My Favourite Products for Soothing Irritated Skin

Since birth, I’ve been an eczema-prone girlie. I had full-blown eczema as a baby – like, my mum had to wrap me in moisturiser-soaked bandages. It was the ‘80s, I’m sure there are better solutions now, but that was the severity.

Since then, I’ve had periods where my skin, for a variety of reasons, decides to rebel against me and become itchy, inflamed and sore.

My whole skincare regime has to go out the window because my irritated skin can’t handle anything stronger than a hydrating serum. So, I definitely think I know what’s up when it comes to products that soothe irritated skin.

As I write this, mine is in surprisingly good condition, and I’m on the retinols and exfoliants, no worries. But when I sense it’s is on the edge of irritation (or when it’s full-blown triggered), I have tried-and-true products I always turn to.

First, it’s good to know why your skin is becoming irritated.

I know, for example, to keep my skin really hydrated when I’m working in air conditioned environments, because the dry air always sets it off. Some people find sun exposure triggering, or products with fragrances in them.

Some of these triggers you can just work out yourself. In fact, you might know a few already from experience. If your skin is really misbehaving, it’s worth booking in with a dermatologist, who can get to the bottom of whether certain ingredients are impacting your skin barrier. Even discussing with your GP can be useful, since sometimes it’s what we’re ingesting, stress, or other medical factors that are affecting our skin health.

Let’s talk about the skin barrier. This is the top layer of your epidermis, and it’s like a protective shield to keep skin hydrated and protect it from environmental irritants. When it’s compromised, skin is itchy, red, sore and inflamed.

Irritated skin is always related to an impaired barrier, so the products you want to use when your skin is irritated will always have gentle, reparative ingredients designed to strengthen it and restore it to full health.

But why stop there? I always have products in my skincare routine that work to support my skin barrier, because the best cure is not having to cure anything in the first place. Keeping your skin barrier well-supported is a great way to prevent skin irritation.

Anyone who has experienced irritated skin knows the frustration and pain of a burning, itching face.

So yes, soothing products are always welcome – but don’t necessarily buy up any product that says “soothing” in the title!

Simple skincare is what you want to gravitate towards when your skin is irritated, so you can support as it heals.

These are the products I have in rotation...

There can be no article about products for soothing irritated skin without La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Repairing Balm. The day they made this huge 100ml tube of it was a great day for me, because I use it religiously when my skin isn’t doing well.

During bad periods, I’ll massage a small amount into my skin in the morning to get rid of its white cast, but for bed, I’ll lather it on, turning it into a soothing night mask

I often find I wake up with visibly soothed skin, even after just one use. Packed with vitamin B5, madecassoside and a prebiotic complex, it’s specifically designed to repair impaired skin barriers.

I have turned to this serum several times over the years, because it’s incredibly soothing.

It has a two-pronged approach to irritated skin, with ingredients like bisabolol and aloe to calm irritation, and a combination of oil extracts to help rebuild an impaired barrier.

It’s really lightweight, too, so great if you have oily skin.

This serum is my go-to any time my skin is so irritated, only the most gentle and soothing products will do.

Don’t be fooled by its simple ingredient list – this serum works wonders on redness and itch.

Ceramides help restore the skin barrier, and there’s a hefty hydration boost from glycerin, electrolytes and hyaluronic acid, too, while soothing oat extract and centella give quick relief to itching and burning.

Cleansing when your skin is irritated can bring on major fear, so I always swap out whatever I’m using with this gentle cleanser whenever my barrier is impaired.

Based on squalane, a restorative ingredient that supports the skin barrier, it’s incredibly gentle and soothing, and never leaves my skin feeling dried out or itchy.

I find skin irritation worsens overnight if I don’t load my skin up with nourishing, protective products, and this oil is the only one I’ve found that doesn’t further upset my skin.

That’s because Jojoba Oil is one of the closest oils to our skin’s natural sebum. I will layer this on top of the Cicaplast B5 Baume or my nightly moisturiser, especially if I’m sleeping in air conditioning, or during winter when the air is colder and drier.

I discovered this viral K-Beauty brand after trialling some products for Adore Beauty’s podcast, Beauty IQ: Uncensored. What impressed me was the ingredient list – it really is 70% Heartleaf extract, with the ingredient listed first (hot tip: ingredients on products are listed from highest to lowest percentage).

Heartleaf is really popular at the moment thanks to its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, and this cream backs it up with ceramides and pro-vitamin B5. It’s gentle, fragrance-free and while it’s not lightweight, it’s one of the least heavy soothing moisturisers I’ve tried, so I can use it during the day and night.

There are loads of great products to soothe irritated skin on Adore Beauty, by the way. You can check them all out here.