If you have acne, you got to have oily skin. This is what popular belief goes like. But, it is a mistake to think that people with oily skin are the only ones who suffer from acne breakouts. Acne is a skin condition that can affect any person, irrespective of the skin type. However, when it comes to treatment of the breakout, it is important that you pick the product according to your skin. Acne treatment for women with oily skin won't be effective for women with dry or combination skin.

What is your skin type?

There are basically four types of skin: dry, oily, normal and combination. It is easy to identify your skin type by following the given steps:

Step 1: Use your regular cleanser to wash your face. Pat dry using a clean towel.

Step 2: Don't apply any moisturizer or cream for one hour. Let it get back to its natural state. Avoid the temptation to touch your face.

Step 3: After an hour, touch and observe your skin.

If your skin feels tight and you see dry patches on your cheeks and forehead, then you have a dry skin.Your skin is oily if you see a shine near you T zone. You can use a tissue to see whether you have oil on your skin or not.If you have greasiness around T-zone, but dry flakes around forehead and chin, then you have a combination skin.In case your skin looks fresh, neither oily nor dry, then consider yourself lucky. You have normal skin.

Acne treatment for your specific skin type

Now that you know your skin type, it is essential that you choose the right treatment, the one that is formulated for your skin specifically.

Oily skin: There is no doubt that oily skin is more likely to be acne-prone as sebaceous glands produce excessive sebum, which becomes excellent habitat for acne bacteria to grow. Just because you look shiny and greasy all the time, it doesn't mean that you have to over-wash your face. Neither does this mean that you need acne products that have drying agents. Over-drying your skin can worsen your breakout as skin will compensate for oil by activating sebum producing glands. Use products that clear blocked pores and fight acne-causing bacteria. For cleaning, pick up a gel-based foaming cleanser. Don't forget toning and exfoliating your skin.

Dry skin: Maintaining a dry skin can be a battle itself and if you have breakout, your life can be miserable. Treating acne on dry skin requires more care than oily and combination skin. Using exfoliating cleanser can help, as it will remove dead skin that might clog pores. It is essential to restore moisture balance, hence, use an intensive lotion. Acne treatment that decreases the size of pores and clears them out should work for you. Make sure that it provides enough moisture to your skin. Dry skin tends to develop wrinkles sooner than oily skin. So, there are chances that you have to battle acne and wrinkle together. Consider using Murad Blemish and Wrinkle Reducer that works on both the problems.

Combination skin: As your problem area is T-zone, you are likely to experience breakouts in near nose. Whiteheads and blackheads are also common problem for combination skin. Using good, antioxidant-rich skin cleanser can be helpful. To get rid of whiteheads and blackheads exfoliate regularly. You need an acne treatment that is oil-free but provides all-day moisture. As you only have acne near T-zone, you can consider treating the blister individually also.

Normal skin: Although it is unlikely that you have severe breakout, it is better to make sure your skin is healthy. You can remove occasional pimples using over-the-counter acne medications. But, as they can dry your skin, don't use them excessively. Make sure your use a good moisturizer.