Sensitive skin is the mother of all grooming annoyances, right up there with ingrown hairs and acne. Use a new cleanser, try a different laundry detergent, or visit a place with entirely different tap water situation and you could be dealing with irritation. When that happens it’s unflattering, inconvenient and more than a little bit itchy. Also, the word “rash” is never a turn-on, so you’ll likely be suffering in silence. Here’s how to deal.

Just like a person with reoccurring acne or a propensity to get ingrown hairs, you should own the fact that you have sensitive skin and product-up accordingly. Opt for hypoallergenic and fragrance-free products or look in the baby aisle (not joking) for ultra-mild formulations. Be careful of expired products and things with harsh chemicals (i.e. everything in your medicine cabinet).

Some rashes are caused by allergies and some are caused by contact irritation (which you’re prone to if your skin is very dry), the former tends to be itchier while the latter tends to sting a bit more. Either way, the first thing you want to do is figure out what the culprit was and avoid it like the plague. If you don’t know what caused the rash, give everything the side eye and use only your wimpiest products. Aloe Vera has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and is a good fallback if you don’t know who you can trust.

Wash the area with cool water and mild soap, apply a cool compress or take an oatmeal bath to get things under control a bit. Basically, the longer the irritant sits on your skin, the worse your situation is going to get so it’s best to reset as soon as you know something’s up. If the situation calls for it, and if you’re pretty sure you’ve got a rash caused by an allergy, take an over-the-counter oral antihistamine. Calamine lotion or hydrocortisone cream also works if you don’t want to deal with pills.

The rest is common sense. Go see a doctor if it doesn’t go away. Swear off the offending product for life. And be thankful that your grooming woes aren’t more complicated.

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