How to Soothe Irritated Skin: 7 Proven Methods to Hydrate Skin FAST

Skin is our protective barrier from the world, and it takes quite a beating as we move through our lives. Hands get scraped as we fall off our bikes, cold winds thrash against our exposed cheeks during winter, and sensitivities cause us to break out at random times. So how do we soothe those skin irritations?

When skin issues are constantly popping up, from acne to dry elbows to eczema, how do we stay on top of them? Firstly, do your best not to stress, because that can make things worse – especially for the skin on your face. Secondly, follow along with us to learn how best to soothe irritated skin.

What Causes Skin Irritation?

There are, unfortunately, several causes of skin irritation and inflammation, and not all of them are always avoidable. Some of the most common causes of skin irritation are:

• Allergies
• Climate (temperature/humidity)
• Sensitive skin
• Skin conditions
• Dry skin
• Low-quality/irritating topical products
• Nerve disorders
• Injuries

Identifying the root of your skin irritation is the first step to resolving the issue. If you’re unsure of what’s causing your skin irritation or your skin condition continues to worsen, try to see a dermatologist. They’re professionals at helping to identifying and mitigating skin irritation.

What Happens If You Ignore Irritated Skin?

If itchy, irritated skin lasts for a long time, it can lead to a host of other issues (not to mention it will become extremely uncomfortable). Prolonged skin irritation of about six weeks or more can lead to interrupted sleep, anxiety, and excessive scratching that can worsen the initial irritation.

Excessive scratching can lead to skin breakage and bleeding, which invites the chance of infection. If an infection or condition causes your initial irritation, leaving it untreated allows it to fester and worsen. If your skin irritation is persistent, the best thing to do is seek out a dermatologist.

Irritated Skin Symptoms

Sometimes, skin irritation presents itself in the form of easily identifiable rashes, redness, or swelling. But sometimes, our skin can feel dry, itchy, and irritated while looking completely normal. Do your best to stay aware of what’s going on with your skin and track abnormalities. This can include bumps, rashes, redness, etc. Also, take note if you’re constantly scratching in certain areas.

How to Soothe Irritated Skin

Thankfully, treating and soothing irritated skin is an entire medical field: dermatology. But you may not need to pay for an expensive consultation right away – there are remedies you can try at home before scheduling an appointment.

Proper skin care is one of the best ways to prevent skin irritation from cropping up in the first place. “Skin care” is often associated with facial skin care these days, but it’s essential for everyone to maintain their whole-body skin care. Some things you can do for whole-body skin care are:

• Stay hydrated – both from water and water-rich foods like tomatoes, berries, and melons
• Apply lotion daily
• Gently exfoliate semi-regularly
• Don’t take scalding hot/freezing cold showers
• Get plenty of rest
• Protect your skin from harsh weather (wind, extreme heat/cold/dryness

Can CBD Help with Skin Irritation?

Yes, CBD can help irritated skin! If you’ve heard of consuming or smoking CBD, this may seem a little strange to you. But did you know that there’s a whole world of CBD topicals out there? There are dozens of CBD products designed for targeted skin relief, repair, and protection!

Recent research delves into the potentiality of CBD as a therapeutic treatment for skin conditions, especially inflammation and irritation. There have been numerous positive indications about CBD’s potential in this field, but it’s noted that more research is necessary.

One of the best CBD topicals for skin irritation is our CBD relief salve. It’s formulated with organic CBD oil and a range of essential oils that penetrate and soothe skin irritations. It’s not meant for use on damaged skin! However, it’s incredibly helpful for calming discomfort and swelling – plus, it smells amazing!

We also make a CBD-infused body lotion that comes in two natural fragrances: cucumber melon and orange bliss. They’re formulated with all-natural, organic ingredients to soothe and moisturize skin without causing further irritation.

However, you should always test new topical products (lotions, body washes, ointments) in a dime-sized spot on your wrist before applying to your whole body. Everyone is unique, and you may have a sensitivity to ingredients or fragrances. You want to avoid worsening the irritation. Now, let’s go over some of the best things to try at home to soothe skin irritation.

Moisturize Your Skin

Moisturize your skin! But don’t just use any moisturizer. Be vigilant about the ingredients in your products, and learn about the common harmful ingredients in moisturizers. Our CBD lotion is an awesome, clean moisturizing agent, but, as we said, always check for your own sensitivities.

The most effective time to moisturize is right after you shower or bathe. Your skin is clean, you (hopefully) gently exfoliated to remove dead skin cells, and your pores are open from the warm water. All of those factors will help the lotion better absorb into your skin.

Apply a Cold/Wet Cloth or Ice Pack

Remember when you twisted your ankle in gym class as a kid and the teacher gave you an ice pack? It probably helped you feel better, right? That’s because cold temperatures can be anti-inflammatory and help relieve pain/itchiness. Ice packs and cold, wet cloths/wraps work differently, though.

Cold packs work best for inflammation and itchiness caused by things such as eczema, bug bites, and small injuries. Wet wraps are generally used to increase/encourage deep moisturization of severely dry, irritated, and sensitive skin. Both are effective treatments when employed safely.

Bathe in Lukewarm Water

Prolonged exposure to hot water can draw too much oil and moisture from your skin, causing irritation and worsening existing damage. Bathing in lukewarm water for around 10 to 15 minutes is a soothing, beneficial, and healing alternative.

Try an Oatmeal Bath

Colloidal oatmeal is widely regarded as one of the most skin-soothing/healing treatments. It’s often used to treat eczema and other forms of severely dry skin. It can also be employed as a preventative measure against skin damage/irritation. Try a colloidal oatmeal bath to soothe your skin and your mind.

Utilize Fragrance-Free Lotions & Soaps

Artificial fragrances can be extremely damaging to the skin, especially to sensitive skin. While there are natural fragrances, like essential oils, that generally don’t cause irritation, everyone is different. The best way to avoid more irritation is to use fragrance-free lotions and soaps.

Utilize Certain Oils

Jojoba oil, olive oil, and hemp seed oil are some of the most hydrating and restorative oils to use on your skin. Be cautious of using them on your face as that may increase blemishes. Otherwise, feel free to use them on your body on a near-daily basis.

Hemp seed oil is loaded with omega fatty acids, which are adept at strengthening the skin barrier. We make our CBD oil with hemp seed oil as a carrier for its numerous health benefits, including its ability to help skin. Try adding a bit of our CBD oil to your daily lotion to increase its efficacy! Both the CBD and the hemp seed oil can be beneficial for hydrating, soothing, and repairing skin.

Note: Hemp oil and hemp seed oil are two different things, but the names are often used interchangeably. Hemp seed oil is made from hemp plant seeds and does not contain any cannabinoids (CBD, THC, etc.). This oil is made from hemp flower extract and does contain cannabinoids.

Per federal regulations, hemp can only contain 0.3% or less THC. THC is the cannabinoid found in rich levels in marijuana known for inducing a “high.” Hemp oil, which is essentially CBD oil, cannot get you high (whether you consume it or apply it topically). It simply contains therapeutic, non-psychoactive CBD.

Hemp seed oil is the perfect carrier for our CBD oil. It adds nutritional and therapeutic value and makes it so our product is made entirely from one plant: hemp. If something is marketed as “hemp oil,” take a very close look at the label. It may not contain any CBD and really just be hemp seed oil, which is beneficial but not as costly as CBD. You want to make sure you get what you’re paying for.

Things You Need to Avoid Doing If Your Skin is Irritated

We know it’s difficult, but do your best NOT to scratch your irritated/dry skin – it can cause further damage and pain. Additionally, avoid overwashing, extremely hot water, and harsh ointments/lotions. Especially if you have damaged, red skin, certain products can cause further harm or even infection.

Most importantly, don’t ignore your irritated skin! It may just be cold, dry winter weather, but you should still do your best to remedy it. Dry skin caused by dehydration means that your whole body needs hydration. Skin irritations caused by conditions need to be evaluated and properly treated.

Final Thoughts – How to Soothe Irritated Skin

There’s no doubt about it, dry, itchy, sensitive skin is a drag. Thankfully, there are many easy measures to both prevent and treat skin irritations. Try your best to make whole-body skin health a priority. Drink water, eat well, moisturize, avoid hot showers, and stay vigilant!