how to stop skin irritation

Ever noticed yourself blushing, even when you’re not embarrassed?

Does a glass or two of wine at dinner leave you looking flushed the following day?

Or maybe an afternoon in the sun leaves your face pink for days?

Do you experience flushing and persistent redness?

Then there is some advice we can give you.

That is to approach your skincare routine as if you were carrying out an elimination diet.

Why? Because your skin abides by the same principle as your body, it is the largest organ.

So, don’t be tempted to approach your routine like a kid in a candy store.

Otherwise, you may end up paying the price for over-indulgence.

What Causes Skin Irritation?

Several factors can trigger skin irritation, including allergens, pollutants, UV, strong products, and harsh treatments; they compromise your skin’s protective barrier.

As the outermost layer of your skin, it locks water in and the bad guys like bacteria out; it’s your skin’s defence system.

Topical cortisones, are they friends or foe?

Topical cortisone is often recommended to treat skin sensitivity and irritation.

And these cortisones will indeed offer you immediate relief, but the repeated application of steroids can thin out your skin, weakening the epidermis, your skin’s outer layer.

Several other conditions are associated with the long-term use of cortisone on the skin, which can be damaging. You can read all about it in our article, hydrocortisone cream.

How do I Treat Skin Irritation?

If chronic inflammation is a problem, then give your skin a break.

Many people write to us because they are genuinely concerned about their skin sensitivity, yet when asked what they have been using, they reel off a long list of products.

Our advice is to strip back your use of products and keep it simple.

Less is best, and use products that are devoid of sensitising ingredients to rebuild your acid mantle and repair your skin’s barrier.

The new cellular turnover cycle of your skin takes around four to six weeks.

Therefore we recommend scaling back your routine to bring your skin back into a healthy balance in line with cellular renewal.

Then gradually, you can re-introduce your skincare products one at a time.

This will help you to eliminate any potential skin irritants that may have caused the inflammation in the first place.

To bring your skin back to normal, you will need to cut back. First, take a look at your skincare routine:

1. Have you tried something new recently?
2. Is there a fragrance or essential oil in your products?
3. Is there an ingredient that’s new-to-your skin?
4. Are there any astringent products in your routine?

Follow these steps to return your skin from the brink:

Look for specifically-formulated products free from irritating ingredients such as fragrances, essential oils, glycols, and astringents.

It would be best if you were super gentle on your skin to heal and repair naturally.

Look for ceramide-rich formulas like Bio lipid skin shot, which can be layered under barrier-repairing products such as Fortify barrier repair moisturiser to begin to return your skin to health.