How to care for Sensitive Skin

No matter your skin sensitivities, it is incredibly important to keep up a good skincare routine. Often with sensitive skin, the skin barrier isn’t functioning properly and doing nothing or continuing on with strong, active skincare - makes the situation only worse. We’re here to help you understand what sensitive skin is, the best skincare for sensitive skin and how to care for it.

How do you know if you have sensitive skin?

Did you know? Sensitive skin is an umbrella term for both a skin condition (temporary) and a skin type (ongoing). Since it is a blanket term for a whole range of situations, it can mean many different things to different people. Some symptoms are:

• Redness or rash
• Raised bumps
• Tight-feeling skin
• Itchiness
• Inflamed areas
• Stinging or burning
• Scaly, flakey or dry patches 

Skin Type:

• Predisposed / Genetic conditions

Possible causes of Sensitive Skin type:

This might mean you have skin that is prone to inflammation, or have an underlying condition such as rosacea, eczema or allergies. Have a chat to your parents and maybe they’ve experienced something similar, as perhaps it runs in your family (thanks, fam…). Or visit a dermatologist to have it professionally diagnosed.

Skin Condition:

• A compromised skin barrier
• Reaction to an external element
• Stress
• Environmental conditions

Possible causes of Sensitive Skin condition:

There are many causes of sensitive skin condition and sometimes it requires a little backtracking to discover what could have caused this reaction. Some common causes are: 

• going a little too hard on the actives, overdoing acids or introducing retinol too fast. Perhaps you mixed products that don’t like to be mixed. Or maybe you started a new prescription product / clinic procedure and didn’t undertake the aftercare correctly.
• The environment can take its toll on your complexion. For example strong wind, extreme cold or hot weather, constant air conditioner. All can strip the skin of its moisture and cause irritation.
• Stress also can affect your skin. Take some time to relax, easier said than done but is important for many reasons, including your skin health.

4 ways to help soothe Sensitive Skin

Luckily, your skin can recover completely from sensitive skin conditions and sensitive skin types can manage their sensitivities with the right care. Here are 4 ways to help you on your way to healthy, irritation-free skin.

1. Re-evaluate you routine

Firstly, stop all high strength, active products. This means pressing pause on your retinol, acids, enzymes, peptides and vitamin c. You want to get back-to-basics of supporting your skin barrier, and not overloading your skin with potent ingredients. You can return to these again later, once the skin has recovered.

If you fall under the category of sensitive skin type, you should start patch testing all new products from now on, if you don’t already.

2. Choose products for Sensitive Skin

The Sensitive Skin range offers a gentle skincare routine, free of any irritants yet full of hydration and skin-nourishing ingredients. Products are formulated to soothe stressed skin, while helping build up the skin’s moisture barrier and tolerance. Making the range ideal for those with redness-prone, sensitive skin, even suitable for rosacea or eczema.

The range uses key gentle ingredients reputed for their anti-inflammatory properties, including Chai Seed Oil, Frankincense, Parsley Seed Oil and Prickly Pear Extract to soothe, hydrate, calm and relieve aggravated skin conditions.

Available as a skincare kit to provide you with a full routine, this kit is the cornerstone of caring for sensitive skin.

Also available as individual products to suit your preference.

3. Support your skin barrier - the best face moisturiser and serum for sensitive skin

The skin barrier is EVERYTHING when it comes to your skin health. If the barrier is compromised and not functioning effectively, your skin will send out a cry for help in the form of irritated, red, dry, flakey sensitive skin. To get your skin barrier back on track use products that have Hyaluronic Acid for hydration and Ceramides (the building blocks of your skin barrier).

The Deep Hydration Moisture Cream is your skin barrier hero. Containing no fragrances or essential oils, this moisture cream has been formulated for hydration, skin-nourishment and skin barrier fortification as the primary focus. Ceramides and cholesterol, oils rich in the good fatty acids essential for helping strengthen the skin barrier and maintaining hydration. It also helps that it feels amazing on the skin, the buttery texture absorbs quickly and won’t weigh you down.

Hydrating and Healing Serum is another product designed with strengthening and supporting the skin in mind. It contains eight different specifically chosen Hyaluronic Acids for mega hydration. Oat Beta Glucan, Allantoin and Centella Extract work to soothe the skin and support wound healing. Ceramides fortify the skin barrier and improve long term moisture levels. A small amount of Niacinamide to help strengthen and nourish the skin, but not too much to cause irritation. An added peptide targets over-reactive skin by helping increase the skin’s tolerance.

4. Be patient!

The skin needs time to restore itself and it isn’t an overnight fix. Keep up the routine of hydration and care. Don’t re-introduce actives until the skin is very much recovered or you’ll risk starting back at square one. If you don’t see improvements in a few weeks - see a dermatologist for advice.