Caring for Sensitive Skin

Recently, surveys have shown that in some countries up to 60% of women believe that they have sensitive skin, which is surprising because only about 20% of women have what is clinically described as sensitive skin. In this article you’ll learn how to determine if you truly have sensitive skin, how to care for sensitive skin, and common triggers that cause skin sensitivity.

Written by Elizabeth Jacobs, Green Health Research Contributor

How to Tell if You Have Sensitive Skin

Technically speaking, skin is only considered to be ‘sensitive’ if it reacts on a regular basis to common ingredients which do not trigger negative reactions in the majority of the population. Many women will have one-time or short-term skin reactions to specific products, but this does not mean that they sensitive skin.

However, this is little comfort if you are one of the few who do routinely experience the redness, itching, swelling, and hives which indicate that you have sensitive skin. If you do have sensitive skin there are steps that you can take to minimize the occurrence of these skin problems, and these are outlined below.

Cleansing & Moisturizing Sensitive Skin

When washing sensitive skin, the first step is to pick the right temperature of water. Using warm water instead of hot water is not as shocking to the skin and leaves more of the skin’s naturally moisturizing and protective oils in place. Also, when drying skin always pat gently with a towel instead of rubbing. Rubbing is too harsh on sensitive skin and can cause pain and redness.

Choosing an appropriate cleanser is the next step. Look for cleansers which say they are ‘hypoallergenic’, which means they are less likely than others to trigger allergies or cause sensitivity. Creamy cleansers are better for sensitive skin than gel cleansers or most bar soaps, as creamy products are generally less drying.

Always use fragrance-free cleansers and moisturizers because fragrances are one of the top two most common causes of skin sensitivities and skin allergies. Also use water-based rather than oil-based cleansers and moisturizers, because these are generally gentler and less irritating to the skin. Try to find pH balanced skin care products (if products are pH balanced they will say this on the label) which encourage healthy skin function and oil balance.