So you thought dry skin would save you from the perils of getting acne at any point in your life. When you think about it, it makes sense because dry skin means no oil to clog up your pores, right? Wrong! You see, underneath that dry surface there are still sebaceous glands and bacteria, and you still shed dead skin cells everyday. These are the main ingredients that make up acne, whatever type of skin you have. Having dry skin alone is uncomfortable enough since it makes your skin flake, itch and easily get irritated, and the formation of acne definitely just makes it worse especially during winter when the air is dry. However, it’s not totally hopeless. There are dry skin acne treatments that can lessen the discomfort of acne breakouts. It’s not always easy to change your environment, but there are several ways to make acne and dry skin more bearable whatever the season:

Keep yourself hydrated. We’ve always been told to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, and there’s more than just one reason for that. Dehydration has been pinpointed as one of the reasons for having dry skin since the skin is not getting enough moisture to keep it healthy and supple. If you haven’t made it a habit to drink plenty of fluids, start doing so now. Water not only helps in moisturizing your skin from the inside, it also aids in cleansing by flushing the toxins out of your body and lessens your chances of having clogged pores.

Minimize contact with water. No, this is not a contradiction to the previous step made to confuse you. If you think that a faster way to hydrate your skin would be to apply water on it as much as possible, think again. Water may be moisturizing your skin while it’s still wet, but once it dries up, it also strips away the natural oils and leaves you even drier than before. This can lead to more skin flaking off, accumulating in the pores and leading to more breakouts.

Cleanse your skin. Remove dirt, oil, makeup and other irritants that may have made their way to your skin throughout the day. Try using oil-free toners or hypoallergenic skin cleansers. Always remember to clean your face before bedtime, otherwise you’ll only be allowing more bacteria to accumulate and more pores to get clogged.

Moisturize constantly. Moisturizers might not be the first thing that will come to your mind when thinking about treating acne or at least preventing further breakouts, but when the acne is appearing on dry skin, applying the right moisturizer can help alleviate the irritation and won’t worsen your acne. There are already different types of moisturizers to choose from: creams, gels, water-based, oil-free, and more. Once you’ve found the one that suits you best and does not worsen your skin condition, apply it everyday right after showering since it is at this time when it’s easiest for the skin to absorb the moisturizer.

Reconsider your acne treatment. Have you been using the same medication for your acne for a long time now? If you find your acne and your dry skin getting better throughout this time, well and good. However, if you’ve found that some of your conditions are getting worse, it might not just be the changes in temperature and season that are causing it. Perhaps it’s time to set another appointment with your dermatologist and have him check if your current treatment is still working as effectively as you expect it to.

The main purpose of dry skin acne treatments is to keep your skin free from irritation and aggravation to prevent it from flaking, cracking, and becoming more painful than it already is. Just make your own effective regimen to clean and moisturize the skin and follow it religiously. Sooner or later, you’ll find that your winters won’t be as cold and drying as it used to be anymore.