5 Ways to Relieve Dryness from Acne Products
One of the most common complaints of even the best acne products is that they irritate and dehydrate the skin.
People tend to stop using their acne products when their skin gets dry and peely, so they never get completely clear, nor do they stay clear. I want to go over some strategies that can make using acne products a more productive, comfortable process.
Know from the outset, that you are going to have some dryness and peeling from acne products. Any product that is strong enough to get acne under control is inherently dehydrating – that’s just the way it is, but there are ways we can alleviate this problem while your skin is adapting to products.
The best strategy is to start off using products very slowly. Allow your skin to slowly adapt to your products. If you are using benzoyl peroxide, just start with wearing it 15 minutes a night, wash it off, and put on a noncomedogenic moisturizer for the night. Slowly increase the wearing time until you can wear it overnight comfortably.
You can add a water-based hydrator like our Restore Hydrating Serum or Balancing Gel Moisturizer to layer under your morning sunscreen and your evening benzoyl peroxide. Remember to not use any moisturizer or cream with oil in it as it will stop the action of the benzoyl peroxide. The benzoyl will not be able to penetrate into the pores to do its work of stopping acne from forming.
Dryness around the mouth and chin area is a very common reaction to benzoyl peroxide. When it happens, you can apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the dry area (smile lines) before applying the benzoyl peroxide. You can do this for just a few days and then resume the benzoyl peroxide again. Rest assured that Vaseline will not cause your skin to break out.
Another option is to take a 1 to 3 - day break from your routine. Just cleanse, tone, and use your non-comedogenic sunscreen in the morning, and cleanse, tone, and use a noncomedogenic moisturizer at night. When you start your routine again, you will resume where you left off.
The path to clear skin is not easy – it’s best to have someone who is experienced to help you get there. We, at Elements Skin Care & Acne Clinic, do just that – we will get you through the ups and downs of getting to clear skin.
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