How to Look After Your Irritated Skin
Having trouble with your skin? If it’s feeling irritated, then there is likely a reason why this is happening. It’s something to be attentive to, especially as it’s the largest organ and it’s exposed to the environment you’re in and around.
There are a number of factors that could be influencing this irritation, or it could be just one trigger that’s causing it. Until you figure out what it is, it’s not going to be something that you’ll be able to get rid of, especially when some skin conditions need specialist attention.
If you’re wanting to look after your skin when it’s irritated, then there are definitely some tips that will likely help. Let’s dive into those solutions for your skin problems.
Approach a dermatologist or speak to a doctor
First and foremost, try to avoid applying any creams or over-the-counter options until you’ve spoken to the experts. You may find yourself going to the doctor first if you’re not quite sure what the problem is and how it’s occurred.
However, they may refer you to a dermatologist or you may just want to go to one directly yourself. Dermatologists are helpful in providing you with an understanding of what is happening with your skin and what might be causing it.
Dermatologists are specialists in the skin and they’re also able to look below the skin’s surface to identify issues that you may not have even been aware of. Speaking to a dermatologist will be able to uncover the potential cause of the problem and the steps needed to rectify it.
Try to limit bath and shower time
If your skin is feeling a little irritated, then it’s best not to submerge that irritated skin under water for too long. When you’re stepping into the bath or shower, it’s likely to cause further irritation, which is not what you want when trying to alleviate the pain being caused.
With that in mind, be conscious of how much time you spend in the bathtub or in the shower. Try to avoid making the water too hot too as this will only make it worse. Once you step out, make sure you’re patting the irritated areas dry, rather than dragging a towel across your skin.
This guide on Flaky Skin: Causes, Symptoms, And Treatment is well worth a read, particularly when it comes to bathing in hot water.
Avoid applying anything that’s going to irritate it further
When it comes to irritation, try to avoid applying anything to it. Unless it’s something that’s going to ease any inflammation, pain, or itchiness, it’s good to leave it bare. By adding certain products to your skin, it’s only going to make the irritation worse and it may cause your skin to need more recovery time to bounce back.
You also want to avoid covering up irritated skin and stifling it as a result. You need to let the skin breathe, otherwise, it may end up causing further irritation or in some cases, infections.
Use a gentle and fragrance-free soap
Depending on your skin’s condition and how you’ve perhaps treated irritation on the skin before, you may find it helpful to use a gentle, fragrance-free soap. This might not work for everyone but it can be a worthwhile option for cleansing the skin.
Sometimes, it takes something simple as a bar of soap to rid the skin of its irritation. However, it’s important that the soap itself is fragrance-free. Any fragranced soap is likely to flare up any irritations.
It’s worth keeping this in a soap holder so that it’s not being mixed with anything else that could cause the skin to become irritated again.
Switch up your detergents
One of the reasons why your skin is flaring up or irritated could be down to the detergents you’re using. When you wash your clothes, are you aware that your detergent or laundry softener could be causing irritation on your skin? It makes sense, seeing as the clothes you’re wearing right now, might be the reason your skin is behaving the way it is.
It’s worth switching up your detergents to see if a difference is made and if it is the case, then opt for detergents you know will keep your skin free from irritation. There are a lot of sensitive detergent types that you could be using too which may help ensure you don’t fall victim to skin irritation again.
Opt for natural cleaning products
When it comes to products around the home, the cleaning products you use could be having an impact on your skin. It’s why many products around the home come with warning labels to wear gloves when cleaning. However, not everyone does when those labels are displayed and as a result, skin irritation occurs.
Even with cleaning products that aren’t as dangerous, they still contain chemicals that are going into the air and potentially affecting your skin in ways you can’t see yet.
It’s worth trying out some new products that are more natural in their ingredients and do less damage to your skin, as well as your health in general. There are also a lot of natural household products that you can use and that are helpful in cleaning your home without needing to cause danger to the home.
Protect your skin from the environment
To help protect your skin further, be aware of your environment. There are certain environments that can cause the skin to dry out. An airplane cabin for example is one of those spaces that can cause your skin to dry out and therefore become irritated as a result.
Make sure to prep your skin for certain environments and to cleanse or hydrate your skin at the end of the evening. It’s important to be aware of what some spaces can do to your skin and what you can do in your skincare routine to repair or fix the damage.
Looking after your skin when it’s irritated is important, especially as time goes on, as age impacts the skin! Follow these tips to keep your skin happy and healthy.
