Why Does Skin Get Irritated?

Before I changed my skincare regimen, I often dealt with skin redness. I thought that perhaps there was something else wrong with my skin, but the problem was actually my daily habits. It took several changes to my routine, including the addition of NeriumAD, to get my skin back to normal.

Unless you have a specific medical explanation for irritation or you’ve recently spent time in the sun, irritation is often caused by issues with your skin’s protective barrier. Your skin can easily become dry, red, itchy, or otherwise irritated when this barrier is damaged. 

-Hot showers

Hot showers, especially long ones, can take a toll on your skin. Hot temperatures can soften your skin’s natural oils, which showers and baths can then strip away. One issue is that damaged skin is not always recognized as such. You may notice that after getting out of the shower, your skin may be shiny or red. This is sometimes mistaken for that “squeaky clean” feeling after washing thoroughly, but this could actually be skin that is damaged. Habitual hot showers may lead to dryness as well. For most people, lukewarm is the ideal water temperature.

-Harsh products 

After using harsher products like chemical peels or chemical exfoliation, some see skin redness or irritation a sign that it is working. While this depends on the product, it may actually be that the product is damaging your skin. Trying out gentle products is may be a better route.

-Over scrubbing

When I dealt with acne as a teen, I sometimes thought that scrubbing harder or longer would clean my skin better. By the end, I’d be shiny and red. I also overused a mechanical exfoliation brush in my attempts to scrub my blemishes away. Problem is, I scrubbed away good skin oils and the protective as well, which just left my skin vulnerable to more problems. 

-Too many products

I also thought that when it came to treating my skin, more was better. Cleansers, exfoliators, masks, peels, serums, moisturizers, anti-aging creams—when used correctly, these can be great tools, but using too many products is sometimes just too much for your skin to handle. I wanted to use everything every day and as many times a day as I could. It totally wrecked my skin. 

Now I’ve cut it down to a gentle cleanser, sunscreen, wrinkle cream, and moisturizer as needed. The biggest change came with switching out my anti-aging arsenal of sub-par products with one daily product that really works—NeriumAD. It’s gentle enough to use every day, but gives big results. Containing Nerium oleander extract, NeriumAD is the only product that worked to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and it’s safer for my skin than all the chemical peels and serums I was using.