“Some signs that you need a skin care first aid kit include the skin appearing red, flaky, or dry, or feeling itchy, tight, burning, or stinging,” board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, M.D., FAAD, explains. 

In essence, use your emergency kit when your skin barrier function is compromised. 

However, some people may choose to use this routine once a week as a “recovery night” between treatments—see our skin cycling breakdown here if you want to learn more about rotating exfoliants and retinol.

Now, it’s important to know why skin emergencies happen and, therefore, when to use your kit.

According to board-certified dermatologist Dustin Portela, M.D., FAAD, there are plenty of times a skin first aid kit comes in handy, including: