People who have dry skin usually don't have to worry about acne. But, not everyone with dry skin can stay acne free. When acne does appear the approach used to treat acne is quite different than that used to treat oily skin.

The main reason for this difference is that when acne presents itself in people with dry skin, it is usually under the surface. This can lead to 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 is the key step to dealing with acne that appears on dry skin, and here's 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. Moisturizing will help your skin stay moist and flexible and keep your skin from cracking.

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 meant for oily skin are much too strong for people with dry skin.

You can also use oil as a moisturizer for dry skin. Although, 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 warm, moist washcloth and apply your moisturizer as usual. This change 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 real life saver for people that suffer from mild and moderate acne. However, if you suffer from severe acne you may require medical intervention. By not administering proper care your acne condition 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 salicylic acid, retinol and sulfur. Instead of these ingredients, try looking for products that are made with tea tree oil or vitamin B complex. AHAs are another options, but if you decide to use products that contain this ingredient do it wisely because AHAs are also known to cause some irritation.

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, you can dilute it with a couple of drops of water or a few drops of your moisturizer. Both of these methods help reduce its irritating power.

AHAs are great exfoliators and can be used to help reduce the level of flaking that accompanies dry skin. You can either find a creamy moisturizer made with AHAs or mix them into your moisturizer.