What we don't recommend for reactive skin

Most people arrive at reactive skin with a routine that has grown, not one that was designed. The fastest improvement usually comes from subtraction.

Stop, in roughly this order

• Physical scrubs and cleansing brushes. Mechanical abrasion on an already-thin barrier has no upside here.
• Stacked acids. A glycolic toner plus a salicylic serum plus a weekly peel is three exfoliants. Pick none for now.
• High-dose niacinamide. 10% is common and is a frequent source of stinging in reactive skin. Lower doses are far better tolerated.
• Cooling agents. Menthol, camphor and peppermint feel like relief on a hot face. They are irritants, and the relief is brief.
• Fragrance and essential oils. Including the ones marketed as natural. Fragrance is one of the most common contact irritants in cosmetics.
• Denatured alcohol high in the ingredient list. Common in toners and gel textures.

Things we do not claim to fix

Being clear about this is more useful than another product page.

• Visible broken vessels. Once a vessel is structurally changed, a topical serum does not close it. Light-based treatment, discussed with a clinician, is the relevant option.
• Papulopustular rosacea, active infection, or anything painful. These need a diagnosis, not a serum.
• Redness with a cause you have not identified. Persistent facial redness has several possible drivers and they are not treated the same way.

The one habit worth keeping

Daily broad-spectrum sun protection. UV exposure is one of the few things with a consistent, well-documented relationship to facial redness over years. Mineral filters are often better tolerated on reactive skin, but the one you will actually wear every day beats the one you admire in a cabinet.

This article is for information only and is not a medical consultation. Speak to a clinician about symptoms.

Read next

• The skin barrier, in plain language
• The six actives we use, and the doses