When you have delicate pores and skin, go for a moisturizer labeled as hypoallergenic, Dr. Shao provides, because it’s much less more likely to set off an allergic response. It’s additionally not a nasty thought to keep away from moisturizers with fragrances and ethanol (a kind of alcohol typically present in skincare merchandise), as each might be drying and aggravating.

2. Moisturize strategically.

Choosing the right moisturizer is simply the beginning; you additionally have to be strategic when making use of it. Plan to slather it in your pores and skin as typically as doable all through the day (ideally three to 4 instances when you can swing it!) and proper after washing your palms, per the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

You must also moisturize inside 5 minutes of getting out of the bathe, and not more than 10 minutes tops—any longer and also you threat drying out your pores and skin much more. Additionally, use lukewarm and never scorching water, as excessive temps can strip your pores and skin of moisture. Pat your self dry as an alternative of rubbing with a towel, because the latter strategy can irritate your pores and skin. (As an added bonus, patting will depart your pores and skin just a little damp, which is good, as a result of then your moisturizer may help seal in that hydration.)

3. Take a colloidal oatmeal bathtub.

Should you haven’t jumped on the colloidal oatmeal prepare in your pores and skin, now’s the time, Joshua Zeichner, MD, affiliate professor on the Icahn Faculty of Medication at Mount Sinai in New York and director of beauty and medical analysis in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells SELF. “Oats include anti-inflammatory compounds, referred to as avenanthramides, which have antioxidant and soothing results on the pores and skin,” he notes. “Oatmeal compresses and baths have lengthy been used to appease dry, itchy pores and skin.”¹

You could find colloidal oatmeal in lots of over-the-counter (OTC) moisturizers. You may as well whip up your personal skin-calming DIY bathtub utilizing colloidal oats out of your native pharmacy or drugstore, Dr. Shao says. Right here’s easy methods to do it, per the AAD: Add the oats to a heat bathtub and soak for quarter-hour. Pat your self dry after, and add a layer of moisturizer on high.

If cleansing sticky oatmeal out of your tub feels like a possible nightmare, know that colloidal oatmeal is a finely floor model of the kind you’d usually eat, so it ought to dissolve in water and go down the drain simply too.

4. Sit back with a chilly compress or moist wrap.

While you harm your self and really feel a right away, throbbing ache—for instance, after slamming your finger in a door—making use of one thing chilly to the affected space can present momentary aid.² That very same logic applies to an insatiable itch, which is attributable to an overfiring of nerves within the pores and skin, Dr. Zeichner says—which is why inserting a cool compress on irritated pores and skin may help fight the urge to scratch.