As hay fever season approaches (March to May affects around 25% of people in the UK in its first peak season), we know that pollen can trigger itchy eyes and nose, watery eyes and a tickly cough, but it can also cause havoc to your skin.
We spoke to Chartered Chemist and Founder of SOS Serum Skincare, Bruce Green, who shares his hay fever skincare hacks. “Pollen has the innate ability to stick to everything in its path, so if you’ve been out and about during the day, it’s likely that pollen will have stuck to your clothes, skin and hair.
Minimise the allergic effects of pollen by showering or bathing when you return home. Make sure water is warm (not hot) and use gentle bath and shower products to wash the pollen away. But don’t soak for too long as bathwater can remove the natural oils from the skin.
Treat your dry or itchy skin early, as it can make the results much more effective. Apply a topical product like SOS Serum at the first signs of itchiness or skin tightness and ensure you are moisturising twice a day.
A good time to moisturise the skin is after a bath or shower and applying your cream or serum just before your skin is finally dry. This will help the product to be absorbed better.
Keeping your home as pollen-free as possible will also help you to protect your skin from flare-ups during hay fever season. Ventilate your home when the pollen count is generally lower (early morning or evening), avoid the use of ceiling fans that can spread pollen around your home, and avoid hanging washing outside as pollen will often attach to clothes and bedding.”
SOS Serum | £17 (50ml) | www.sosserum.co.uk
The cooling & hydrating oil-free SOS Serum provides rapid relief from the itch of eczema & other dry skin conditions and calms problematic skin. It contains anti-inflammatory Wasabi and calming Burdock Leaf Extracts and the refined actives purified of cooling Peppermint and Lauromacrogols (to rapidly remove itching) which acts as a desensitiser to soothe the skin.
