How To Soothe Holiday Stressed-Out Skin, From Dermatologists

I don't know about you, but my skin does not take lightly to holidays or special occasions. I am often, not always but often, left with blotchy, inflamed, angry skin a few days post-festivities. Skin is a complicated, nuanced, and complex organ—one in which a blemish or rash could have multiple confounding triggers to blame. 

Here's why my skin capital-F Freaks out the week following holiday time—and why yours likely does as well: It's a chaotic combo of indulgent food, extra stress, a thrown-off circadian rhythm, and not being diligent with my skin care. Then, if you add travel on top of this, you have another slew of issues, including but not limited to time zone changes, recycled plane air (if you are flying), dry car air (if you are driving), making skin care swaps with travel versions, and even sleeping on new pillowcases. 

Right about now you may be wondering what you can do to help your poor complexion get back on track. This may involve pouring over your skin care cabinet looking for any product that might be a quick fix. But before you go about slathering your face with more actives, let this be a very quick lesson: When your skin is irritated, always opt for paring back—rather than adding to. 

"Simplicity is key when responding to any skin sensitivity," says holistic esthetician Hayley Wood about irritated skin. Most importantly, stop using potent chemical exfoliants until your skin calms down: Things like retinol, AHA, or BHAs will only further disrupt your skin's barrier, which is the last thing you want to do when your complexion is showing signs of irritation. "Don't exfoliate or use harsh active ingredients during a time of sensitivity," she says. "No active ingredient will be able to deliver on their promise if the skin is already irritated. Instead, soothe the skin and it will return to optimizing its own self-healing functions."