Does cleansing balm help acne?

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.

The effects of acne treatment on acne-prone skin

While acne is mostly a teenage problem, adults are also increasingly being affected by it. Either the acne stays long after the adolescent years, or it develops later in life, after the age of 25. Women are more affected than men. For adolescents, acne is the main reason for a consultation with a dermatologist. On the other hand, adults tend to tack on a request about treating their acne at the end of an appointment with their dermatologist that they made for another concern.

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, then the scalp and hair, and 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 really is an essential part of care for acne-prone skin. It’s a step that removes dirt, sweat and pollution from skin. It is important, however, to choose a cleanser wisely. A strong cleanser with a high concentration of surfactants can harm skin, weakening the skin barrier and further irritating it. Acne treatments already alter the skin’s barrier function and lipidic balance. A strong cleanser only makes this worse. The surfactants attack the skin’s lipids instead of simply removing dirt that is on the skin. This can be compounded further by a rubbing action that is too vigorous, and a cleanser pH that isn’t adapted to skin’s physiobiology.

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

Sébium 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

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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 Sébium 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

Sébium 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

Sébium 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 Moisturizing Factor, your skin dries out, becoming red and rough, feeling tight, flaking and itching. Sébium 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

Sébium 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 minimizes friction on already weakened skin and provides immediate relief. Skin is lastingly hydrated and soothed, and skin comfort is restored.

Clinically proven to cleanse, moisturize and soothe skin dried out by acne treatments

Sébium 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 Sébium Hydra cleanser, to gently clean your skin, moisturize it and soothe the dryness. It’s your moment of respite, so enjoy.

Step 2: Moisturise with Bioderma Sébium Hydra cream. Nourishing and intensely hydrating, it soothes skin that has endured the highly drying effects of acne treatments.