Well, guess what? Your skin agrees. See, irritated, angry skin is a sign that something is going awry, be it external or internal. And so to remedy it, we must first identify what’s going on—and then we can dive into solutions. (If we’re being honest, it’s not that much different from when you’re feeling emotionally irritated.) However, there’s a major problem that comes with tending to irritated skin: There are many, many reasons your skin’s barrier may become compromised and thus your skin may become angry! And with a plethora of reasons come a plethora of remedies. (Or it can even be a combination of a few factors that contribute to the skin’s inflamed state—further complicating the matter.) So in order to decide what solution may work for you, you’ll need to first understand why the irritation might be occurring—and what, exactly, is causing damage to the skin barrier. Once you have a better understanding of that, you can put in the work to calm your finicky complexion. As for dry skin, you may not be as finicky with external or internal aggressors, but you’ll likely have many of the same symptoms. “Dry skin includes flaking or scaling of skin, roughness, and often itchiness. In fact, dry skin is one of the most common causes of itchy skin,” says board-certified dermatologist Jaimie Glick, M.D. This is because these skin types have a naturally compromised skin barrier, which isn’t as effective at keeping irritants out—nor keeping the water in. One such issue that research is showing is that skin is more prone to irritation when it has an impaired biome. In fact, recent research shows that having a diverse microflora (in both the skin and gut) helps crowd out potential allergens and irritants. Because of this, skin care experts and consumers alike are turning to microbiome skin care, or formulas designed and formulated to nurture your skin microbiome with the use of pre-, pro-, and postbiotics. The idea here is that we’ve been able to identify certain strains of bacteria that are highly beneficial for skin health or strains of bacteria that we may be lacking, and through the use of advanced formulas we are able to help nurture them on the epidermis. Here’s a quick breakdown of what each does topically: Essentially the inability of the barrier to perform its duties naturally leads the skin and body to be more susceptible to other irritants, causing flare-ups that may look like rough patches, overall dryness, discoloration, bumps, sores, and physical sensations like burning or itchiness. One thing you can start doing now is creating a skin care journal, a tip from famed esthetician Alicia Yoon, founder of Peach & Lily. In it, you can track how your skin looks and feels on a daily basis while also noting what products you use, how you felt emotionally, what you ate, and any additional information you feel is relevant. This way, you can start to identify the things that may set in motion a flare-up. (Hot tip: Take it to your derm or doctor if you decide to make an appointment—it can give them valuable info for your symptoms!) But the journal can do more than that: It can provide context for what you’re going through—and perhaps provide a gentle reminder to not be so hard on yourself or your skin. “When I get flare-ups, I remember it lasting longer than it actually did,” she notes. “I look back to my journal, and it was only three days when it felt like two weeks.” “The most important tip is ’less is more.’ You want to exfoliate just enough to increase cell turnover and reveal fresh new skin,” says Ife Rodney, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Eternal Dermatology. “Most people with normal, acne-prone, or combination skin can get away with twice- or even thrice-weekly exfoliation. Those with more mature, dry, or sensitive skin may only want to exfoliate weekly.” Additionally, you should also be mindful to use anti-inflammatory acne ingredients, which can calm skin and mitigate angry zits and breakouts. (Even better: Find AHA or BHA products buffered with calming ingredients so they don’t overdo it!) A few key ones to look out for: From there, the most important thing you can do is to identify your major triggers or allergies and avoid using them as best you can. Sometimes, this is easy: If you know you’re allergic to a certain herb or plant, you can just double-check ingredient labels. (If you’re unsure, spot-check on your wrist before applying it to your face.) Other times, it requires being more mindful about your habits, such as making sure you wash makeup brushes and towels regularly. And still others, it’s unavoidable—like is the case of masks. In these situations, try your best to soothe your skin after the fact as much as possible. “We all know that stress is an inevitable part of life and arises when we are under mental, physical, or emotional pressure that we perceive exceeds our ability to adapt to it,” says board-certified dermatologist Keira Barr, M.D. “Our brain plays a major role in the stress response, which exerts its effect on the skin mainly through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. When this response is activated, stress hormones such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), glucocorticoids, and epinephrine are released. This results in a wide range of physiologic and immune reactions that can trigger or exacerbate skin conditions.”
