Your Questions Answered with House 99 pt. 3: Dealing with Sensitive and Dry Skin

In our first instalment of Your Questions Answered with House 99, we took you through dealing with blackheads, and the perfect gifts for bearded men. In part 2, we covered a complete beard care routine to ensure your beard is on point and comfortable. In our final episode of the series, we answer our winner’s question. Make sure to read the first two instalments if you haven’t already, and read more below.

Question 5: Dealing with a Dry T-zone and Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is a complex topic. Sometimes skin becomes sensitive purely through excessive dryness, whereas some sensitive skin may be brought on by a reaction to particular ingredients in your skincare. If you’re unsure what brings on your sensitivity, try switching to an extra sensitive soap bar and using a hypoallergenic moisturiser for a week or two to see if this causes your symptoms to improve. It’s always worth seeking help from a Doctor if needs be.

While House 99’s products are suitable for sensitive skin, they are lightly scented, which could cause flare ups in some individuals. Ingredients aside, there are two things you should bear in mind when it comes to dryness and sensitivity. The first is proper cleansing, and the second is proper moisturising.

Dry and sensitive skin is commonly aggravated by the cleansing process. Using a gentle cleanser, such as the Purefectly Clean Face Wash, which uses charcoal to absorb dirt and impurities, combined with lukewarm water is a good way to ensure you’re avoiding this. Using water that’s too hot is a surefire way to exacerbate dryness long term.

After cleansing, it should go without saying that you should apply a moisturiser, such as the Greater Look Moisturiser. If you’re especially prone to dryness, apply a thorough coating, and don’t be afraid to reapply throughout the day, especially if exposed to drying conditions like cold weather or dry heaters. One trick that can be extremely helpful is to combine a drop of facial oil or beard oil like the Softer Touch Beard Oil in your moisturiser before applying. This helps to ensure that the hydrating effects of the moisturiser last even after most of the water has evaporated.

The question from our competition’s winner @J19vfc specifically references dryness around the eyes and nose. The skin around the eyes behaves a little differently to skin elsewhere on the face. It’s thinner, more densely packed with blood vessels, and is easily irritated. Use a caffeine enriched eye balm, such as Truly Brighter from House 99, to soothe tired and stressed eyes while re-hydrating it. Make sure to avoid the eye itself, only applying to the skin around the cheekbones towards the nose.

One problem that could be occurring to cause dryness around the nose, particularly in those with combination skin (patches being dry, patches being oily), is clogged pores causing build up of dead skin cells. This can cause the appearance of peeling as well as becoming itchy and inflamed. Usually this is accompanied by visibly blocked pores on the nose. If this applies to you, make sure to regularly cleanse and exfoliate affected areas to keep on top of buildup.