People who have dry skin usually don't have to worry about acne. But, not everyone with dry skin can stay acne free. If acne does appear, the treatment used treat acne varies greatly from the approach used to treat oily skin.

The reason being that when acne presents itself in people with dry skin, it is usually under the surface. This can produce painful nodules and redness. It is definitely not advisable to pick at these lesions because you can seriously damage your skin. Instead, reach for the moisturizer.

Yes, that's right. Moisturizing regularly is the key to keeping dry skin acne-free, and here's precisely why:

Dry skin tends to have micro-cracks on the surface of the skin. These tiny, little breaks in the skin are a perfect entry point for bacteria, especially the kind that cause acne. However, moisturizing regularly will help your skin stay moist and prevent it from forming dry cracks.

Along with a good moisturizer, you can use different acne creams to help control breakouts. However, do not use products designed for oily skin. Keep in mind that acne treatments that were meant for oily skin are much too strong for people with dry skin.

Another way to keep your skin moisturized is to use oil as a cleanser. However, not just any oil will do. Try using a non-comedogenic oil, like olive oil, and massage it into your skin.

Remove it with a moist washcloth and apply your moisturizer as you would normally do. Using this type of product can help balance out the natural oils in your skin. In fact, it is especially helpful for people with extremely dry skin.

Specific Treatments for Acne

A good cleansing routine can be a life saver for people with mild and moderate acne. However, if your condition involves severe acne, then you may need medical intervention. Without the proper care, severe acne can lead to extensive scarring and force you to submit to acne scar removal procedures.

Dry skin is too sensitive to withstand products that contain retinol, salicylic acid, and sulfur. Instead of using products that contain these ingredients you should look for products that contain tea tree oil or vitamin B complex. Or if you'd like, you can use products that contain AHAs but do so wisely because they are known to cause irritation in some people.

If you decide to use tea tree oil you should use it once a week so that your skin can become accustomed to it. Or, if you prefer, you can dilute it with a couple of drops of water or by using a few drops of your moisturizer. It doesn't matter which method you use, both will help reduce its irritating power.

AHAs are excellent exfoliators and often used to help reduce the level of flaking that usually accompanies dry skin. You can also find a creamy moisturizer that contains AHAs or you can add them to your moisturizer.