It’s that time of year again when beautiful garden and wildflower blooms send our immune system into overdrive.
Sneezing, itching, watery eyes and itchy ears are all common symptoms of hay fever when our body comes into contact with pollens and other allergens.
For those of us with sensitive skin, allergy season can be a nightmare.
Rashes and itching and the resulting red, dry and raw skin can make us miserable.
But are pharmacy drugs and creams always the answer? And should they be the first port of call?
Perhaps not unsurprisingly, many allergy sufferers are now reporting that with a little self-care, hay fever and related allergies can be sufficiently managed.
Let’s take a look at the most common skincare self-help tricks to help you make it through the allergy season.
1. LIMIT POLLEN WITH BARRIER BALMS: The misery of red, dry and raw skin after countless bouts of sneezing, face touching and is enough to drive anyone to distraction. That’s why it’s important to limit the allergens that enter your respiratory system. A natural nasal balm such as Bee Loved’s beeswax Lip Balm is ideal for trapping the pollen before it enters the nose and respiratory system, and it won’t dry the delicate skin around your nose like petroleum-based products can.
2. CALM SKIN WITH ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SKINCARE: People with sensitive skin are more likely to develop skin rashes and reactions from pollen and other allergens. Red, angry skin can not only be painful but be unsightly too. Calming skin inflammation with natural, anti-inflammatory topic treatments is the first step to reducing redness. Bee Loved uses a range of powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients in its skincare range to soften and moisturise skin and to nourish sensitive and inflamed skin, particularly skin affected by atopic dermatitis and eczema that can be caused by allergens. Beeswax is key amongst them, with well-documented anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties, it gently helps to treat even the angriest of skin conditions. Camomile, Cocoa Seed Butter, Evening Primrose Oil and Rosemary are also well-regarded Bee Loved ingredients for their superior skin calming, moisturising and soothing effects.
3. BOOST SKIN TEXTURE AND APPEARANCE WITH A NATURAL MOISTURISER: All that rubbing, touching and scratching can leave skin raw and dry. Keeping skin supple and hydrated with a free-from moisturiser will improve its appearance and texture while reducing itchy and sore skin. It’s important to make sure your moisturiser is free from parabens, fragrances, sodium laurel sulfate and petrochemicals which are known to cause skin reactions and atopic dermatitis. You don’t want to make your skin reaction worse!
4. BOOST YOUR DIET WITH ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS: Feed your skin from the inside out to add to its allergen resistance and immune health. Vitamin C is considered key to immune health and vital to building up resistance to allergens. Vitamin C can be found in a range of fruit and vegetables including peppers, guava, dark green leafy vegetables, leeks, kiwis, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peas and papaya. Other foods that help to fight inflammation include tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, almonds, walnuts, spinach, kale, salmon, mackeral, tuna and sardines. Avoid foods that are known to cause inflammation such as fried foods, fizzy drinks, processed meats, and refined carbs found in cakes and biscuits.
Given these tips a try at home and let us know if they work for you. We bet it won’t be long before you’re enjoying relief from red, dry and itchy skin, without a trip to the pharmacy!
To buy free-from natural skincare that is packed with anti-inflammatories, anti-oxidants and soothing, protective qualities visit our online store to see the full Bee Loved Skincare range.
