The Best Anti-Inflammatory Skincare Routine to Tackle Redness and Sensitivity
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Tiempo de lectura 4 min
Whether you were born with sensitive skin or leaned a bit too heavily into over-experimentation with highly active products, treatments or at-home devices such as micro needling, reactions such as a redness, hives, dryness and a heightened feeling of tenderness can happen. But fear not, you can take steps to calm reactive skin — just follow a comprehensive anti-inflammatory skincare routine.
Nighttime, in particular, is when skin shifts into recovery mode. Cell turnover increases, inflammation quiets down and the barrier begins rebuilding itself.
Read on for our head-to-toe, pro-endorsed skin rejuvenation treatment.
Anti-Inflammatory Skincare: What it Means in a Routine
When your complexion has seemingly gone haywire and you’ve got visible redness, acne breakouts, a raw texture or sensitivity to the touch, it’s time to turn to skincare products that can help get your skin back in balance — and feeling comfortable.
First, stop any action that might be causing irritation. This means taking a break from any active products you may currently be using, but also some steps in your routine. If, for example, you do an elaborate double-cleanse, opt for rinsing your face with cool or lukewarm water, instead and pat dry, gently.
Next, turn to non-active serums and moisturizers that contain soothing ingredients. But not all skin cause and effect is equal and therefore, there simply aren’t many cure-alls when it comes to calming inflammation. The symptoms you’re experiencing and the culprit behind your skin reaction will dictate which ingredients and products to reach for.
Common Signs of Irritation That Signal You May Benefit From Specific Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients
At-home skin rejuvenation includes gentle cleansing, exfoliation, targeted treatments, oils and barrier-supporting moisturizers that support renewal gradually over time.
Non-invasive skin rejuvenation treatments, such as light-based therapies, chemical peels and energy devices performed in clinics offer more visible change with minimal downtime.
Professional skin resurfacing, including lasers and deeper corrective procedures, is typically reserved for more significant texture and tone concerns and should be guided by a professional.
How to Choose the Right Skin Rejuvenation Approach for Your Skin
Let’s start with redness. A ruddy complexion happens when your skin is triggered to send out an SOS — it’s basically your body’s way of activating your immune system. A major dose of calming ingredients are necessary. Aloe vera contains polysaccharides that soothe, hydrate and cool skin.
Sometimes redness can be a symptom of dryness or acne. Niacinamide, a Vitamin B3 derivative, can be helpful in this case, as it reduces the release of cytokines (think of them as skin signals), balances oil production and helps calm rosacea flare-ups.
A compromised skin barrier — from over-exfoliation or perhaps an after-effect of a laser treatment — can leave skin with a sensitive, sandpaper-y feel and crepey texture. Colloidal oatmeal helps restore a compromised barrier. It also has compounds called avananthramides that help bring down itch and make skin feel more comfortable.
To strengthen the skin barrier, diminish redness and calm all manner of irritation, copaiba oil is a great additive to turn to. It helps deeply nourish out-of-balance skin, restoring a healthy tone while repairing compromised cells
The Anti-Inflammatory Routine and How to Calm Sensitive Skin
When skin is reactive, it’s best to take a less-is-more approach to your skincare regimen. Pare back to the basics, limiting products to no more than three and be sure to choose less active ingredients to avoid any potential interactions that may cause — or heighten — irritation.
Cleanse gently with a rinse-away cream wash, or forgo product and simply splash cool-to-the-touch or lukewarm water onto your face several times, patting (not rubbing!) dry with a fluffy towel. Follow with a calming serum or cream. Then, finish with a drop of oil to create a protective barrier that locks in soothing ingredients and prevents environmental stressors from reaching the skin surface.
Where the Halo 42 Elixir Fits In (if You Choose it)
We’ve already covered the fact that copaiba oil is a panacea for sensitized skin of all manner, whether inflammation manifests as redness, noticeable skin irritation such as rashes or crepiness or a tight, sandpaper-y feel.
The Halo 42 Nourishing Face & Body Elixir is loaded with copaiba oil.
Let’s dive deeper into what copaiba oil is and how it works to calm skin. Native to the Amazon jungle, copaiba is a botanical powerhouse, derived from the resin of a tree that thrives in all conditions. It has such powerful anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and soothing properties that it was traditionally used as a medicine for indigenous cultures.
For an anti-inflammatory skincare regimen, a copaiba oil like the Halo 42 Nourishing Face & Body Elixir is the perfect last step in your routine. Pour a few drops into the palm of your hand, then use fingertips to lightly tap the oil on over your calming cream or serum. Used morning and night, and any time skin needs a calming touch, copaiba oil in the formula helps alleviate visible signs of irritation.
When to Stop Self-Experimenting and Seek Professional Help
If redness (or worse, a rash or some other visible sign of irritation like sudden crepiness or some other textural change) persist for over a week, it’s time to check with a dermatologist. Many can schedule a tele-health appointment to view signs of inflammation and can prescribe a mild topical prescription to help calm skin.
Once your skin is back in balance, keep it simple and adhere to an extremely mild skincare regimen for a week or two before attempting to cycle in other products. By the act of elimination, you may be able to pinpoint the irritants affecting you.
The takeaway: Irritation and redness are common symptoms affecting us today due to heightened skin sensitivity, but a simple anti-inflammatory skincare routine will get you glowing again in just a few days and help keep skin balanced — and happy!
