Caring for consistently irritated skin can seem like an uphill battle.

It can often seem like no matter what you try, your skin dries out, breaks out and flakes out.

While it’s true that some of us have a much tougher skincare journey than others, no one’s skin is beyond help.

In some cases, an underlying medical issue is to blame for untamable skin. Other times, it’s simply a matter of choosing the wrong products.

Whatever the cause, perpetually uncooperative skin can lead to copious amounts of wasted time, money and effort.

So, if your easily irritated skin has caused you no shortage of frustration over the years, put the following pointers into practice.

4 Important Pieces of Advice for Consistently Irritated Skin:

1. Use a Gentle Face wash.

Although many face washes purport to be much gentler than standard soaps and shampoos, this doesn’t automatically make them a good fit for sensitive skin. While they may not be as chemical laden as the aforementioned grooming products, these face washes can still prove too harsh for sensitive skin.

For example, if you don’t wear a lot of makeup or stay away from cosmetics altogether, there’s no reason you should be using a face wash designed for heavy makeup removal.

With this in mind, make a point of limiting your options to face washes designed specifically for easily irritated skin or organic washes.

Sure, these tend to cost a little more than standard over the counter skincare aids, but the lack of consistent skin irritation makes them well worth the additional expense.

Additionally, if you don’t wear makeup, you may not even need to use a specialized wash every time you wash your face. Simply rinsing your face with water, also known as “The Caveman Method”, has been shown to reduce irritation and breakouts in individuals with sensitive skin.

2. Regularly Moisturize Dry Skin.

If your skin irritation is largely the result of chronic dryness, a good moisturizer is an essential skincare aid.

Additionally, before applying moisturizer, make sure to give your face a thorough washing, as this will prevent the moisturizer from sealing in any dirt or dead skin cells.

For people with exceptionally sensitive skin, heavy oil based moisturizers are liable to cause additional irritation.

So, if this describes you, limit yourself to light oil free moisturizers. Furthermore, certain types of essential oil can act as natural alternatives to over the counter moisturizers.

Although it’s often recommended that you wash and moisturize your face two times per day, it’s important to realize that there’s no “one size fits all” solution to skincare.

For instance, if you don’t wear makeup, you may find that one washing and moisturizing per day suits your skin just perfectly.

3. Give the Moisturizer a Break.

Moisturizing plays a large role in countless skincare regimens, and for good reason.

It helps replenish the moisture we get rid of when we wash our faces and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and age lines.

However, as previously stated, skincare is not a monolith, and there’s no “one size fits all” solution. Heck, if there were, we’d all be walking around with flawless skin.

This is particularly apparent when it comes to moisturizing. Although it works wonders for some, it can be a source of consistent irritation for others. Some people’s skin simply doesn’t respond well to moisturizers, regardless of how mild they happen to be.

If this is an apt description of your skin, it’s fine to give the moisturizer a break.

In fact, as a growing number of dermatologists are now acknowledging, regular moisturizing isn’t quite as essential as people once thought.

4. Be Mindful of Grooming Products and Cosmetics.

In addition to being selective when it comes to skincare products, you should also exercise discernment when seeking out grooming products and cosmetics. Many shampoos, conditioners, soaps and makeup products contain chemicals that can trigger irritation and breakouts, particularly for people with sensitive skin, so keeping an eye out for chemical light options or springing for organic alternatives is likely to serve you well.

What You Should Remember:

Dealing with skin that refuses to relax can be immensely frustrating.

For some of us, no matter what lengths we go to, our skin seemingly exists in a perpetual state of irritation.

In addition to weighing on wallets, unsuccessful attempts at soothing irritation prone skin can lead to issues with confidence and self image.

If you’re tired of allowing disagreeable skin to be a drain on your time and finances, there’s no time like the present to tackle the problem head on. Try some of these advices, follow them all if you can.

Also, know that your habits contribute to your health. Your way of life contributes a lot on your skin health. Stress management, healthy diet, regular exercise, enough daily hydration and quality sleep can be of tremendous help.