Associate editor Eugene’s favourite calming serums for sensitive red skin

Here’s the thing. I’ve suffered from scarlet splotches on my skin my whole life – a trade-off, it would seem, for being as pale as death.

The key takeaway from this mini sob story: If you’re exhausted from grappling with eczema and sick of your sensitive skin, take comfort in the knowledge that you’re not alone – just about everyone I know is acquainted with someone else who’s a sufferer of said syndrome.

As for the whys and wherefores, rashes and redness are generally thought to be exacerbated by environmental irritants – think dirt and debris as well as the horrid haze that’s become an unfortunate “lowlight” for sunny Singapore – but there are a ton of proactive steps you can take to prevent an outbreak.

The first order of business: Be stringent about the salves you slather on yourself. Click through for a terrific trio of top skin-saving serums to cool down your crimson complexion in seconds.

Image: 123rf.com.

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It’s no secret that I’m a skin snob; give me luxury or give me death! To that end, I’m an enthusiastic endorser of this chic little concoction from La Mer, which is as swanky as it gets – and exceedingly effective when it comes to soothing sensitive skin, too.

What’s in the beauty brew? Expect an aquarium’s worth of anti-inflammatory algae amped up with antioxidant actives, the sum result of which is a richly restorative “special care” serum that’s a serious lifesaver when it comes to shielding a damaged dermis impaired by invasive dermatological procedures.

Optional pre-application prep: If you’re particularly scaly (sorry, not a pleasant visual), try massaging your post-shower mien ever so gently with a warm washcloth to slough off gunk and grime. Proceed to pat in the product and top up with the rest of your regimen. I’m happy to report that this speedy spot treatment reduces redness in a jiffy, plus the extra helping of hydration will also imbue your mien with a subtle inner sheen. An absolute must-try if you want to cop the dewy complexion of the hottest K-Beauty stars!

No complaints when it comes to consistency, either. The Concentrate glides on as a slightly cloudy emulsion and melts within seconds into a gorgeous glistening gel that sinks straight in, no smearing or spreading required. My cheeks are also suppler and springier than ever after a month’s use, and I feel like it tacks on the appearance of a good eight hours of sleep to nights when I’m hardly getting any.

Oh yeah, maximum marks possible for packaging, too: The exquisite elixir is ensconced in an eye-wateringly elegant emerald vial – a truly couture-like collectible that demands pride of place in your powder room. My advice: Blow your beauty budget on this investment piece, because what price perfection, really?

It’s SkinCeuticals to the rescue! I’m addicted to this supremely soothing skin saviour from the reassuringly sciencey brand, which comes packed with an incredibly invigorating infusion of cool cucumber and thyme, plus brighteners the likes of mulberry and kojic acid.

Try stashing this in the fridge and slapping it onto bare skin to radically reduce the redness of rashes: The dip in temperature shrinks the skin’s blood vessels and blots out blotchiness in a process called “vasoconstriction”. This cool trick placates puffiness, outsized pores and such – a generous layer even softens the appearance of angry acne scars arising from an accumulation of dead skin. #HappyDance!

This featherweight fluid is also fantastic for fortifying your skin against fine lines and wrinkles in the evenings, especially if you’re sleeping in a skin-desiccating air-conditioned room. Simply massage into rough and raised patches as a last step in your night regime, and awaken to a visibly lifted visage and a complexion that’s calm, cool and collected.

This beauty bauble is quintessential Origins, what with its carefully calibrated botanical blend of mushrooms and herbs – including heroine ingredient seabuckthorn – all of which have been culled from the chronicles of traditional Chinese medicine.

Fun fact about seabuckthorn: Snoop around any heartland TCM store and chances are you’ll spot the blackened berry being sun-dried in open baskets – the fruit is considered a “warm” food and is used to treat all manner of maladies, from bloated belly pain to burns, boils and open wounds, where it’s usually pounded to a pulp and applied as a paste onto the skin.

When used topically as with this Origins serum, seabuckthorn extract has been shown to soothe itchy skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, with studies suggesting it may even alleviate acne and stabilise sebum secretion. Pretty impressive, right? Indeed, this sensationally silky multi-tasker is a bona fide skin saviour whenever I’m battling a bad bout of rashes. Pair your “face food” with Grandma’s home-brewed Sha-ji tea and you’re just about good to go

Right, then. Let me know if these products work as well for you as they did for me. Cheers. and good luck getting out of the red!