When treating sensitive skin, firstly we need to know if your sensitive skin is genetically predisposed or if your skin has been sensitised by external factors.
Sensitive Skin:
Sensitive skin is a skin type you are genetically predisposed to and born with.
The symptoms can be seen in the form of blushed/flushed, red, dry, flaky, heated, irritated skin. Small little rashes may also appear on the skin.
The best way to treat sensitive skin is through the use of correct skincare, to nourish, protect, shield and hydrate the skin.
Sensitised Skin:
Sensitised skin is a skin condition that you are not born with, but instead, has been brought on by external factors such as pollution, chemicals, lifestyle, diet, alcohol, smoking, sugar, medications, poor gut health and wrongly prescribed skin care.
This can cause inflammatory responses in our skin like redness, heat, irritation and swelling.
There are three factors we need to consider when looking for the correct skincare for sensitive or sensitised skin:
- Rebuild and repair our acid mantle health - An impaired acid mantle allows ingredients or irritants to be absorbed into the skin too quickly and too soon. This leads to an overstimulation of the Langerhans cells (our immunity cells) causing those nasty reactions of stinging, burning, and redness.
- Protect our Langerhan cell's strength - Langerhan cells are responsible for the skin's immune response. Healthy, balanced skin contain a large number of Langerhans cells. In sensitive or sensitised skin there are fewer, and damaged Langerhans cells. This reduces the effectiveness of the immunity of the skin, leading to immune responses like inflamed skin.
- Strengthen our capillary function - over-production and abnormal development of capillary network within a sensitive or sensitised skin impairs the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to our cells. This will result in sluggish skin cells.
When treating or choosing the right skincare for sensitive or sensitised skin, we need to go back to the basics, which is a simple routine.
We don't want to overstimulate the three factors mentioned above, causing inflammatory responses.
A few quick tips for sensitive and sensitised skins:
- Remember less is best!
- Put aside your exfoliation
- Reduce skin's exposition to heat (heaters and hot showers)
- Avoid friction on the skin like rough towels, and physical exfoliants.
- Avoid acids or active ingredients on the skin
- Wear SPF every day
- Calm, nourish and protect the skin with the correct skincare
Here are the top skincare for sensitive or sensitised skin
The ultimate cleansing oil, containing a nutrient-rich blend of olive, moringa, kukui, safflower, sesame and argan oils works to gently break down dirt, excess oil and impurities while nourishing the skin with vitamins – all without stripping away essential moisture. Use it as a makeup remover or to dissolve sunscreen.
This gentle foaming cleanser has been specifically designed for redness-prone skin. Infused with calming, strengthening and conditioning actives, it helps to soothe sensitivity and improve skin health.
Reduce redness and sensitivity while improving the skin’s barrier function with this powerful corrective that provides instant and long-term relief from discomfort. Using the 10-hour time-released OmniSome delivery system, key ingredients are carried deeper into the skin for better results.
About The Author
My name is Sari Pols,
I have been in the skincare industry for over 15 years. My passion lies in ‘Health’. Health for the skin and body. My philosophy is if we have good well-being on the inside, then it shows our vitality on the outside.
I have furthered my knowledge of Skin Anatomy, Skin Concerns, and Fitness. I am a true believer in how to make my clients feel their best both inside and out. My emphasis is on guiding my clients through their journey of skin concerns and conditions. I like to educate my clients and find the potential triggers for their concern or condition, so together we can eliminate the root of the cause. I aim to give personalised consultations with treatment and correct prescribed skin products.
