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How do I combat dry skin during my acne treatment?
How do I combat dry skin during my acne treatment?

My skin is dry and red. Is this normal? What should I do?

Dr. Harth avatar
Written by Dr. Harth
Updated over a week ago

Some initial dryness and redness is totally normal in the beginning of every effective acne treatment. It means that the products are effectively doing their job, and that your skin is still adjusting to the potent ingredients in the products. However, if your skin feels excessively irritated, here are some tips we would recommend implementing to your routine:

  1. Wait before application. Wait at least 10 minutes after washing your face before applying the medicated treatment cream. When the treatment cream is applied too soon after washing, it absorbs very quickly and can cause more dryness and irritation. 

  2. Reduce the amount of treatment cream used. The medicated treatment cream is potent. Apply only a “pea-sized" amount to your finger and touch the 6 areas of your face: twice on your forehead, once on each cheek, once on your nose, and once on your chin. Then, gently massage it into your whole face. 

  3. Dilute the treatment cream. Combine a small "pea-sized" quantity of the medicated treatment cream with an equal amount of oil-free moisturizer in your palm before application. This will result in a diluted, more mild treatment cream, which you should apply to the entire area with acne (not just to individual pimples). 

  4. Avoid sensitive areas. While we recommend applying the medicated treatment cream to your entire face (not just spot treating), try to avoid sensitive areas around your eyes, around your mouth and the edges of your nose.

  5. Reduce application frequency. If redness and dryness are still significant after 4-5 days, try using your medicated treatment cream every other night, using an oil-free moisturizer on your "off" nights instead. Once your skin gets used to the treatment cream switch back to every night. 

MDacne subscribers receive unlimited access to Skin Specialist chat support, skin monitoring with the selfie analysis tracker, free fine-tuning of treatment products, and more. 

You can also check out the "Acne Help" page on the MDacne website, which has tons of free content including diet and lifestyle information to help you start treating your acne today. 

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