Over treated skin
and how to correct it.

Red, irritated, breakouts and unhappy skin? It could be you are giving it too much love.  Often it is the skin reacting to over treatment due to too many skin care steps or products that are too active for your skin. By switching to the right skin care program and eliminating over treat steps, the skin can regain its balance in just a few days, if not in hours. 

Your skin has a miraculous biome of healthy bacteria to keep your skin’s natural barrier healthy and robust. A healthy skin requires 

• adequate lipids (natural oils) on the surface,
• good hydration
• and healthy bacteria
• to keep your skin glowy, soft and fortified with plenty
  of resilience against breakouts and red flare ups. 

Over use of popular skin renewal ingredients
can irritate the skin.

Over treating the skin using skincare with ingredients such as

• glycolic,
• retinol,
• BHA,
• scrubs,
• cleansing brushes

can lead to irritated, red, dry, tight, breakout prone skin. 

 

Over treated skin symptoms.

• Dry tight skin after cleansing
• constant redness
• excessive oiliness midday
• tight shiny looking skin
• dilated capillaries
• skin looks and feels dry
• patchy redness
• itchy, uncomfortable skin.
• breakouts not normal for your skin 
• dark marks, hyperpigmentation popping up
• ashy looking skin 

If you experience more that one of these symptoms it maybe
you are over treating your skin.

How does over treatment affect the skin?

When you use multiple cleansers, scrubs, AHA, BHA, retinols daily you are likely removing all traces of the skin’s surface healthy biome, lipids and natural moisture. The skin becomes unbalanced and may react. 

Over treating the skin daily does not allow the skin to rest and recover and truly benefit from useful skin renewal ingredients. If the skin’s vital lipids are not replaced after treatment, this only makes things worse. 

Over treated skin is simply a sign of 
too much of a good thing.

Just as it is recommended to space your weight workouts days apart to allow muscles to rest, the skin’s surface also needs a rest period to benefit from skin renewing ingredients.

Without the recovery time your skin’s defence mechanism can become over loaded resulting in distressed, red, irritated, dry, tight and uncomfortable skin. Essential skin lipids, healthy bacteria cant renew fast enough before the next days deep cleanse and treatment.

We now know that skin in a chronic low level inflammatory state, ages faster.
Irritated red skin is talking to you - stop the over treatment, it’s too much!

How to reduce over treatment of the skin. 

Cleansing and Toning

Avoid unnecessary multiple cleansing steps. Investing in a quality cleanser is the first step. A micellar cleanser to start is a great way to begin removing heavier makeup. Follow with an appropriate cleanser for your skin type, gently formulated, to finish the cleansing step.

Choose glycolic based cleanser if your skin is thicker, oilier rough textured and is not sensitive. 

Follow with a peptide rich, hyaluronic, soothing botanical toner to quench dry skin, sensitive prone skin.

If your skin is oilier, prone to acne then a mild glycolic or salicylic toner
is great for daily use. 

Scrubs 

For all skin types, use a scrub maximum use 1 - 3x’s per week as tolerated.
Over scrubbing is the most common culprit for sensitized, over treated skin. 

Use a micro-crystal scrub or oxgentating scrub 1-2x’s per week, on skin that is not prone to sensitivity. 

If your skin is thin, delicate, flushes easily avoid scrubs.  

Glycolic  

AHA & BHA (Glycolics) a fantastic ingredient that boosts cellular renewal, retextures and gives the skin a glow. Perfect for those with

• thicker,
• dull,
• tired looking,
• sluggish skin,
• large pores,
• oilier skin,
• visible signs of aging.

Skin without natural sensitivity can use glycolic daily (PM) as the skin tolerates. Pink Avenue Glycolic 10% with Kola and Guarana Extracts, minimizes skin sensitivity during and after use. 

When using glycolic always finish with a glyco-lipid serum to replenish lipids
(Hydra Soothe Corrective Serum) and a SPF 40 in the day.

If your skin is fine pored, prone to dryness, has visible capillaries on the surface, skip glycolic. Gentle sugar acids are an excellent alternative for skin that requires a gentle touch. Eco Pink Hydra Derma Complex

Retinol 

Retinol is best for skin that is 

• not sensitive 
• thicker
• no sign of redness or flushing 
• oiler 
• acne prone 
• visible signs of aging with no sensitivity. 

If your skin is thinner, fine pored, blood vessels are easy to see in the cheek area, retinol should be used with caution or not at all. This skin type may react to over use of retinol, can become sensitized and fragile with too much skin renewal stimulation.

Opt for Vitamin C serums or gentle sugar acids serums instead to gently boost skin radiance without irritation. 

Best skin care to rescue over treated skin
with skin smoothing, firming benefits.  

Irritated, red, unhappy skin from over treatment is easily balanced,
soothed and restored with any of these skin loving products below.

Hydra Soothe Corrective Serum 
Triple Benefits Face Cream 

Black Cumin Cleansing Mousse 
Perfect the Serum 
Hydra Derma Complex
Bio Smooth Serum Cream 

LightStim for Wrinkles 

NOT SURE HOW TO FIX
YOUR UNHAPPY SKIN ON YOUR OWN?

Book a Microcurrent LED Facial with me, Suzie Cunningham and by the end of the session, I am confident that your skin will feel oh so much better and on the road to a calm, happy recovery! 

Dont live in the GTA? Not sure what to use for your over treated skin?
Contact Suzie for a personal online skin care consult today!