It’s the irritating skin concern that all too often derails our makeup, crumbling our concealer and flaking off our foundation. Yes, we’re here to talk about the stubborn dry skin that likes to stick around our nose.
RELATED: Confused between eczema and psoriasis? So were we…
RELATED: Is my skin just dry or dehydrated?
So whether it’s the result of overly strong ingredients, spring-induced hayfever or spending too much time in dry heating or air conditioning, here are our five tips for keeping nose irritation and dryness to a minimum…
1. Avoid harsh ingredients
Products like retinol and physical scrubs are often aggravating to the delicate skin area around your nose, as are most acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid.
If you’re experiencing redness and dryness in the area try avoiding it during application until the inflammation settles down.
2. Lean on gentle, fragrance-free creams
Heavily scented products can be irritating to the inflamed area also. Try creams that are hydrating but also sensitive-skin friendly to ensure the area is being soothed. Look for ingredients such as petroleum, lanolin and glycerin – all praised for being soothing and hydrating.
Apply a thin layer around your nose after moisturising and allow the product to hydrate overnight.
bh recommends: Vaseline Petroleum Jelly, Lanolips Golden Dry Skin Salve, Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate
3. Don’t over do it
When it comes to skin care, less is sometimes more. While exfoliating may remove the dry and dead skin you’re experiencing, over-exfoliation of irritated areas can exacerbate the issue.
The same idea applies to over-cleansing and over-moisturising.
As well as only exfoliating once or twice a week, aim for thinner layers of your other skin products. The idea is to allow them to properly absorb before reapplying or adding more, to avoid increasing redness and encouraging congestion and breakouts.
4. Use a humidifier
If your skin dryness is really getting out of control, consider investing in a humidifier for the bedroom. Pair it with a calming essential oil like lavender or camomile and it will work while you sleep to keep the skin hydrated and calm.
bh recommends: Oil Garden Smart Vaporiser & Humidifier
5. Avoid hot water
Keep your water temperature cool when washing your face and avoid putting your head directly under the shower unless the temperature is mild to cold.
If you want to take it one step further, the application of a cold towel to the irritated area will help control any redness or inflammation.
Main image credit: Getty
Do you struggle with this? Have you got any tips on how to get rid of dryness around your nose?
Do not have dry skin ever. More oily in that area, especially in the morning. For me: a good cleanse and acids are the key to keep things clean and polished well.
All very true for dry skin types.
Thankfully this isn’t an issue for me. My only skin issue at the moment is a stubborn blemish on the end of my nose. It’s because of these dreadful face masks we have to wear here in Melbourne. It’s only very small and no one else can see it, but I can feel it and it drives me nuts. I’ve been putting Sunday Riley UFO (sample) I got from Mecca on it and it’s worked well.
I have this problem from hayfever. Blowing my nose gives me ‘nose chafe’. Thanks for the tips.
Yes gentle care – no strong scrubs and no strong perfumed creams!
I occasionally have this problem due to hayfever so I use a lip balm or Vaseline to soothe and soften the area.
Water temp is very important and something that is often over looked
great tips for dry and sensitive skin types.
I’ve been having a issue with this from time to time
Thanks BH for great information regarding how to look after your face, try not to use harsh chemicals on my face.
I don’t get redness on my face often unless I’m using strong ingredients like retinol
I’ve been getting so much redness and peeling around my nose and mouth, I’ve just been using really calming serums and creams. And lots of sheet masks
Good information.
Hmm good Information. I definitely get some redness!
The skin around my nose is funny, it is oily but can be flaky
I only have an issue if I’ve got a bad cold or flu & I’ve been blowing my nose constantly. Vaseline helps.
Good information
‘Use a humidifier’ not required this time of year where I live. My weather is humid as.
Only an issue for me if I’ve had a cold or bad hay fever.
So far my nose hasn’t been getting red. It is a bit dry at times. I would hate it if it was red. Looks not so good.
I’m going to go easy on hot water when I wash my face. Thanks for the the great tips guys.
I get this in the winter time , good tips.
I don’t have an issue with this yet and hopefully it stays that way (Fingers crossed!).
Wearing a mask for the last few months has been great to hide stuff like this!
I realised at some point that I was unconciously heading for that area first when going to cleanse and I discovered I was unconsciously rubbing it too much too. Once I realised this I changed my cleansing behaviour and that area was not irritated anymore. It used to be the only sensitive place on my face and then I worked out why!
Vitamin C serums can be very fast and effective in healing this problem. Always look for the cause though,.
Moisturizer is the best clue
I used to take hot and steamy showers but I’m going to tone it down a notch after reading this.