Red & Reactive Skin Survival Guide

Red, sore, angry, dry, flaky…! “Please help calm my skin” you say?   For anyone who has a reactive skin, whether it be genetic, environmental or from over use of harsh ingredients, you will know how hard and frustrating it can be to find products to soothe and repair your skin. I’m going to introduce you to some versatile yet super active ingredients that are effective for a wide range of conditions from acne through to eczema skins.  Super active ingredients to the rescue! Niacinamide Vitamin B3. Acne prone skin – Vitamin B 3 skincare helps to slow down and regulate oil flow. Great news if your skin is oily and prone to breakouts, especially if you suffer from acne. Regulating oil mean less oil flow which mean less breakouts and more easily manageable skin. More manageable skin means you can skip those harsh ingredients that can end up stripping the skin of its all-important oil and ends up leading to aggravated and breakout prone skin. Niacinamide, as found in esmi Skin Minerals’ Green Smoothie Skin Treat, will help to repair and restore a problematic skin, and is also beneficial for treating post breakout redness. Sensitive skin – Vitamin B for skin will help to calm and ease inflammation by improving barrier function. If you suffer from rosacea, eczema or any other skin concerns that cause a weakened skin surface, Vit B 3 will help protect against environmental factors that can cause those unwanted flare ups. esmi’s Anti Inflammatory Mint Gel Booster Mask is suitable for even the most sensitive skins. Hyaluronic Acid. Don’t let the word acid scare you! Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring ingredient in our skin (which makes it so much easier for your skin to recognise and absorb – making it so effective). Hyaluronic acid is like a big drink of water for your skin! Any impaired skin barrier that is suffering from dry, flaky, reactive or over stripped skin will benefit from adding this active ingredient into your regime. This makes it an excellent skincare product for conditions like eczema and dermatitis, through to a combination skin. This ingredient can actually hold 1,000 times its weight in water(!!) so this means the cells will attract water and hold onto it, leaving suffering skin dewy and plump. For your Hyaluronic Acid hit check out esmi’s Hyaluronic Hydrating Serum. Linoleic Acid. Commonly found in oils such as rose hip, evening primrose and wheatgerm, this ingredient is amazing for treating an impaired barrier. Linoleic acid will allow the skin barrier to become stronger which in turn will lock in hydration and moisture. Studies have shown that this ingredient is also a very beneficial skin care product for acne – it can actually stop a forming pimple from becoming a full-blown breakout, it will reduce the pimple size and clear it before you even knew it was there! These oils are super lightweight and are suitable as moisturisers for dry to oily skin types and can be found in esmi’s 24k Gold Nourishing Oil. Allantoin. This non-irritating ingredient soothes and protects, it really is an all-star ingredient for keeping sensitised skin in tip top condition. It has the amazing ability to heal the skin and stimulate the growth of new tissue. It is amazing for eczema treatment, even dermatitis sufferers and fantastic to help with healing acne scarring. Allantoin can be found in esmi’s Hyaluronic Hydrating Booster Mask.   Tips for over sensitised skin: Avoid harsh ingredients. It’s always important to remember to use gentle products on skin that is suffering from a reaction or has been stripped of oil and avoid anything that will exasperate it further. The best place to start is with a gentle cleanser. ‘Suitable for all skin types’ is usually a good indicator that the product will be on the gentle side but do your research. Does it contain any SLS’s? These are renowned for being harsh on the skin and drying it out. If your cleanser is leaving your skin squeaky clean there is a good chance its stripping the oil from your skin. Try our Uncomplicated Cleanser which is super gentle on the skin. Use a mild exfoliant. Mild exfoliation is key. Using products with an enzyme is beneficial for exfoliating sensitised skin… all skins really! Rather than scrubbing with something that could potentially damage the skin barrier, an enzyme exfoliant uses AHAs which can be derived from sugar cane, fruits or vegetables. AHA’s gently dissolve the bonds that hold dead skin cells together, allowing dead skin to slough off easily. This leaves skin super soft and smooth, pores clean and allows for better penetration of serums and moisturisers. For a great mild exfoliant try esmi’s Detoxifying Exfoliating Charcoal Serum. Go for a simple gentle regime. Be kind to your skin! We can sometimes freak out when our skin breaks out or becomes dry and this stress can actually lead it to becoming worse. Remember; our skin is the largest organ in our body and our face is the most exposed, so it can get a bit of a rough time, so over loading it with tonnes of products to help ‘fix’ your skin is only going to have the opposite effect. Treat it with care!  Not sure where to start? Talk to our skin specialist team who will guide you through your FREE personal Skin Care Plan and help you get on top of your skin concerns today. The team at esmi are always here to support you on your skin journey. CHAT: www.esmi.com.auEMAIL: skin@makeupcartel.com.auPHONE: 1300 66 11 76