I’ve always described myself as a bit of a mad scientist when it comes to my skin – I pretty much like to try anything and everything, although I’m a lot more careful and discerning these days. Over the years, I’ve learned what works, and what doesn’t so major disasters have been kept to a minimum.
But disasters do happen, and about a month or so back, I experienced a bout of inexplicable breakouts, and eventual roughening of my skin, that had me getting worried, and stressed. While I sometimes get breakouts around my chin, it was unusual to find that the skin all over my face, from my cheeks up to my forehead, were covered with little bumps. Not pimples, but bumps, that made my skin feel rough and bumpy, like a reptile. It felt hard, like a layer of thickened skin, and dry and uncomfortable and left my skin looking dull.
The more stressed I got about the condition of my skin, the worse it got. The more I tried to calm my skin down, the worse it got. Until one day, I told myself to get a grip.
And then, I took all the skincare I was using, stuck them in a corner, and decided to K.I.S.S my skin better.
K.I.S.S = Keep It Simple, Stupid! 😀
Oh yes, I needed that reminder indeed! 2 weeks of a very pared down, simple routine had my skin regaining its normal smooth, soft state, and I thought I’d quickly share some tips to calm irritated skin with you so you know how to react, when your skin decides to throw a tantrum 🙂
Identify the culprit causing your skin problems
First off, try to isolate the cause and identify the culprit. For me, it was a new cleansing oil that I was trying out. Sometimes, it’s something I eat, or perhaps something you drink. A friend sometimes experiences bad skin after an alcohol-binge. But if you can, identify what’s causing your skin its problems, and then eradicate it from your life.
Go back to basics
I have to admit that in the past few months, I had been cheating a little on my skincare routine. As much as I enjoy using cleansing balms and a face cloth, which helps keep my skin soft and clear, it can often be a bother. I was using cleansing oils for a while, because they emulsify and wash off more easily in the shower than a cleansing balm does.
When I wanted to treat my skin, I went back to basics.
I went back to my cleansing balms and my face cloth. I’ve already told you why using a face cloth is beneficial for your skin, but I found that with my recent experience, it offers some additional gentle exfoliation as well, and ensured that I was properly removing ALL my cleansers from my skin, far better than my hands can.
Then, because my rough skin was feeling hardened and dry, I decided to introduce more hydration, as I’d previously found that keeping my skin well hydrated helped it stay at its optimum, and repair itself. My product of choice at this time was the REN Instant Firming Beauty Shot which I used diligently day and night. I’d already told you about how effective it was for me, and this time, it was a game-changer for sure. It made my rough, dry skin feel softer and absorb and retain moisture better. I could feel my skin recovering almost immediately!
For moisturiser, I decided to go back to what I knew worked well for me, and practically ran out to get a bottle of the REN V-cense Youth Vitality Day Cream. Granted, it was a day cream, but I also used it at night, just to ensure that my skin was not being bombarded with too many different products at this critical period.
Gentle Exfoliation helps skin unclog and renew itself more quickly
One of the things that I find helps, when my skin starts to misbehave, is to hit the reset button. Acid exfoliators do it for me. I use just once a day, after cleansing, so I don’t irritate already irritated skin too much, and I used Liquid Gold every other night.
For me, these exfoliators are more gentle than physical scrubs, which I haven’t used in a very long time, and they don’t irritate my skin as much, while helping remove the surface skin cells that might be clogging up my pores and causing the roughness I was feeling.
Keep your skincare routine simple
The key here, to calm the skin is to keep your skincare routine simple. Go back to everything that you know works for your skin. If it’s worked for your skin before, then you’ll know that it won’t irritate your skin further. This is not the time to be experimenting.
For me, I cut out all facial oils and active serums, and stuck to just the same simple Cleanse-Acid tone – Hydrating serum – moisturiser routine for 2 weeks. For me, this is a very pared down routine and about as basic as I could go. Happily, I reaped the rewards, because 2 weeks later, it was as if the bumpy skin episode never happened. Practically all the inexplicable breakouts had cleared up, and my skin was back to normal.
While I can’t say that this routine will help everyone, my advice for you, if you find your skin misbehaving, is to keep things simple. Only you will know what works for you, so go back to that to get your skin back to normal, before you go off on your experiments again. It’s ok if what I suggest doesn’t work out for you – you know your skin best! 🙂
Do you have tips to share for calming down skin irritated by your skincare experiments?
The best tip of all of course, is to never stray from the tried and true path. But you know, where’s the joy in life if you don’t live dangerously once in a while eh? 😉
Paris B
Well I don’t agree with your routine because when I get those little bumps, in my case is due to allergies and when that happens I use the littlest product I can and I also put on some meds.
I’m too scared to use an acid toner and a face cloth. However I do agree that hydration is the key to recovery so I use the most simple moisturizer I have and a face oil; also during those days I don’t wear makeup to avoid irritations and for cleansing, micellar water and non-foaming cleanser.
Off-topic: the mail for telling me you replied my comment ended up in the spam box. Do you know what is the problem?
Thanks for sharing Efrain 🙂 Can’t say what I did works for everyone, but if it’s allergy based breakouts, then it might be best to just stay away from anything too irritating. I can work with acids, but few people can tolerate it 😉 As for the emails going to spam, so sorry about that! I’ve no idea how it happens, except that gmail thinks my mails are spam? 🙁
When I was younger, I could slap on anything on my face and it would hardly flinch. Now, as I age, my skin has decided it prefers being sensitive. I once tried an acid exfoliator, after reading all the raves. Unfortunately, said skin decided to turn all red. Thank goodness there wasnt any burning sensation but it was adios to acid exfoliators!
Then, this crazy hot weather happened. My skin turned an ugly red on one side of my face. It was so embarrassing, like I had been slapped real hard! Am glad I had the Antipodes Manuka Honey mask. Slathered that on diligently for 2 days. By the time I went to see the dermatologist on the 3rd day, the redness had reduced. Phew! Still wanted to look decent in front of the derm 🙂
Neeways, I wanted to say I agree with your “paring down” theory (sorry, this old lady tends to digress). My derm just gave me a cleanser and moisturiser to use. I didnt even need to use a toner; just slap on the moisturiser and voila! Bbye red skin! Granted, her moisturiser has all sorts of goodie stuff in it, but at least I learnt a valuable (albeit an expensive) lesson about paring down my beauty routine when madam sensitive skin decides to act up 😉
Age certainly has something to do with it, although my Mom still slaps any old thing on her skin and gets away with it! Acids aren’t for everyone, I’d agree. Glycolic acid is actually quite strong, so it can irritate already sensitive skin. Lactic acid is more gentle I believe. I like using the Antipodes Aura mask for calming my skin too. It does an excellent job! No matter what we choose to use, the trick really, is to keep things simple, till our skin calms down. Now that the haze is back, that’s another challenge! Sigh…
I recommend using Avene’s Skin Recovery cream when you have sensitive, irritated skin. I use it when I have sensitivity flare-ups and it calms my skin down. You don’t use it as a moisturiser everyday. You only use it as and when you have itchy, irritated sensitive skin!
Thanks for the recommendation Neri 🙂 I haven’t used anything by Avene, so it’s good to know that something there works!
I really think it’s the ridiculous heat. My skin acted up a while ago too. I saw tiny bumps everywhere on my once smooth forehead, and there were a few little pimples here and there. My skin was dry and flaky. I took away everything. After my normal cleansing routine, I’d just spritz my face with lots of rose water, and massaged my sample of Blue Cocoon on my face and eyes. I did this for 3 days and my face went back to normal. It was THAT quick. I continued for another week before slowly re-introducing one product at a time into my routine.
I love that Blue Cocoon! I really want the full size even though it costs a bomb. I’m just worried about our customs. I’ve had 2 bad run ins with them!
Well now that the heat is almost back to normal, but the haze is back, we have another challenge on our hands! Sigh… That’s why I tell people that skincare is an on-going thing. We really do have to pay attention to how our skin feels because it can change depending on so many factors! I haven’t tried Blue Cocoon, but I have a tub! Might be a good time to try it now – I have heard some amazing things about it, but I agree. The price! What more with the exchange rate!
So true. I’m amazed at the complicated routines people suggest. If I piled all that product on my skin, it would complain! The other thing I find helpful is to only introduce one new product at a time. That way, if you do get a reaction, you can make an educated guess what it is!
I think complicated routines work when skin is behaving itself. At least that’s how my skin works when I try to be complicated! LOL but when it’s feeling sensitive, it’s time to scale back and nurture it a little. Introducing one new product a time is definitely the way to do it. Not like some people who try whole ranges of new products every week and then claim that every new product is wonderful eh? 😉
When my skin is acting up, I do agree to keep everything simple. Just a simple gentle cleanser, a calming toner and ends with with a pure 100% aloe vera gel. Aloe vera gel always saves my irritated skin.
It’s soothing and calming and hydrating with very little irritants, that’s why aloe vera gel works! 😀 Good to know you worked that out. Always important to have a fall back in case of emergencies!
My recent business traveling, stress and wrong eating habits got my skin into protest. I got home and the humidity instantly soothed the redness and angry patches on my face especially the bridge of my nose. I only apply ANR, Anne Semonin’s Active serum and moisturizer on nightly basis. I also applied some steroid cream to keep the red rashes under control. Voila. I look presentable again.
Good on you for keeping it simple. Lol I had a good laugh over your version of KISS though. Silly but adorable nonetheless. Here’s to better skin days ahead.
Oh yes, travel, as fun as it is is usually horrible for skin, what with food and stress and different environments. Good to know that you managed to calm everything down! We all need a back up plan for when our skin goes on a protest, so definitely KISS it better! 😉
Timely post. My skin has been acting up as well. Bumps all over my forehead. Argghhh. So been diligently using the cleansing balm and the above mentioned Ren products. Seeing some difference now. Not sure what is causing it. Maybe the heat. Skin seem to having more “off” days lately. Hope its not some kind of premenopausal changes (Aghast!!!!).
It could well be the heat, or some internal stress, or food, or now, haze argh! Never ending challenge to keep our skin smooth and looking presentable eh? Glad you got things calmed down though. But if it’s hormones, that’s something we can’t change darn!
When my skin get irritated (redness n itchiness), I will use moogoo milk wash as cleanser, avene thermal spring water as toner, the body shop elder flower eye gel and lastly my all time favorite moogoo udder cream as moisturizer. Works for me all the time.
I’ve seen this Moogoo in pharmacies, but never tried it – the cows on it always make me smile though! 😀 Now, I’m curious – reckon it’s worth trying? 😉
The udder cream is my all time fave. But since it’s cream, some might feel the texture a bit heavy but I m used to it. It works on mosquito bits also
I’ll give it another look the next time I’m in a pharmacy! Thanks 😀
My skin is acting up right now. I was just in Vancouver for a short trip, and that’s when my skin acts up, during a trip. It’s usually because I go to someplace that’s more humid than where I live(it’s quite dry here in Alberta) so I think my pores get all clogged up AND my skin gets all dry from flying and hotel air. It’s a recipe for skin freak out for me. And it’s usually just on my chin. I kind of expect it now, so I always carry around the Murad Mask and apply a bit onto spots to help dry them out quicker. I’m not sure if I can ever prevent it from happening though which kind of ticks me off LOL.
It’s also all the stress from travelling! And it’s supposed to be relaxing?! Haha… but Vancouver! It must have been a fun trip? 😀
This is very true. Whenever I’m trying new products, I’ll introduce them slowly. I won’t suddenly change everything I use, or else if my skin does act up, I won’t know which new product it is that caused it.
Whenever I get hormonal acne or from stress or foods I eat, I always use Cetaphil or most recently Spectro to treat the acne. It helps calm down my skin and my acne goes away within days.
That’s the correct way to do it – slow introduction of new products. Which is why any skincare testing takes ages. I never understand how anyone can try whole ranges of new skincare week after week 😛 Maybe they have elephant skin 😛 The funny thing is I’ve never actually used anything by Cetaphil despite having heard about the brand for so long! Strange huh? 🙂
Hi, just wanna check with you; do you wash your face with other cleanser (micellar water, cleansing foam etc) before using the cleansing balm + face cloth to wipe away the make up? I was wondering because it would be hard to remove the make up from the cloth right?
Yes I do, I use an eye makeup remover and a micellar water first. Sometimes, I don’t use a face makeup remover but I always use an eye makeup remover (read why I think it’s a good practice). A cleansing balm/oil usually removes the face makeup for me. It doesn’t stain my cloth, depending on the balm (some balms do) and its usually quicker 🙂
Hi,
I used this same product (caudalie oil cleanser) 2 months ago and it ruined my skin, just like you after 2 weeks I had texture all over and breaking out, I’m having a hard time to return to my skin as it was before. I tried exfoliating for a month now but the bumps don’t go away. I will try to go back to my previous routine, micellar water & hydrating cream and hope for the best…
Sorry to hear of your skin issues Sabrina. From experience, if skin is already irritates, exfoliating will just make it worse. Just pamper it with lots of hydration and keep your routine simple. I hope your skin is much better now.