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How to Smooth the Look of Textured Skin: Read It Before You Choose a Product
Rough, bumpy, or uneven-looking texture has several causes. How to tell which one you have, what each one may respond to, and when to see a dermatologist.
Key Takeaways
“Textured skin” covers at least five different looks: rough, flaky patches; small clogged bumps; tiny rough bumps around hair follicles; dents left by old breakouts; and crepey-looking skin from years of sun.
The first three may respond to skincare. A chemical exfoliant, such as Glycolic, Lactic, or Salicylic Acid, plus a daily moisturizer, is where the AAD’s self-care advice for rough bumps starts.
A Retinoid at night may help with uneven-looking texture over time, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, but start with the least intense formula every other night.
Scrubbing can make texture look worse. The AAD warns it can irritate skin, and over-exfoliating can leave skin red and irritated.
Pitted scars and deep sun-related changes sit deeper than most creams are likely to reach, so they’re worth asking a board-certified dermatologist about.
The Short Answer
To help textured-looking skin appear smoother, match the approach to the cause. For roughness and small bumps, the AAD suggests a chemical exfoliant with an ingredient, such as an Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Lactic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Urea, or a Retinoid, followed by moisturizer, and it warns against scrubbing. For pitted acne scars, the AAD lists in-office options, such as chemical peels and laser treatments, and says a Retinoid or Salicylic Acid may help mild scarring look less noticeable.
Read the Texture Before You Choose a Product
Run your fingertips across the area and look at it in daylight. What you feel and see points to what’s happening, and each cause has a different best first step.
What you notice | What it often is | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
Rough, flaky, or tight patches that feel worse after washing | Visible dryness | A gentler cleanser and a richer moisturizer |
Small bumps or dark specks where oil collects | Clogged pores | Salicylic Acid and noncomedogenic products |
Tiny rough bumps around hair follicles, sometimes on the cheeks, that feel like sandpaper | Keratosis pilaris | A chemical exfoliant plus moisturizer, no scrubbing |
Shallow dents or pits where breakouts used to be | Depressed acne scars | A dermatologist visit |
Thin, crinkly, crepey-looking skin with visible fine lines | Years of sun exposure and age | Daily sunscreen and a Retinoid at night |
A face can have more than one of these at once, especially rough-looking dryness alongside clogged bumps. Start with the one that’s bothering you most.
What’s Happening in the Skin
Buildup on Top
Much of the texture you can feel sits at the very top layer of skin, where old, shed material can build up instead of clearing. Cleveland Clinic says that material can dull the complexion, make skin look splotchy, and clog pores.
Keratosis pilaris is a specific version of this. Cleveland Clinic explains that its bumps are made of excess keratin, the protein that helps form hair, nails, and the outer layer of skin. It’s most common on the arms, legs, and buttocks, but it can show up on the cheeks too, with rough, sandpaper-like skin where the bumps appear. Cleveland Clinic notes it’s harmless and usually fades by age 30.
Changes Deeper Down
Some texture isn’t about buildup at all. Depressed acne scars and crepey-looking skin involve the collagen and elastin in the dermis, which Cleveland Clinic says offer the skin support and elasticity. Cleveland Clinic’s overview of crepey-looking skin says it can typically be traced to sun exposure, since UV rays break down elastin over time. An exfoliant works on the top layer, so it may help these look a little smoother but isn’t likely to change what’s underneath.
What Topicals Can and Can’t Do
Topicals may make the top layer look smoother and feel softer. They don’t fill in a pitted scar, and any visible change is likely to fade if you stop. Here’s what the main options do:
Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): Glycolic and Lactic Acid are the most common in cosmetics, according to the FDA, which says AHA products are marketed for several purposes, such as improving skin texture and tone and unblocking pores. The FDA advises sun protection while using them, because AHAs may increase sensitivity to the sun. Our guide to AHA exfoliants compares strengths.
Salicylic Acid: The BHA most often used in cosmetics, per the FDA. It may suit texture that’s mostly clogged bumps, since the AAD says studies show Salicylic Acid can unclog pores. The FDA suggests testing a BHA product on a small area first.
Urea: It’s named by the AAD as one of the keratolytic, or chemical exfoliating, ingredients for rough bumps. DermNet also lists it as a humectant, which attracts water, so it pulls double duty on rough, dry-looking patches.
Retinoids: The AAD says Retinol is routinely used to improve the look of uneven pigmentation and texture. Its dermatologists advise starting with the least intense formula every other night, using it only at night, and protecting skin from the sun during the day. The AAD also says Retinoids shouldn’t be used during pregnancy.
Moisturizer: Not glamorous, but it’s half the plan. The AAD notes that keratolytics dry the skin, so moisturizer should follow.
If the bumps you’re dealing with are mostly on your arms or legs, our guide to exfoliants for bumpy skin texture covers formulas built for larger areas.
A Texture Routine, Step by Step
This assumes the texture is rough patches, clogged bumps, or keratosis pilaris. Pitted scars belong with a dermatologist.
Cleanse gently, morning and night: Use your fingertips and lukewarm water. The AAD’s face-washing guidance favors a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser.
Choose one exfoliant, not three: Pick a single chemical exfoliant that matches your texture: an AHA for rough, dull-looking patches; Salicylic Acid for clogged bumps; Urea or Lactic Acid for keratosis pilaris on drier skin.
Start two or three nights a week: The AAD says that the more aggressive the exfoliation, the less often it needs to be done. Increase only if your skin stays comfortable.
Moisturize right after: The AAD says exfoliating can be drying and recommends applying moisturizer right afterward.
Add a Retinoid later, on separate nights: Once your skin is used to the exfoliant, a Retinoid can be applied on nights you don’t exfoliate. The AAD warns that exfoliating while using Retinol or a prescription Retinoid may worsen visible dryness, so alternating is gentler than stacking. Our guide to serums to layer with Retinol covers companions that tend to sit well alongside it.
Wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every day: Both AHAs and Retinoids can make skin more sensitive to the sun, according to the FDA and the AAD. If your skin’s sensitive, the AAD suggests a physical sunscreen with Titanium Dioxide or Zinc Oxide.
Three Habits That Can Make Texture Look Worse
Scrubbing: The AAD says scrubbing tends to irritate skin and can make keratosis pilaris worse. It’s tempting to try to buff bumps away, but a gritty scrub may simply trade one kind of texture for redness. The AAD’s exfoliation guidance adds that people with dry, sensitive, or breakout-prone skin may prefer a washcloth and a mild chemical exfoliant over mechanical exfoliation.
Overdoing it: Using a keratolytic more often or more heavily than the label says can leave skin raw and irritated, the AAD notes, and over-exfoliating can leave skin red. If your face starts to sting, look tight and shiny, or flake more than before, stop exfoliating until it’s settled.
Doubling up on exfoliants: An AHA toner, a Salicylic Acid serum, and a Retinoid cream each exfoliate in their own way, and the AAD warns that exfoliating while using a Retinoid may worsen visible dryness. If you already use one exfoliating product, the next step may be more moisturizer, not a second exfoliant.
One more consideration for darker skin: An AAD dermatologist notes that, with skin of color, irritation can trigger dark marks, and its exfoliation guidance says more aggressive exfoliation may lead to dark spots in some people, especially those with darker skin tones. That’s why going slowly matters even more. A patch test on a small area before a new exfoliant, which the FDA advises for BHA products, is a sensible habit for anyone.
How Long Before You Might See a Difference
Rough, dry-looking patches may feel softer fairly soon with regular moisturizing, especially if you apply it right after patting skin dry, as the AAD’s dry skin tips suggest. Smoother-looking texture from an exfoliant or a Retinoid can take longer to show, often weeks of consistent use, and Retinoids in particular are started slowly on purpose. Keratosis pilaris may follow the seasons: Cleveland Clinic notes the bumps can look worse when the air is drier, such as in winter, and may fade in summer.
When to See a Board-Certified Dermatologist
It’s worth booking a visit with a board-certified dermatologist if:
The texture is pitted or indented, since the AAD lists in-office options for depressed acne scars, such as chemical peels and laser treatments
Bumps are painful, inflamed, spreading, or itchy
Several months of consistent use of a gentle routine haven’t changed how your skin looks
You have moderate or severe acne scarring and are considering a Retinoid, which the AAD suggests discussing with a dermatologist first
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get rid of textured skin?
Start by working out which kind of texture you’ve got. Rough patches and small bumps may look smoother with a gentle chemical exfoliant, such as Glycolic, Lactic, or Salicylic Acid, used a few nights a week, a moisturizer afterward, and daily broad-spectrum sunscreen. A Retinoid at night may help over weeks of consistent use. Pitted scars are worth showing to a dermatologist.
Why do I have tiny rough bumps on my cheeks?
It’s possibly keratosis pilaris. Cleveland Clinic says the bumps are made of excess keratin and can appear on the cheeks as well as the arms and legs. The AAD suggests a chemical exfoliant plus moisturizer and no scrubbing.
Can a moisturizer alone smooth textured skin?
It may, if the texture is mostly visible dryness, since a moisturizer can help soften rough-looking patches. If the texture is clogged bumps or keratosis pilaris, adding a gentle exfoliant may do more.
Is textured skin the same as large pores?
Not exactly, though they’re often found together. Clogged pores can feel bumpy, and the same Salicylic Acid step may help both. Bumps around hair follicles or dents from old breakouts are a different issue.
Does textured skin get worse in winter?
It can. Cleveland Clinic’s overview notes that keratosis pilaris bumps can worsen when the air is drier, such as in winter, and dry-looking, rough patches are more common in cold months too.