Login / Register
Do you also assume you have sensitive skin? No one would deny that it is something tricky to deal with, because you never know what products will cause your skin to become parched, itchy or irritated (or all of them).
Sometimes you know it’s because of the temperature fluctuations or a certain ingredient that is causing the discomfort but sometimes it is just a matter of guessing.
All you could do is to keep reading to find out which products work well for sensitive skin and how to care for your skin so it stays calm and tolerant to the environmental irritants for as long as possible.
To really figure out how to take care of sensitive skin, it’s important to fully understand what it really is. Keep reading to find out how to look after your skin properly to get rid of sensitivity and have a healthy radiance.
What Sensitive Skin actually is?
Sensitive skin isn't actually a skin type, but a skin condition. So whether you have oily, combination or dry skin type, you can still have sensitive skin at the same time. It can be an ongoing condition caused by age, hormonal changes, treatment or biological skin disorder.
While there is no official test or diagnosis for sensitive skin, most people think of it as skin that is easily irritated, where they may find certain products or environmental factors causing the skin to burn, sting, get rashes, turn red, be tight or even break out.
Likewise, it can happen because the skin becomes dry or unable to protect itself due to injury. An extreme weather condition can also damage skin and cause it to become sensitive.
For some people, their skin gets sensitive after frequently exfoliating as it can easily damage the skin barrier and make it more vulnerable to the environmental irritants such as UV radiation, air pollution, etc.
Once your skin barrier is damaged, it will remain sensitive until you manage to get it restored and renewed. How can that be done? Here we have 3 simple tips for you to give it a try!
3 Tips for Caring for Sensitive Skin: Simple, Less, Gentle
Tip 1: Keep your skincare routine as simple as possible
Having a proper yet simple skincare regime is the most important way to take care of sensitive skin.
As water and oil is what the skin truly needs, all you need is to make sure your skin gets enough hydration and moisture from the products, and that can be done within just 3 steps with 3 products:
Step 1: Cleanse (Cleanser with a gentle formula)
Step 2: Hydration (Toner or Serum)
Step 3: Moisture (Facial oil or lotion)
Tip 2: Keep the ingredients as less as possible
Do not go overboard when it comes to the number of products you are using.
Similarly, since skincare products play a huge role in maintaining your skin, look for products that have a shorter ingredients list as it will help reduce the risk of sensitivity or irritation, simply because there is less potentially irritating stuff.
Keep in mind that, the words “for sensitive skin” actually don’t really mean anything, as this term is not subject to government regulation nor does it have any standards that need to be met when a brand uses such terms on their product labels.
What ingredients should you be avoiding then? Look for products that are fragrance/ parfum-free, and without PEGs, parabens or dyes. Especially the word “fragrance” could represent up to 200 different types of chemicals, and all that could potentially be irritating.
Tip 3: Keep your cleansing as gentle as possible
Washing face is essential to remove dirt and microbes, however, if not done properly, it may also damage the skin barrier.
A damaged skin barrier could lead to more irritants seeping through, and thus causing more irritation. The same thing applies to exfoliating, as our skin will renew itself in 28 days, exfoliating is rather unnecessary especially for sensitive skin.
To minimize damage to the skin barrier as you cleanse, you may consider these 3 steps:
1. Wash once a day (usually at night after removing make-up)
2. Use lukewarm water as hot water can strip your skin of moisture
3. Use a gentle cleanser
Since intense rubbing and tugging can make the skin more sensitive, take some precautions. For instance, while removing eye and lip make-up, hold the soaked cotton pad over your eye a little longer instead of aggressively rubbing.
You can use cleansers that have gentle formulas such as Greenvines’ Know More Clarity Cleanser, which is formulated with a careful combination of desert plants-inspired ingredients that leaves the skin feeling naturally soft and smooth, not stripped-back and tight.
Thus, it is ideal for skin that is feeling sensitive or intolerant to different kinds of irritants.
Last Reminder: Patch test!
Before integrating a new product into your skincare routine, no matter how safe and natural it might sound, there’s always a chance of irritation and taking a patch test would do no harm for you.
Try apply a product on a small area of the side of the neck, do not wash this area for 24 hours. If any irritation occurs during the test period, then the product very likely contains something that is irritating you.
While only a patch test from a dermatologist can examine if it's an allergy, but the message is the same: Don't use the offender.
Know more about: Unnecessary Ingredients