Tips for Itchy Skin this Allergy Season

Summer is the height of allergy season, and with the typical runny nose, sneezing and headaches comes the occasional itchy skin that leaves you miserable. Ugh, we hate it too. Luckily, there are some remedies for itchy skin during allergy season that can relieve some of the annoyance.

At Pinski Dermatology in Chicago, we’re currently in love with our new XeraCalm product, which is a moisturizer safe for babies, children, and adults. XeraCalm is extremely gentle and is proven to break the itch scratch cycle. Finally, right?

Here are few further tips to help fight the itch:

1. Stick to a proven moisturizing process. Before moisturizing, start by washing your body with a non-soap cleanser, then after the shower, pat—don’t rub—your skin dry for approximately 20 seconds to avoid further irritation. Then apply your moisturizer to slightly damp skin to trap in the moisture.

2. Do not use hot water in the shower! Warm water is fine, but when you turn the notch up to scalding hot, the hot water can strip your skin of its natural oil barrier that keeps your skin soft and moist.

3. When you’re in the shower, stick to gentle cleansers that won’t dry your skin even more. Soapless and fragrance-free cleansers are always a great option, as additives can be especially harsh on your skin. Also remember to exfoliate gently and go easy on toners, which are made with alcohol and can be very drying.

4. Sun damage is also a cause of extremely dry skin, so keep applying your sunscreen every morning, cover up as much as possible this summer, and top it all off with a brimmed hat to shade your eyes and face. It helps that they’re also super on-trend this season!

We’re all about healthy, glowing skin at Pinski Dermatology in Chicago, so we hope these tips help. We can’t wait to see your beautiful skin this summer!