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

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)

• If you’re not oily on waking: rinse with cool water only.

• If you need a cleanse: EVERY MOOD Botanical Cleansing Oil + Moisturizer 45-60 seconds, gentle massage. Wipe clean with Sherpa Reusable Cotton Rounds or a warm gentle cloth.
  Oil dissolves overnight buildup without stripping the lipids your barrier needs to function.

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

• EVERY MOOD Botanical Cleansing Oil + Moisturizer
  60 seconds. Massage slowly. Wipe clean with warm cloth or round.
  This removes sunscreen and pollution without triggering rebound oil or inflammation.

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.