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My Skin Burns After Lotion – What Can I Do?

Words By Martina

We’ve talked about how dry skin burns after lotion. We even listed some ingredients that tend to be the guilty offenders but what’s actually going on under there? Why does a moisturizer sting our skin and what can we do to avoid it?

The Skin’s Job

The skin is our natural defense system. If ‘all systems are go’, our skin should naturally keep out unwanted irritants, allergens and anything else that we don’t want entering our body through our skin. What it also does is keep our own hydration in. If we want our skin to feel soft, supple and smooth, we need to keep our water and oils on the inside where they belong. 

If we’re honest, this isn’t what’s happening on a day-to-day basis. Just think of what we put our skin through without even thinking twice about it. We have long, hot showers (guilty!), we spray ourselves with perfume (guilty!), we wash the dishes with no gloves on (guilty again!), our skin rubs against our clothes all day long (we’re all guilty), we can lie for hours in the sun in the summer (oops, guilty!) and some of us even get tattoos (yep!) or smear ourselves with fake tanning lotions (my conscience is clear on this one)! If our skin could scream, most days it would!

 

We put our skin through so much and then we act surprised when it isn’t happy and fights back with a sting! We have only ourselves to blame, really. We now know that our skin burns after lotion because the outermost layer of skin isn’t working properly. Since it’s been damaged, ingredients and irritants can get to the living layers of our skin and irritate it. And voila! We end up with stinging or burning skin.

How To Avoid Moisturizer Stings

Since dry skin can burn after lotion, you want to avoid damaging your skin in the first place so that you don’t have to experience that stinging sensation. In order to avoid the sting, here are a few top tips for you to try.

  • Avoid products with drying alcohol – Ethyl alcohols can dry out and irritate your skin, causing damage.1 When you apply more moisturizer, the alcohol can get in the tiny cuts and cracks in your skin and cause it to sting.
  • Avoid perfume and artificial fragrance – Fragrances and perfumes are real skin annoyances and many people find their skin reacts badly to it. Use fragrance-free lotions that won’t irritate your skin and won’t risk that sting!
  • Always wear sunscreen – Even if you’re only going to be outside for 20 minutes, or it’s winter sun, or you’re wearing a hat, don’t be fooled. The sun’s UV rays are always lurking about and a sunburn will be a definite way to experience that sting from your moisturizer.
  • Keep your showers short and warm – Avoid having very long or very hot showers as that will dry out your skin and risk your moisturizer feeling stingy if your skin gets too dry.
  • Apply moisturizer straight after a shower –When your skin is still moist, it’s great at absorbing and trapping in moisture so lather on that lotion asap to keep your skin from drying out!
  • Use gentle and soothing ingredients – Ingredients like aloe vera and chamomile are great for their soothing and calming effects on the skin. Avoid harsh ingredients that can irritate your skin.
  • Use a shielding lotion – A shielding lotion bonds with your skin to create a layer or protection so that those stinging nasties don’t get in! Skin MD Natural is made with gentle yet effective ingredients, contains no perfumes or fragrances and has an SPF formula so it ticks lots of our top tips! Gloves In A Bottle can do the same for your hands.

 Now that you know the answer to ‘Why does moisturizer sting dry skin?’, follow these top tips and you may never need to feel the burn again! And don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone it’s a fake tan. Your secret is safe with us!

 

1 https://thedermreview.com/alcohols-in-skincare-ethyl-alcohol/

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