Allergy season have you looking and feeling like a hot mess? You’re not alone! According to a survey conducted by the folks over at Zyrtec, nearly 2/3 of women with allergies have felt ugly or unattractive due to their Allergy Face, while a whopping 81% think they can never fully cover up their symptoms. With a little help from the experts, though, we promise you’ll be well on your way to loving your face again and not hating allergy season (well…at least not so much)!
1. Try a moisturizer with a green tint
For ladies who tend to get pink, irritated facial skin, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University, Julia Tzu, MD, suggests using a moisturizer with a green tint. “The green neutralizes the redness of your skin to provide a more even colored complexion. There are many companies that make green tinted skin moisturizers specifically for this purpose.“
2. Cure dry skin with the right cleanser
No need to let dry skin get you down! Facial dryness can be cured by using a cleanser that includes flavonoids to prevent further inflammation, informs dermatologist Dr. David Bank, MD, founder and director of the Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery in Mount Kisco, New York. “It’s also recommended to add a gentle scrub that contains oatmeal to your beauty regimen. This will help exfoliate dry skin and retain hydration as the skin grows softer.”
3. Treat yourself to a face massage to minimize bags
Yep, that’s right; massage your face! “Specifically, use your fingertips to create a light, circular motion underneath your eyes,” advises Celeste Hilling, CEO of Skin Authority. “Finish by pushing your fingers toward your nose to help release extra, unneeded moisture through your tear ducts.”
4. Or just ice your eyes
Ice cubes are another fab way to relieve redness and bags beneath the eyes, points out Hilling. “For a quick lift, just lightly move an ice cube back and forth a few times under your eyes. The ice is instantly cooling and refreshing, shrinks your blood vessels and increases your circulation. For travel, ice packs are a great alternative.”
5. Drink some hot coffee or tea
Turns out, coffee and tea not only do the body good, but your allergies too. “They both contain caffeine, which is effective in vasoconstriction (or shrinking your blood vessels),” explains founder of ZendyPlace, Dr. Vishal Banthia, MD. “This helps minimize swelling. Furthermore, inhaling the steam from your beverage cup can add to the beneficial effect,” he notes, “much like the steam that clears your sinuses when taking a warm shower.”
6. Give yourself a mini at-home facial with tea
Speaking of tea, licensed esthetician Tiffany Lewis says you can also use it to reduce the redness associated with allergies! “Make a batch of chamomile tea and place it in a bowl in your refrigerator until cold,” she advises. “Steep an old washcloth in the tea for about 10 minutes. Wash your face and apply a concentrated serum or masque designed to diminish redness and inflammation.” If you don’t have either of those, Lewis recommends good old-fashioned aloe gel. “Wring out the tea-soaked washcloth now, and place it over your face. Leave the cloth on your face for about 10 minutes. Feel free to quickly re-soak and wring it out as many times as needed to keep it cool,” she says. Afterwards, rinse your face and re-apply the soothing serum and moisturizer.
7. Wear waterproof mascara
If you get red itchy eyes and need to use eye drops throughout the day, Marlena Stell, best known as YouTube beauty vlogger, Makeup Geek, suggests wearing minimal eye makeup and waterproof mascara. After all, you don’t want to look like a true hot mess.
8. Sleep with a humidifier
Professional film and television makeup artist, Patty Bell, tells all her allergy-prone clients to sleep with a humidifier. “This moisturizes your skin and keeps your nasal passages clear at night.” Because air conditioning tends to dry out skin and nasal passages too, whenever possible, sleep with the windows open to allow fresh air to circulate throughout your house and to get rid of the dust and allergens.”
9. Take an antihistamine every morning
In case you didn’t know already, histamine is a messenger that leads to skin inflammation and allergies. Thus, according to Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, antihistamines can help prevent this response, even when you come into contact with whatever it is that you’re allergic to. “They can also help thwart the onset of hives, runny noses and watery eyes.”
10. Reduce your intake of inflammatory foods
Don’t want to look swollen? Try reducing your intake of inflammatory foods. “Until allergy season is over, you can also try taking gluten and dairy out of your diet, as these can further agitate symptoms,” says image consultant Thea Wood. “Focus on nutrient dense foods and those with high water content (think watermelon, grapefruit and coconut milk) for better hydration.”
11. Eat more anti-allergy foods
Believe it or not, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids may play a role in allergy prevention. “A recent study found that those who had an omega-3 rich diet were less likely to experience allergies than those who didn’t regularly eat such foods,” details Dr. Banthia. “Omega-3s help fight inflammation and can be found in cold water fish, walnuts, krill and flaxseed oil, grass-fed meat and eggs.”
12. Play up your eyebrows
To distract from watery eyes, Zyrtec beauty expert Rebekah George recommends taking full advantage of the big, bold brow trend that’s popular right now. “Focus on penciling and shaping your eyebrows in order to ‘wake up’ your face. You can also use a cotton swab and dab a shimmery pearl shadow on the area in between the bridge of your nose and your eyes.” The lighter shadow will brighten up your face as well.
