In the past few years, the skincare market has become care-crazy. From over-the-counter products, to DIY treatments, and prescription drugs, there is no shortage of skincare products. Everyone is trying to be the next Gwyneth Paltrow or some Korean Celebrity, with their beautiful glowing skin, or at least have healthy skin. Problem is, if you use some of those products that are marketed to have great results, you may be surprised that your skin is breaking out, or you start to have some redness and irritation. The reaction can come as a result of many factors, such as ingredients, formulation, pH, cross-contact, etc. The irritation can be severe, unbearable and cause discomfort. This blog post will help you learn how to soothe irritated skin after using certain products, using natural remedies to professional treatments.
HOW TO IMMEDIATELY TREAT A REACTION
If you’re experiencing some mild negative reactions, for instance irritation or allergies, the first thing you should do is stop using the product then wash off completely the remaining product from your face with room temperature water. For the occurrence of severe reactions like swelling, shortness of breathing, or dizziness, seek immediate medical help to your dermatologist.
IF A NEW PRODUCT CAUSES BREAKOUT
If you’re a blogger or simply a skincare addict, you’ve probably tried a lot of skincare products—some good, some bad. But, what happens when one of them causes a breakout?
In case of acne triggered by a product, clogging pores might be the primary culprit. The clogged pores likely happened due to excess oil and bacteria accumulating on the surface of face skin. Whatever you do, do not pop the pimples. This will cause the spot to become even more inflamed, and could cause skin scarring.
First and foremost, it is recommended to take a break from your skincare routine and heavy makeup application, then just stick to basic skincare like cleanser and moisturizer for a while. This method will help the skin to heal without further adding irritating products. When choosing basic skincare products, keep in mind that clogged pores are called comedones, so looking for products that are labeled as ‘non-comedogenic’ will less likely to cause acne.
AT-HOME REMEDIES AND DIY FIXES FOR FACIAL REDNESS
If you just recently suffered from light skin irritation, try to apply these natural at-home remedies to help soothe your skin.
1. SOOTHE WITH WATER
If your skin starts reacting, my first go-to is countering with a water-based soothing mist. Choose products with added-soothing ingredients and formulas like aloe, centella asiatica or cucumber which can offer a calming effect and make your skin less-irritating. Make sure your body is well-hydrated from within by drinking enough water or at least 2-3 liters of water depending on body weight, gender, activity, and weather. Water helps your skin look dewy and clear. To measure if you drink enough water, check your pee’s color as an indication of your water intake. If your pee is light yellow, it means that your hydration level is good, and on the contrary, if your pee is dark yellow colored, then you need to sip more water.
2. SLEEP IT OFF
Getting 8 hours of good night sleep is mandatory if you want your skin to look at its best and help minimize skin irritation. A sleep deprived person will result in a stressed-out body which eventually will release cortisol hormone into the bloodstream and will potentially generate fine lines to acne. However, if you manage to meet the body’s need for adequate sleeping hours, your body will naturally generate enough collagen to prevent premature aging and help calm any inflammation.
3. EAT YOUR BEAUTY FOOD
One of the important things to be aware of is the food you eat. Inflamed skin can worsen due to your diet, especially if your diet contains inflammatory foods. Make simple changes in your diet by incorporating more leafy green vegetables, fish, fruits, then eliminate sugary foods, deep fried foods, sodas, alcohol, and non-organic meats. Some people’s go-to beauty foods include: papaya (packed with vitamin A, C, E), Kale (source of vitamin C, antioxidant, lutein, and lutein), and Avocado (healthy fat).
4. HONEY
When skin is acting up, try to apply honey as a natural remedy. Honey contains antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties, all of which are great ingredients to speed up the skin’s healing process as well as to treat acne. It is recommended to straightly apply honey as a face-mask, leave it for about 30 minutes before rinsing, and repeat the process once or twice weekly. Among various types of honey, manuka and raw honey top the list as products that are suitable for use in this therapy because these products do not go through a high temperature processing system or pasteurization that may destroy its natural properties.
Online store recommendation for comprehensive honey product selection: honeycity.com.sg
5. COLLOIDAL OATMEAL
Basically colloidal oatmeal or oatmeal bath is finely ground oatmeal dissolved in water. It is a natural remedy that is known to soothe irritated skin, sunburn, and relieves eczema. The main reason why this oatmeal solution soothes skin is because oatmeal contains anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant chemicals called avenanthramides, while beta glucans, starches, proteins, and lipids act as skin moisturizers. You can soak oatmeal in warm mineral water, let it sit for about one hour, then saturate gentle cotton pads into the solution and use them as a short of DIY face mask by leaving it on the top of your inflamed skin.
6. ALOE VERA GEL
Aloe vera gel is used to treat a variety of skin ailments and is being used as an ingredient in Ayurvedic medicine. It is also a natural remedy for skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and psoriasis. Aloe vera is known to soothe irritated skin, hydrate, and protect it from various ailments such as sunburn. Moreover, aloe vera is also packed with nutrients such as vitamin A, E, antioxidants and numerous healthy enzymes. Because of that, lately aloe vera gel has become one of the common ingredients used in skin care products and you may have noticed that many brands include it on the ingredient label.
