Get emergency medical help for sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat or for breathing difficulty with a skin or allergic reaction.
Self-care guide
Minor skin irritation
Mild localized dryness, redness, itching, burning, or stinging after contact with a likely irritant, without signs of infection, severe allergy, or deeper injury.
Step 1 · First-line care
What to do first
Remove or avoid the suspected irritant, rinse or gently cleanse when appropriate, and protect the skin barrier with a bland fragrance-free emollient. Significant inflammatory contact dermatitis may require a pharmacist- or clinician-guided topical corticosteroid. No herbal product is promoted for this broad nonspecific indication because evidence is limited and some botanicals can themselves cause contact allergy or irritation.
Step 2 · Safety
When to get medical help
Seek prompt medical advice if irritated skin is rapidly worsening, develops discharge or increasing pain, or you feel generally unwell, hot, cold, or shivery.
Extra caution: Infants and young children, people with extensive eczema or broken skin, people with immunosuppression, and people with significant allergic histories need a lower threshold for professional advice. Avoid applying concentrated essential oils or new fragranced botanicals to already irritated skin.