4 Ingredients To Soothe Itchy, Inflamed Skin + What To Avoid

What are you supposed to do if your skin is burning, itchy, peeling, red, and generally inflamed? Well, if you reach for an exfoliant or retinol serum, you're sentencing yourself to even more irritation. Even a foamy, stripping cleanser can be damaging—to sum it up, you have to tread very lightly.

However, there are a few hero ingredients to look for in your go-to products if you want to mitigate redness, and they can actually help, not hurt, an irritated complexion.

Panthenol, also known as provitamin B5 can help restore and protect the skin barrier1—which is likely what's damaged if you're experiencing irritation. While it mainly functions as a moisturizer, it's also a dream ingredient for inflamed skin.

This one has been gaining more buzz over the past year, in part due to the signature Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray that blew up on beauty TikTok. But don't let the name fool you—this acid isn't like AHAs or BHAs.

Calendula oil (oftentimes referred to as marigold) has been used for centuries for its soothing properties. Like the other topicals mentioned, calendula is also anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. Plus, it delivers a major antioxidant boost.

Using topical products with soothing ingredients is definitely a must, but you can also maintain a healthy complexion from the inside out. Look for ingredients like ceramides and antioxidants to help nourish and protect the skin from within.

Apart from easing continuous flushing, certain skin supplements can help support the skin barrier as well, leading to a more supple, youthful complexion and making them even more worth your dollar.

Navigating topical products when your skin is inflamed takes some extra-special attention.