Acne treatments can really take their toll on your skin, drying it out, dehydrating it and leaving it feeling tight and uncomfortable. There can, however, be moments of respite. Using a gentle cleanser that removes dirt while hydrating, soothing and nourishing your skin is just the ticket for a bit of calm during the storm.
How to Gently Cleanse Skin That’s Become Dry from Acne Treatments
Reading time : 6 min
The effects of acne treatment on acne-prone skin
Although acne is often associated with the teenage years, it increasingly affects adults as well. In some cases, acne persists long after adolescence, while in others it develops later in life, typically after the age of 25. Women tend to be more affected than men. For teenagers, acne is one of the main reasons for visiting a dermatologist. In contrast, adults often mention acne as an additional concern during appointments originally made for other skin issues.
Four types of treatment
When acne becomes a chronic and widespread problem covering many parts of the face and torso, there are many ways of addressing it.
Patients can apply cream for either comedonal or inflammatory acne, which often contains benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid.
Zinc-based supplements can help during the summer, or when acne is moderate and a topical treatment isn’t working.
This type of medication is used as an anti-inflammatory. It usually has a positive effect on papules and pustules, and not as much on comedonal acne. Cream is therefore often prescribed to provide an overall treatment.
When all else fails and for severe forms of acne, isotretinoin is a powerful inhibitor of sebaceous gland activity. This oral treatment acts to reduce the size of sebaceous glands, leading to a decrease in sebum production and therefore a decrease in acne lesions. Treatments last several months.
Treatment side effects
Topical and isotretinoin treatments in particular will dry skin out. As treatment progresses, skin can turn flaky, red, irritated and possibly itchy. Isotretinoin acts on more than simply facial skin. Facial skin will dry out first, then the lips, scalp and hair, eventually skin all over the body becomes dry, tight and uncomfortable.
Dealing with the dryness that accompanies treatments for acne-prone skin
As a general rule, patients usually accept the unpleasant side effects of their acne treatments if they see a difference in their acne. It’s true that we can’t always negotiate the medication, but we can negotiate the dose to make skin feel more bearable. Topical treatments can really dry skin out, making it uncomfortable and appearing not to work. When this happens, there is a higher chance of the patient – often adolescents – dropping their treatment because the discomfort is not compensated by the desired effect. As a dermatologist, I really have to anticipate the side effects of prescribed treatments based on each patient’s skin type. That way, the patient has adapted creams and cleansers on hand when their discomfort appears, and they can care for it.
Dr Aurore Fougerouse, Dermatologist, France
Do cleansers dry out acne-prone skin?
Cleansing is a vital step in caring for acne-prone skin. It helps to remove impurities such as dirt, sweat and pollution that can clog pores and trigger breakouts. However, it’s important to choose your cleanser carefully. Harsh cleansers with high concentrations of surfactants can damage the skin by weakening its natural barrier and causing further irritation.
Acne treatments already tend to disrupt the skin’s protective barrier and lipid balance, so using a strong cleanser can make dryness and sensitivity worse. When surfactants are too aggressive, they strip away essential skin lipids rather than just removing surface impurities. This effect can be intensified by vigorous scrubbing or using a cleanser with a pH that isn’t suited to the skin’s natural physiology.
Patients, in particular teens, who have had a bad experience with cleanser in the past are more reluctant to use one again, despite the real benefits it brings. That’s why it’s important to choose one that is adapted to your skin condition: a product that’s gentle, nourishing, rinses off easily, and doesn’t make skin feel tight after. It really should be more like a moment of respite during an otherwise uncomfortable treatment.
Dr Aurore Fougerouse, Dermatologist, France
BIODERMA's answer: A soothing and hydrating cleansing balm
A Bioderma Ecobiological answer
Sebium Hydra Cleanser
Acne-prone skin
Skin is gently cleansed and soothed: 100%*
+53.1% hydration level*
*Clinical study on 30 subjects aged from 14 to 30 years old with mild to moderate acne with very dry skin under topical or oral treatment (retinoic acid or isotretinoin) after 28 days of twice daily application in addition to their usual daily cream, Portugal, 2023
Do you want to know more about SÉBIUM products composition?
Naos’s ecobiological approach is based on the principle that the skin is an ever-evolving ecosystem that interacts with its environment, and that it has natural resources and mechanisms that must be preserved. When acne treatments dry skin out, it requires gentle, soothing nourishment and frictionless cleansing to help restore it to health.
Inspired by this approach, Bioderma has innovated to create Sebium Hydra cleanser, whose formula is made with 93% biomimetic ingredients, to respect and strengthen skin’s natural mechanisms and help it regain balance and comfort.
Balm texture that cleanses gently to nourish, soothe and hydrate for relief from dryness
Sebium Hydra cleanser blends active ingredients that are in perfect affinity with your skin in a formula that has a slightly acidic pH like the skin’s. Containing proven Bioderma technology for soothing skin, it has been specially designed for skin weakened by acne treatments.
Cleanses gently
Sebium Hydra cleanser’s action comes from two surfactants chosen for their gentleness and from shea oil. The micelles in the formula pick dirt up and rinse it away easily. Painful and weakened skin is gently cleaned without any friction or over-drying.
Preserves lipids rate
Shea oil is included for the biomimetic lipids it contains, omega 6&9. These help to counterbalance the drying effects of acne treatments on your skin, nourishing your skin and preserving its lipids, without impacting the effectiveness of the treatments themselves.
Restores water reserves
Without enough Natural Moisturising Factor, your skin dries out, becoming red and rough, feeling tight, flaking and itching. Sebium Hydra cleanser has an NMF-like active ingredient that is a 100% natural sugar. It captures water and retains it in your skin, keeping it hydrated.
Relieves skin damaged by acne treatments
Bioderma’s Dermatological Advanced Formula (DAF) patent contains three biomimetic sugars – mannitol, rhamnose and xylitol – that increase the tolerance threshold of skin made sensitive by acne treatments.
Tolerance and effective skin renewal in a silky texture
Sebium Hydra cleanser has therefore been developed and formulated for the specific problems that your skin endures as it’s being treated for acne. The cleanser minimises friction on already weakened skin and provides immediate relief. Skin is lastingly hydrated and soothed, and skin comfort is restored.
Clinically proven to cleanse, moisturise and soothe skin dried out by acne treatments
Sebium Hydra cleanser has been clinically proven to preserve skin’s lipid rates without impacting the efficacy of a dermatological anti-acne treatment.
- +53% increase in hydration*
- 80% of subjects’ acne improved*
- 100% of subjects state they rub their skin less during cleansing thanks to the balm texture*
- 94% state that their skin is gently cleansed*
- 91% skin is lastingly soothed*
- 91% skin is more comfortable*
Physiological pH - Very well tolerated - Non-comedogenic - Soap free - Can be used as a make-up remover.
* Clinical study on 30 subjects with mild to moderate acne with very dry skin under topical or oral treatment under dermatological and ophthalmological control (self-assessment and corneometry measurement)
The two essential steps for maximum comfort
Regular cleansing is essential when caring for acne. If possible, cleaning in the morning and evening is preferable. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen before going outside.
Step 1: Cleanse with Bioderma Sebium Hydra cleanser, to gently clean your skin, moisturise it and soothe the dryness. It’s your moment of respite, so enjoy.
Step 2: Moisturise with Bioderma SEbium Hydra cream. Nourishing and intensely hydrating, it soothes skin that has endured the highly drying effects of acne treatments.
