Acne-prone skin doesn’t appreciate all the nose blowing, eye watering, itching and tiredness that cold and flus bring. As a result of these symptoms, skin can often feel sensitive, dry and sore. We’ve come up with a guide for taking care of unhappy blemish prone skin once you’ve recovered from a cold or flu…
How do colds and flus affect my sensitive blemish-prone skin?
A lack of sleep, which is an unfortunate by-product of both cold and flus, can result in sensitive skin worsening. Sallow skin and puffy under-eyes are both to be expected if we don’t get enough beauty sleep. Over time a lack of sleep can lead to skin ageing prematurely as well as fine lines developing, and even blemishes worsening.
One of the most common problems for anyone who has a cold or flu is constantly having to blow your nose. This irritates the skin around and under the nose. Tormenting our noses with tissues can lead to chapped red skin and an increase in sensitivity. If you suffer from blemishes around your nose, or blackheads, you may find that these will also become inflamed and worsen due to the constant contact and rubbing.
Colds and flus suck moisture out of our skin leaving it feeling dry and dull. The illnesses themselves, coupled with the medications we are taking, and the fact that many of us are bedridden, leads to skin being deprived of moisture.
How can I combat these issues?
Brightening skin
You can tackle the signs of sallow skin with your diet and skincare regime. A great diet is key to getting that glow back! The vitamins you should be on the lookout for are B vitamins as these are connected with inflamed skin. An overhaul of your diet shouldn’t be necessary, but try building iron rich food into your diet. Iron will help with the production of red blood cells. Red blood cells are a vital partner in ensuring your skin looks and feels healthy. As far as skincare is concerned brightening products should become your best friends. Look for serums that promote radiance as these will tackle uneven skin tones and get you your glow back. Facials are also a good way to increase your skin circulation and brighten you up!
Sore noses
Sore noses are seriously no good. Trying to conceal the redness can also irritate it more, especially if it’s painful. So it’s best to tackle the issue head on. The number one rule is: do not scrub sensitive skin. When taking off your makeup or cleansing your face, make sure you do not rub the irritated area, this is going to make it so much worse. Use a gentle face wash twice daily, apply using a patting motion and rinse with lukewarm water.
Hydrating your skin
The first step to getting moisture back into skin is very simple: moisturise, a lot. Whilst recovering from a cold or flu make sure you moisturise morning and night at the very least, throughout the day is ideal. The temptation is to take long hot showers to make yourself feel refreshed after being ill, but this will dry out your skin more. Limit yourself to a 10-minute shower using warm water. Opt for a gentle cleanser that will nourish the skin without stripping it.
