You don’t have to have dandruff to see skin flakes on your t-shirt. Dry, irritated facial skin can make you look like you’ve walked through a snowstorm, even in the middle of summer. Tight, itchy skin can make you want to claw your face to shreds, and no matter what you try it just doesn’t seem to fix the issue.
You’ve got irritated skin man, and the best way to fix it is by going au natural.
Lucky for you, Disco has your back. We’ve built an entire natural-ingredient based skincare system specifically designed to work synergistically with the pH balance of a man’s skin. That means our stuff works better than most of the stuff you find at the big box store, which is usually formulated for a woman’s skin, anyway.
Here’s what’s irritating your skin and seven remedies to fix it naturally.
Why is My Skin Irritated in the First Place?
You probably already know if your skin is irritated, but kind of like your ex, it can be impossible to figure out what you did to piss it off.
Irritated skin can present as dry, flaky, tight-feeling, red, and/or rashy. Bumps, acne breakouts and blemishes are also pretty standard for irritated skin as well as itching.
So how did this happen? There are several possibilities.
Dry Skin
Dry skin can be the result of an overall lack of hydration (i.e. you aren’t getting enough water), or even heredity. If you look closely at your skin and can’t see visible pores, it’s more likely you’ll have dry skin than oily.
Dry skin can also be a result of climate; if you live in a dry environment, the more likely you will be to have dry skin issues. You can also develop dry skin as you get older, if you are not interested in aging gracefully, or because of using incorrect skin care products.
Blemishes
If you’ve been dealing with them since your teenage years, you know how irritating it can feel (and look) to have blemishes and bumps on your skin. Whether you get them from shaving or not washing your face properly, blemishes cause irritation that can even be painful.
Your skin can also be prone to blemishes if its pH balance changes, which can happen from using the wrong products on your skin and even from eating different foods.
Beard Irritation
If you aren’t taking proper care of your beard, you’re likely to wind up with skin irritation and/or beard dandruff. If you’re using drying products on your beard, or if you simply aren’t washing it enough, you could develop bumps, ingrown hairs, and itchiness on the skin under your beard.
It can be hard to diagnose skin irritation under facial hair because it’s difficult to see it, but taking better care of your beard hair by using better products will usually clear up the irritation and leave your facial fur looking fierce once more.
Allergic Reactions
The box said it was supposed to make your skin look younger, but now you’re covered in splotchy red patches and your skin itches and burns. Your new moisturizer is probably chocked-full of harsh chemical ingredients that are more likely to irritate your skin than make you look ten years younger.
The fact is, ingredients matter. It’s why Disco is so careful about what goes into our products, and what stays out. So many of the ingredients found in non-natural skincare, like parabens, are known skin irritants and too harsh to actually use on your face.
Sunburn/Windburn
We can appreciate that you're an outdoorsman, but the reason your skin feels like you’ve been backhanded a couple times is from sun exposure or windburn. The next time you decide to take the boat out, consider appropriate gear (like sunscreen, a hat, and glasses) and you’ll save yourself a case of the red face.
Shaving (Razor Burn)
If you’re prone to razor burn daily shaving can be painful, annoying, and completely irritating. Razor burn, ingrown hair, and red bumps that feel itchy and even burn can make you think twice about tossing the razor and growing facial hair instead.
The products you use before and after you shave can help alleviate razor burn, along with better shaving practices like replacing blades frequently and shaving downward instead of upward.
Harsh Products
The skincare industry in the U.S. isn’t well-regulated. In fact, we trail 40 other countries in terms of regulating skincare ingredients that can be harmful not just to skin but to your body. The ingredients in most products you find on store shelves are full of unnatural ingredients, known toxins, and chemicals that are irritating and even carcinogenic.
No one expects you to know this -- that’s our job, and we take it really seriously. That’s why you won’t find any parabens or toxins in our products.
# Natural Remedies to Help Soothe Irritated Skin
Now that you have an idea why your skin is irritated, you can learn how to get relief. Some of these solutions are for immediate relief, and some will help you prevent skin irritation long term.
Immediate Relief
Your skin is on fire, itching like crazy, and snowing all over your clothes. Here’s what you can do right now to make it better.
1. Cold Compress
This is a great solution for taking the sting out of irritated skin and also reducing any swelling you might be experiencing. Wet a damp cloth and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. Apply it to the irritated area for 5-10 minutes.
2. Colloidal Oatmeal
Oats are full of antioxidants and can help soothe irritated skin, but we aren’t talking instant oats, we’re talking colloidal oats. You can make your own by using a food processor to grind old fashioned oats into a powder. Mix equal parts ground oats with water to form a paste. Apply the paste to your irritated skin for 10-15 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.
3. Moisturizer
Nine times out of ten, your skin just really needs moisture. Using the right moisturizer (not that five year old bottle of body lotion under the sink) can help relieve irritation and keep your skin feeling and looking better.
One to try: Disco’s Hydrating Face Moisturizer. Full of hydrating macadamia nut oil and antioxidants, this moisturizer won’t clog your pores and will calm down your skin. Vitamin E oil also helps protect your skin from free radicals that can irritate it while making sure it’s fully hydrated.
4. Shave Better
You’re a grown man; you shouldn’t have to deal with razor burn at this stage in the game. You can get a dramatically closer and better shave by washing and exfoliating your face before you grab the razor.
Exfoliating removes the top layer of dead skin cells and dirt that can get trapped in your pores when you shave, creating bumps, blemishes, and ingrown hairs. Just say no with our Exfoliating Face Scrub. Papaya gently exfoliates while aloe repairs skin damage and apricot oil reduces inflammation.
Long Term Relief
Never want to experience skin irritation again? We feel you. Here’s your skin’s preventive maintenance list.
1. Opt for Better Skin Care
It’s time for your skincare to grow up. If you’re still using the same soap on your face you use to wash your ass, you can do better. Grab the starter set, so you can cleanse, exfoliate, and hydrate your skin like a grown man.
2. Choose Healing Ingredients
Drop the parabens and chemicals and go for the good stuff. Disco products are packed with natural ingredients that keep your skin soothed and sexy. From willow park to reduce redness and puffiness, to hydrating coconut oil, you’ll only find skin beneficial ingredients in our products.
3. Adopt Better Skincare Habits
It takes you five minutes a day to get better skin. All you have to do is use better products with real, natural ingredients. You don’t have to tag along on your partner’s spa day to get healthy skin (but dude, you really should once in a while).
Just a few simple, yet powerful products can keep your skin in good condition so irritation is just a memory.
Let’s Disco
Skin irritation and itchiness is a miserable experience, but you don’t have to deal with it long term. A few adjustments to your skincare routine (like actually starting one) can get your skin into the best shape ever and keep it feeling smooth, hydrated, and comfortable.
If you’re ready to stop scratching and start scrubbing, make the switch to Disco’s line of all natural skincare products that are specially formulated for the pH balance of men’s skin.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/itchy-skin/symptoms-causes/syc-20355006
https://www.ewg.org/news-and-analysis/2019/03/cosmetics-safety-us-trails-more-40-nations
https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/itchy-skin/itch-relief/relieve-itchy-skin
