Winter's gone and now it's time to welcome spring! This means warmer weather, blooming flowers, and longer days which we've all missed. However, if you're more on the sensitive side, spring can bring other things — a runny nose, watery eyes, and itchy skin. 

According to the CDC, about 26% of the US population deals with seasonal allergies and about 7% have eczema. That means a part of the population has to be extra careful, but with spring here, the pollen count's about to explode and become a problem for all of us. 

In this blog post, we'll be covering the effects of spring allergies on the skin and what you can do to adjust your skincare routine and habits to better alleviate this problem!

How Seasonal Allergies Affect the Skin

Seasonal allergies can show up on your skin in 3 ways:

Inflammation - This is one of the common bodily reactions to seasonal allergies. Although it can mostly be felt in our sinus and respiratory system, inflammation can happen on the skin and show as dry, itchy skin and redness. 

Eczema - It's an inflammatory skin condition that causes itchiness and rashes as a result of having a compromised skin barrier. As some folks deal with airborne allergies like pollen or dust mites, there's a higher chance of these irritants to permeate the skin during spring and cause flare-ups.

Conjunctivitis - According to the National Library of Medicine, about 40% of Americans deal with allergic conjunctivitis. This is caused when the membrane lining of the eye and inner eyelid is exposed to allergens like pollen. Most people will experience swelling, itchiness, and sensitivity to the eye area. 

Skincare Tips to Combat Allergies

While the effects listed above are your body's inner reaction to seasonal allergies, there are steps you can take with your skincare to help prevent further irritation! 

Wash Hands First

Now this might not come as a surprise, but before touching your face or any other sensitive body part, make sure to you have clean hands. As there is more pollen and dust in the air, washing your hands first can make sure that there are less irritants or allergens coming into contact with your skin!

Cleanse with Caution

Not only do you want to clean your hands, but you want to make sure that you're using a mild cleanser when washing your face or body. As your skin is becoming more sensitive and dehydrated during this season, cleansing with something like Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser will help wash away dirt and grime while keeping skin moisturized. 

Moisturize Liberally

After thoroughly cleansing your skin to get rid of excess pollen particles, make sure to rehydrate. You can use a simple moisturizer like Oat So Simple Water Cream to lock in moisture. With its hero ingredient being oat, it'll also provide calming benefits to soothe and rebalance stressed skin! 

For your body skin, it's also important to bring back hydration to those areas. If you're looking for a fragrance-formula that also has calming benefits, try using Great Body Relief! It'll address signs of sensitivity or redness with tamanu oil and reduce further transepidermal water loss with its fermented oil blend.

Take Care of Your Eyes

As your eye area is very delicate, you want to make sure that your makeup remover is also gentle and fragrance-free. Using an oil cleanser like Makeup Re-Wined will take off any oil-based impurities and thoroughly cleanse your pores to lift any remaining irritants that are stuck. As it's formulated with upcycled grapeseed oil and vitamin E, it's another cleanser that can wash away dirt without further stripping your skin of moisture!

Focus on Soothing Sensitivity at Night

Your skin is at the height of self-repair while you sleep — making your night routine the best time to integrate products that will continue to strengthen your skin barrier. You can apply Great Barrier Relief all over your facial skin to restore damaged skin or treat any signs of sensitivity or redness. Tamanu oil and ceramides work together to repair any tears and reinforce your skin barrier against environmental aggressors. 

While it's important to tackle your allergy symptoms through antihistamines, nasal sprays, or eye drops, focusing on what you apply to your skin can help too! Not only will you be covered internally, but you'll be better suited to lessen the effects of seasonal allergies on your body externally. Spring forward with confidence and soothed skin!