Skincare Ritual That Helped Clear My Hormonal Rashes + Repair Skin Barrier

MOVEMENT
Written By Shani Hillian

Postpartum hormones will absolutely humble you!! After birth, estrogen drops, natural oil production decreases, and water loss increases, making skin susceptible to sudden reaction. Even products I once tolerated including azelaic acid 2x a week became too much for my compromised barrier. So, I shifted from correcting to repairing.

Here is my step-by-step ritual that took me from inflamed, compromised and ultra sensitive to non-reactive, balanced and radiant skin in just 2 months time!

Disclaimer: This is what worked for me. Please use discernment when starting a new rotuine or product. Always do a patch test on jawline 24 hours before applying a new product all about the entire face.


  • Links are attached to product name, just hover over and do your thing:)

Morning: Protect, Signal, Seal

1. Cleanse (or don’t)

2. LED Mask — 10 minutes

  • Shark Beauty LED Mask
    Clean, dry skin. This comes before anything topical so the light can actually do its job.
    Inflammation down. Cellular communication up.

3. Rehydrate + calm

  • IRIE Sea Mineral Essence
    Spray 6-8 inches away from face and press lightly into skin. DON'T RUB like you’re mad.
    Centella + aloe soothe; sea minerals restore osmotic balance; kakadu plum supports tone.

4. Seal + protect

  • Dermalogica Skin Smoothing Cream
    A nickel-size amount, warmed between palms, pressed in.
    This locks in water and reinforces the lipid matrix so your skin holds onto hydration instead of hemorrhaging it.

5. SPF BABES!

  • if you’re leaving the house (non-negotiable for tone). Use whatever you tolerate best. I have been using ELTA MD SPF 46 BROAD SPECTRUM for years and it's never let me down.


Evening: Clean, Feed, Repair

1. OIL CLEANSE

2. Treatment nights (choose wisely)

➤ Azelaic Acid Nights — 2x weekly

  • Clean, dry skin

  • Apply azelaic acid (pea-size for full face)

  • Wait 2-5 mins before applying anything else. you can skip toners/mists when applying cream based azelaic acid.
    This improves tone, redness, and congestion—but only when the barrier is respected.

Then continue with:

  • IRIE Sea Mineral Essence

  • Skin Smoothing Cream

No LED on azelaic nights if your skin feels even slightly sensitized.

Honey Mask Nights — 3x weekly

  • After cleansing, apply Activist Manuka Honey Mask

  • Leave on 15–20 minutes
    Anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and barrier-supportive without stripping.

Rinse with lukewarm water, then:

  • IRIE Sea Mineral Essence

  • Skin Smoothing Cream

  • LED optional here if your skin feels calm and happy.

➤ Recovery Nights — the remaining evenings

No actives.

  • Cleanse

  • LED mask

  • IRIE Essence

  • Skin Smoothing Cream

  • Lock in with an oil like EVERY MOOD.

These nights are doing more for your tone than people realize. Calm skin corrects itself.


Shani Hillian
Next

When you choose community over convenience, you're keeping someone’s dream alive — not just their doors open.