Skincare at its core is designed to improve and protect our skin and a bespoke routine can achieve this with a variety of products. We all want skincare that can soothe and enhance our skin without irritation. However, there may be times when products have a less than desired effect and specialty items are needed to calm an adverse reaction. Here are the ones I use to restore my skin to its regular behaviour.
If I need something to immediately comfort my skin, I turn to the Zelens Power D Treatment Drops. I use a few drops of this on any areas of redness or irritation. I mainly use this as the last step of skincare, but equally it could be applied first if my skin is extremely upset. Because this serum is a bit rich, I tend to use it at night, but if I feel I need some extra soothing in the morning, the Pixi pHenomenal Gel is a good addition to my skincare. I can swap it in for my regular moisturiser.
If I see redness building up, I like to use a comforting mask as an overnight treatment for my skin. Again, I apply this as the last step in my skincare and my long-time faves are the Chantecaille Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask and the Bobbi Brown Skin Nourish Mask.
I workout first thing in the morning and have learned that sometimes my sweat can react adversely with my overnight skincare. While I stand by my commitment to an AM face wash, I save this for after my exercise. To combat perspiration irritation before it happens, I swipe my neck and chest with a bit of Bioderma Micellar Water (I have heard lots of praise for this Garnier one as a dupe) and then give the area a couple spritzes of May Lindstrom’s Jasmine Garden. I also enjoy Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator and Pixi Rose Glow Mist for morning sprays.
While my skincare is carefully cultivated, there are times when my skin can react by trying a new product, changing climate or hormone fluctuations.
When I try something new on my face, I’m careful to only introduce one product at a time so it is easy to understand how my skin is reacting to it. Because skin can take time to show sensitivity, I allow two to four weeks of application before passing judgement on whether I’ve chosen what’s right for my face. Yes, a reaction can happen immediately, however it may take time to develop, which is why I always advocate a dedicated period of introduction. Also, adding something new may need a drip feed of application, using just a couple times a week before reaching daily usage.
While I use retinol every night on my face, neck and décolleté, I know that colder weather will always cause everything from my chin down to flare if I don’t baby it a bit more. My first step to combat this is by avoiding wool scarves and jumpers directly on my skin. Redness and itching are the side effects I’m seeking to avoid because once they start, it can take a few days to calm down.
Hormones can impact your skin depending on where you are in your cycle and how much stress you are experiencing. To deal with this, it’s as important to keep an eye on nutrition and diet and ways to keep cortisol in check as it is to have the right skincare routine.
What do you do when your skin reacts?