin the chemicals in some of the acne remedies will result in irritation and redness so you should be especially cautious which remedies you use.
Why Our Skin Becomes Dry and Sensitive
As we get older our skin has a tendency to become drier as the cells start to secrete a lesser amount of sebum. Collagen and elastin in the skin become damaged and are less efficiently repaired, which results in to less elastic, drier skin. Furthermore as women approach the menopause the production of estrogen drops which also causes drying of the skin. Dry skin can also be caused by very cold weather and for those of us with sensitive skin it can be irritated very easily by manyof the ingredients in skin care preparations and cosmetics as well as fragrances or rough fabrics.
Acne Treatments For Sensitive or Dry Skin
1. Cleansing
A skin care routine including gentle cleansing with a mild cleanser and moisturizing is needed if you have dry or sensitive skin. Cleansers that are sold specially for those who suffer from acne aren't very suitable for thesetypes of skin. They contain abrasive ingredients for treating the acne but will probably cause irritation and redness for those with sensitive skin. You need to use a milder cleanser as an alternative that contains only mild ingredients and won't cause further irritation to your skin. Don't clean your face too often and never scrub strongly or use a harsh cloth in an effort to get rid of the dirt that is supposed to be a cause of acne. This will just cause more irritation and spread the bacteria that cause acne around your skin which will certainly bring about more breakouts. Washing your face twice a day is sufficient with a gentle soap. Use either your hands or a boiled, soft washcloth or if possible use disposable cotton pads.
2. Moisturizing For Dry and Sensitive Skin
You should use a very good moisturizer on dry skin so make sure you use a product that is light and won't increase the oil on the skin and . Heavy creams and lotions are not suitable as they will clog the pores and cause further irritation.
3. Acne Remedies For Dry and Sensitive Skin
Some ingredients often used in acne remedies include vitamin A derivatives such as retinol, slaicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. For sensitive or dry skin use one with a low concentration of the active ingredient to begin with to monitor how your skin reacts. If it does not result in irritation and redness you could use a more concentrated product. Don't use all over your face but use a small quantity only in the problem area and apply only once a day until your skin gets 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 and using on problem areas. Tea tree oil has been shown to be nearly as effective as benzoyl peroxide but does not dry out the skin as much.
Conclusion
Sensitive and dry skins can get acne and require particular looking after to prevent making the condition of your skin even worse while you are treating the acne. Always use acne treatments with as mild ingredients as possible and consider trying acne home remedies as a replacement for the harsher ready made preparations that are available.
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Filed under Skin Care by skincaretips
