SOS-Skincare Routine

Like everyone else, your skin needs a little gentle love sometimes. The SOS-Skincare is my go-to regimen, when my skin is irritated, angry, having a bad reaction to something I used, is tortured by extreme weather or I just want to give it a break and give it what it needs to work at its best again!

So how do you know you are having irritated/overly-sensitive skin? Your skin is as a whole or in some areas:

• painful and sensitive 
• red 
• burning (especially when you put products on it)
• dry, tight and patchy
• feeling uncomfortable

You can get irritated skin from many things, but some common causes are: 

• hot/cold/windy weather
• irritation caused by products/ingredients (like alcohol, irritating essential oils, AHAs, BHAs, retinol-products,...)
• over-exfoliation 
• your skin-condition (rosacea,..)
• acne-medicine or other medicine 
• allergies 

Now, what can you do about it? 

From my own opinion: always use the most products, when your skin is at its BEST. You don't beat a dead horse! Target skin-aging, discolorations, blackheads,...when your skin is happy and strong, not when it is already suffering (an exception of course are medical conditions - you do, what the doctor tells you). You will aggravate it further and worsen your problems, so I said it before and I will say it again (manymany times): BE GENTLE. If your skin is angry: be extra-gentle. This means: a short, simple and 100% non-irritating ingredient list (visit my "basics of skincare" post for more information, if you haven't already!) and limiting the products you use to the very basics: 

AM: 

• CLEANSE 
• (TONE)
• MOISTURIZE
• SUNSCREEN

PM: 

• CLEANSE 1
• CLEANSE 2
• (TONE)
• MOISTURIZE 
• (OIL)

Morning-cleanse and evening second cleanse like explained in my "basics of cleansing" with a water-soluble light cleanser and a flannel (I would recommend the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser or something similar). For my first evening cleanse I love to use any non-fragrant plant oil. Toning is not necessary, but I like to add some moisture with a self-made "face-spritz" (AloeVera&Glycerin. easy peasy, super hydrating and healing - smells SO unsexy). If you do use it pleasepleaseplease don't use just any toner. Better to use none, than using one with fragrance and alcohol in it. As your moisturizer I would recommend a thin layer of a simple and basic formula (I love to use the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra). Don't pile it on like there is no tomorrow, because it will not help you - a thin, yet comfortable layer to seal in the moisture is enough. You can repeat the face-spritz and reapply a thin layer of the moisturizer throughout the day if your skin is really bad and it is convenient for you. In the morning you have to put on sunscreen, for sensitive skin I would pick a mineral one (= Titanium Dioxide & Zinc Oxide) as it is usually better tolerated. Go check out one for babies, if you have trouble finding one. A fair warning: it will give you a white face, but you should be okay after 15 min. Last but not least: I like to put a facial oil on top at night. I love to use rosehip-oil (I buy my organic and coldpressed one from a local cosmetics-supply-store) because of its many benefits. Give it a try! 

What you should avoid completely:

• foaming cleansers, or bar soaps, anything with Sodium Lauryl Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate
• Alcohol (as in: Alcohol, SD Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Ethanol, Methanol, Isopropyl Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol)
• Fragrance/Parfum (also the "natural" ones like Limonene, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol,…)
• Anything "menthol", "minty", "camphor", "citrusy",… 
• Anything "scrubby" (beads, shells, plastic,…) 
• Anything "mattifying" or "for oily skin" - never saw a soothing product in those categories sadly
• Skin-care-devices 
• at least for a few days: Make-up (I know it's especially hard, when your skin looks its worst, but hang in there!)
• for at least 1-2 weeks: your acids (as in toning, not in drugs) and retinol 

I would recommend sticking to the simple routine for at least a week, or as long as it takes for your skin to feel happy, moist and normal again. Depending on your issue, you can try to reintroduce a mild AHA, to help your skin to get rid of the old skin-cells (maybe every other day) and see how you are doing. Reintroduce products one by one back into your routine and be very cautious if you don't know what caused the troubles in the first place. If AHA/BHA/RETINOL gave you any trouble: try a less potent formula, lesser applications, leave more days in between or contact the customer-service of the brand to see, if they have some extra-advice. 

NOTE: if you are suffering from a medical condition, are having a massive allergic reaction, have open wounds on your face,... please go to a doctor!

This is it for today, be sure to leave any questions or suggestions in the comment-section below, stay tuned for my next posts, follow me, share me, have fun, be gentle, love yourself, love your skin!

N.

* all products mentioned in this post have been purchased by myself!