skin care for dry but acne prone skin

[nearlyfinisheduni]

I'm at my wits end with my skin, it gets dry and spotty so if I use products for dry skin it makes it spottier and products for spotty skin make it dry! Can anyone recommend some skin care that will help?

Sounds like I had a similar problem to you. Drying out my skin with over the counter skin treatments was the worst thing I could have done.

I went to the doctors and got prescribed Duac for my skin (fantastic).

On a daily basis I used an Avene gel cleanser that was very simple in terms of it's ingredients. It promises to clean your skin, nothing more.

I moisturised a lot. Used the Clinque Moisture Surge over night mask 3 times a week and a normal gentle moisturised twice a day the rest of the time.

Think I started the above in February this year, by April/May my skin was clear and bar a pregnancy flare up recently has remained so.

hi, yeah I think that's the problem. I use things that are too harsh to try to get rid of the spots but then my skin gets aggravated and dry! I think I need a really simple routine but its so hard to know what to buy! which moisturiser is it you use?

I'm using Garnier Moisture Match "revitalising hydrating gel" at the moment. It's very like the Clinique moisture surge, just cheaper. It's really moisturising but not heavy in consistency.

During my intensive repairing skin months I was using the Charlotte Tilsbury moisture. Amazing but v pricey.

Nivea, the simple blue pot is about £2 from Boots - slather on face overnight, it works wonders. Then yes to a simple cleansing and light moisturiser in day.

Could it be that you have dehydrated skin and not actually dry skin?

Dry skin needs moisture in the form of oil where dehydrated skin needs water.

There are loads of products on the market that are made for this - I've got dehydrated oily acne prone skin and absolutely loved the Clinique Anti blemish solutions range (cleanser, toner, moisturiser) when my skin was at its worst.
Now my skin is better, I use Aesop Parsley Seed serum (it's quite expensive though - I love it but not sure I'd buy it again) and I've been using Shiseido Ibuki (gentle cleanser, softening concentrate and refining moisturiser - this I keep buying), but I've also used Indeed Labs Hydralyron serum (not so keen on the moisturiser though).

I think Avene and La Roche-Posay also have ranges for dehydrated skin.

For me, a mild cleanser that doesn't strip the skin is key, as well as oil free hydrating products - I'm happy enough using a moisturising serum only.

I'd also suggest to ask for samples before buying to avoid buying something that doesn't work for you :)

I've tried the garnier moisture match and my skin didn't like it at all, thanks for the suggestion though

my skin is very acne prone so a thick nivea cream would be a nightmare for it!

Ah that's a shame op.

I'd definitely go to the doctors and see if they will prescribe you duac or similar. I think the regime I went with only made a difference because it was alongside proper medicated treatment.

Caudalie Vinosource Serum SOS is oil free and hasn't upset my acne prone but getting a bit dry as I am 41 skin....It's been brilliant and gives me a glow, and if I need a bit of extra nourishment I use Avalon Organics Vitamin C renewal oil free moisturiser. Both are very natural. I can't put anything with oil/lots of chemicals on my skin, or I break out. The vinosource is expensive but worth it IMO.
Drinking 2l water a day and cutting out all refined sugar from my diet has helped my skin too.

Nivea is very thick but weirdly doesn't cause me spots and I have combination skin that breaks out easily. It's never caused spots, I really think it's worth a try before all the expensive creams - I tried so many fancy ones with claims of 'delivering moisture from the tears of angels' and nothing touches Nivea. Only for overnight as it does leave skin very shiny (not oily)

Not sure where you stand on orange juice op but my doctor recommened I stop drinking shop bought orange juice due to the huge amount of sugar, natural and added in it.

That helped. It pains me a bit that it helped, I loved orange juice!

thanks for all the replies, I think it could be that my skin is dehydrated and my diet not great. I don't drink enough water, eat too many sugary foods and have orange juice every morning with breakfast!

I think I have some blue pot nivea upstairs so may be worth a try if it didn't break you out!

I have very similar sounding skin.
Every morning I use clinique liquid face soap and moisturise with their dramatically different lotion or sometimes the gel if my skin is not crazy dry and I am putting moisturiser on striaght away. In the evening I use a creamy menthol face wash and moisturise again with the dramatically different lotion but put prescribed adapalene cream in my forehead and around my mouth as this is where I get pimples and I use a super rich eye cream as my skin there can get very dry and flakey.
It took ages to find that this works for me but I would really recommend clinique. It seems expensive but the products last for ages and if you get it at the right time you can buy gift sets and get a discount.

I suffer terribly with combination of dry skin and cystic acne. After a bit of trial and error I have completely cleared up my skin using epiduo cream on prescriptionfor the spots, and Soap and Glory Scrub your Nose in it as a wash and Simple moisturiser. Face feels like a babys bum now! You will probably have to try a few things to find your perfect match.