If you have ever dealt with acne, you know that some harsh treatments can dry out your skin.
We’ll discuss the common acne treatments that can cause your skin to become dry and flaky, and explore how you can fix that dryness with the right skincare routine.
Related: 5 Tips for Managing Dry, Flaky Skin
What Causes Dry, Flaky Skin?
While many acne treatments can help you get rid of blemishes, they can also be drying and stripping.
When a product dries out your skin, it causes damage to your moisture barrier, leading to cracks and allowing moisture to escape and irritants to get in more easily.
These common products and habits can lead to dry, flaky skin:
1. Alcohol-Based Treatments
Many acne products, particularly toners and spot treatments, often include denatured alcohol or SD alcohol 40 in their ingredients.
These can strip your skin of its moisture barrier, causing excessive dryness. And while you typically only apply these types of products to small areas for spot treatments, they can cause damage to your skin, drying it out and creating flakiness.
2. Benzoyl Peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is a common ingredient in acne treatment products that’s been around for years. It works by reducing P. acnes bacteria, which can lead to blemishes.
While benzoyl peroxide is effective for many people when used in moderation, it’s notorious for drying out your skin and causing flakiness.
3. Damaging Skin Care Products
You might notice a stinging sensation when applying certain skincare products topically. That sting comes from an inflammatory reaction — we want to avoid this.
The most common causes are ingredients that don’t agree with your skin or one with an incorrect pH level for you. Acid-based exfoliating products commonly have pH levels lower than your skin’s natural pH, leading to dry, flaky skin.
4. Not Using Moisturizer
Some people worry about moisturizer clogging their pores and causing more acne — however, your skin cells need moisture to live. When there’s no hydration, your skin goes into an unhealthy state, leading to dehydration and tightness.
Add harsh acne treatments to skin that is already dry, and you can do some real damage to your skin, making it more unhealthy and leading to even more acne breakouts.
5. Over-Exfoliating
Many people get great results from popular acne treatments that contain chemical exfoliants like lactic acid, malic acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid.
However, using these products too often can damage your skin’s moisture barrier, causing irritation and dryness. You should limit exfoliation — how often you use them depends on your skin type, but it definitely shouldn’t be part of your everyday routine.
6. Retinoids
Retinoids are a derivative of vitamin A that are typically only available by prescription; however, there are a few retinoids available over-the-counter.
Retinoids don’t work well for some types of acne — like red, inflamed blemishes — but they can work well for non-inflamed bumps and clogged pores. The most common side effects of using retinoids include redness, peeling skin, and dryness, although these typically improve after a couple of months.
Related: Skin 101: The Basics
7. Seasonal Weather Changes
Even without using harsh products on your skin, seasonal changes in your environment can lead to dryness and flakiness.
For example, acne-prone people may benefit from stronger cleansers in the summer to combat sweat and oil. However, once winter begins, the dry indoor heat and cold outside air might be too much for their skin, leading to dry, inflamed skin.
While winter weather might make you reach for more intense moisturizers, those heavier products are typically a no-no for those with oily skin, even with harsh dryness in the winter. It can make you more prone to breakouts and clogging.
8. Sulfate-Based Face Washes
Many acne cleaners include ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate to make them foam.
However, due to their high pH and the lather they create, sulfates can be too drying and stripping for your skin, especially if your skin is already sensitive. Instead, you should opt for using sulfate-free, low-foaming cleansers.
9. Topical Acne Medications
Your dermatologist might prescribe a cleanser, cream, or gel treatment to lessen your breakouts; however, most of these treatments are designed to dry out your skin.
Many times, these products will leave you with dehydrated, dry, and flaky skin. If you use them, it’s best to introduce them into your routine slowly, using them sparingly to help avoid the backlash of peeling and dryness.
How to Get Rid of Dry Skin Caused by Harsh Acne Treatments
The best acne skincare routine is crucial if you get breakouts, and are prone to sensitivity. Creating the right daily process means removing excess oil from your skin and keeping your pores clear to help blemishes heal more quickly.
Follow these four steps to establish your new skincare routine:

Related: Sensitive Skin: Ingredients to Avoid
Then, incorporate these five tips to perfect your daily routine:
Learn more about why pH matters when it comes to your skincare routine, and find the perfect balancing moisturizer to hydrate your dry skin from harsh acne treatments!