Pollen count

Allergy sufferers need special skin care now

Red eyes, inflamed nose, chapped lips: Allergies require special care measures in order to feel more comfortable in your skin.(Bild: DMITRIY VASILENKO/stock.adobe.com)

Pollen allergies are in high season - those affected suffer twice as much. As if the symptoms weren't stressful enough, constant nose wiping, eye rubbing and itching lead to redness and inflammation. How you can still look well-groomed and fresh.

Since Easter, it has been ash and birch, and to some extent beech, that have been causing problems for people with pollen allergies. At the moment, the levels are particularly high throughout Austria. Allergy symptoms also include reddened skin around the nose and mouth, puffiness around the eyes, dark circles under the eyes, blotchy facial skin and a dull, gray complexion.

However, you can take targeted action against this with specific care and cosmetic tricks.

• Useday care with a UV filter.
• Use a clean make-up sponge to dab liquid concealer around the nose and eye area to match the skin tone.
• Avoid eyeliner and mascara or use waterproof products that do not crumble. Choose eye shadow in cream rather than powder form. However, remember to use a suitable make-up remover. Do not rub or rub! There are make-up lines for allergy sufferers that are tailored to their needs.
• Treat your face gently with cleansing milk and soothing toner as soon as you get home.
• No peelings during allergy season.

Before going to bed, pat soothing, anti-inflammatory eye cream onto gently cleansed skin. Cooling gels reduce puffiness.(Bild: Jacob Lund Photography/stock.adobe.com)

• Pat incare cream or gel without colorants and perfumes. Soothing ingredients include panthenol, ceramides, shea butter and coconut oil. The skin also needs moisture (tip: spray with thermal water).

Make-up tricks

• Use hypoallergenic, specially tested products without perfume, colorants, silicones
• Green components in the day cream conceal redness
• Yellow covers bluish or purple areas, i.e. dark circles under the eyes
• Purple restores radiance to a yellowish complexion
• Peach and rosé help against a dull complexion
• Apply a primer or a thin layer of moisturizer beforehand so that eye shadow and the like do not sit directly on the skin.

• Applyhealing ointment under the nose and leave on overnight.
• Lip care cream or oil prevents chapped, dry lips.
• Irritation-relieving eye pads, cooling eye masks, decongestant gels and itch-relieving, moisturizing eye drops provide relief.

It is best to take a shower and wash your hair as soon as you get home to get rid of any pollen that has stuck.(Bild: Ihar Ulashchyk/stock.adobe.com)

• First, take a shower with water that is not too hot (approx. 32-37 degrees). As pollen gets caught in the hair, wash with soothing shampoo for sensitive scalps and rinse well.
• Avoid hot baths, pat skin dry with a soft terry towel.
• As pollen allergy sufferers often have sensitive skin, use products that do not contain colorants or perfumes. In addition to soothing ingredients (aloe vera, allantoin, B vitamins), creams should support the skin's protective barrier and compensate for moisture loss (urea, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C).
• Caution: With natural cosmetics, cross-reactions often cause problems, e.g. with camomile, nettle, lemongrass, in the case of allergies to composite plants, e.g. marigold is not tolerated). Try on a small area of skin first.