Sensitive Skin Care Tips

Sensitive skin can be a challenge. It’s easily irritated by skincare products, environmental factors, and even lifestyle choices. If your skin often feels reactive, with redness, itching, or burning sensations, you likely have sensitive skin.

What Causes Sensitive Skin?

Sensitive skin can be triggered by various factors:

• Genetics: Some people are simply born with a more reactive skin type due to their genetic makeup.

• Environmental Factors: Harsh weather, pollution, and sun exposure can all irritate sensitive skin.

• Skincare Products: Fragrances, dyes, sulfates, parabens, and certain preservatives are common irritants found in skincare and cosmetic products.

• Lifestyle Habits: Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and a poor diet can compromise skin health and increase sensitivity.

• Medical Conditions: Skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis often involve sensitive skin.

Characteristics of Sensitive Skin:

• Redness: Skin flushes or becomes red easily in response to triggers.

• Itching: Skin feels itchy or prickly.

• Burning or Stinging: Skin experiences burning or stinging sensations after using certain products.

• Dryness: Skin is often dry, flaky, or tight.

• Reactions to Products: Skin reacts to certain skincare or makeup products with redness, bumps, or irritation.

• Increased Sensitivity to Sun: Skin burns easily in the sun.

How to Care for Sensitive Skin

The key to managing sensitive skin is to minimise irritation and protect the skin barrier:

• Gentle Cleansing: Use a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic cleanser specifically formulated for sensitive skin.

• Avoid Harsh Ingredients: Steer clear of products containing fragrances, dyes, sulfates, parabens, and essential oils.

• Patch Test New Products: Always test new products on a small area of skin before applying them to your face.

• Hydrating Moisturiser: Apply a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic moisturiser to hydrate and protect the skin barrier.

• Sun Protection: Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher daily, even on cloudy days. Choose a mineral-based sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, as these are less likely to irritate sensitive skin.

• Simplify Your Routine: Use fewer products and avoid layering too many actives.

• Cool Showers: Avoid hot showers or baths, as they can strip the skin of its natural oils.

• Lifestyle Changes: Manage stress, eat a healthy diet, and avoid smoking to support skin health.