As your period approaches, your skin may lose moisture. This can feel to you like dry and flakey skin, or acne if your skin instead over-compensates for the dryness and produces too much oil. Believe it or not, the simple step of washing your face could make all the difference in how your skin responds. Here are some things you’ll want to:

Do

✅ Go for products with ingredients that retain moisture. Look for polyethylene glycol, akyl-polyglycoside,  silicone surfactants, lanolin, and paraffin.

✅ You could even lean toward sensitive skin products during this particular time. Ingredients that are more gentle include syndets, or synthetic cleaning agents.

✅ Only cleanse your skin at night. You’ll wash away the dirt from the day without risking washing away the necessary oils in your skin. 

And, not to do 

❌ Buying soaps or cleansers that have alcohol, retinoids, or alpha hydroxy acids. These are harsher ingredients that can lead to irritation or inflammation. 

❌ Being rough when cleaning your face. Use your fingertips to lather and clean instead of a cloth. 

❌ Exfoliating daily can cause irritation. Reduce this to once a week instead.