Let’s face it: no one particularly enjoys having red, irritated skin. It happens to me very frequently in the drier months, as my skin lacks the moisture it needs and I continue to exfoliate and apply retinoids as usual. So what can people do to fix the redness and reduce the irritation?
In this blog, I’ll share 3 of my favorite treatments to help reduce the irritation directly and also the color of the skin.
Paula’s Choice: Calm Repairing Serum
Paula’s Choice recently launched this serum in 2022, and I have been loving it ever since. I reach for this serum when my skin is looking blotchy and red, as well as when I have used a particularly irritating product. It has a decent price at $44, which is on the higher end for PC items, but in the larger Sephora landscape, it is not too bad.
Texture
In terms of texture, I love how slippery it is. It has the feel of almost a hyaluronic serum, but it does not have the stickiness of it. It spreads super easily across your entire face, meaning you really only need one pump to effectively get the product on your face. It also layers perfectly.
Ingredient Callouts
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid (duh), ceramides (to boost your skin barrier health), and plant extracts (to reduce sensitivity). In my skincare routine, I use this right after the Byoma Balancing Face Mist, so it can soak up all of the good hydration that mist brings. Then, I’ll use my eye treatments, etc. I can use this both during the day and night if my skin is particularly irritated. Otherwise, I use it as a daytime hydrating serum.
Glow Recipe: Avocado Ceramide Redness Relief Serum
This serum from Glow Recipe has been around for a little bit, and it has honestly been hit or miss from people. Some people find it makes their skin even more irritated; some find it to be perfectly nourishing. I’m including it in this list because I enjoyed using it, and I believe variety is the spice of life. So if you prefer Glow Recipe to Paula’s Choice (they are the same price), here’s your option for your redness-fighting treatment.
Ingredient Callouts
The key ingredients for both Paula’s Choice and Glow Recipe include ceramides (for good reason). However, the Glow Recipe includes its fruity twist with avocado. The avocado is a great option for this skin barrier health serum because it brings a lot of nourishing fats and oils that the skin will drink right up. It helps with the integrity of the skin barrier and will also help with transepidermal water loss (TEWL). It’s also got rice milk (a Korean beauty staple) and allantoin (another super calming ingredient).
Dr. Jart: Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment
Alright, hear me out. I know I have a lot of mixed feelings about this product, but I also know a million people trust it. On my skin tone, it looked pretty grayish when I blended it out. I can see this being more even if you apply it across your face underneath makeup. But for me, using it as a spot treatment did not look so hot.
But Glamzilla proves that the Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment really IS that girl. I have no clue how she was able to get such amazing color correction, but that is the main reason why I am including it in this video. She did use a brush; I used my fingers. But I don’t think that difference would be dramatic enough to warrant the very different outcome.
Nevertheless, I am convinced that this Dr. Jart color corrector can be highly effective in neutralizing the redness you may have. It definitely got rid of the redness on my skin too—it just replaced it with a gray/white cast.
Ingredient Callouts
But, I will also say that the Dr. Jart color correcting treatment is also packed with skin-calming ingredients. It’s not just a “makeup” treatment, it is also helping your skin improve. It has SPF30, which is essential for reducing further irritation from the sun. It also has their proprietary ingredients for soothing and protecting the skin:
+Jartbiome: powerful balancing agent that replenish your natural microbiome to calm environmental irritants.
+Centella Rx: reparative herb extracts provide instant relief while boost antioxidant protection.
+Cicabond: blend of proteins and minerals that support skin renewal to help rebuild a stronger skin barrier.
Finding the Right Product for You
Ultimately, deciding which product is the right one for you is a personal decision. If you’d rather see results instantly, go with the Dr. Jart product. If you want to see results over time, check out the Paula’s Choice and Glow Recipe ones. They still will help your skin within a week (which is FAST in the skincare world). Personally, I would go for the Paula’s Choice one because it is lighter feeling on my combo-oily skin.
But just because something works well for me does not mean it will necessarily work well for you. I hope you find the right product that works to get rid of the irritation on your skin!