Do you have sensitive skin?
If you’re not sure, how can you tell?
According to a 2011 survey on the American population, nearly half have sensitive or very sensitive skin, described as dry, reactive, or plagued with skin disorders like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
“This study,” the researchers wrote, “reveals a high prevalence of sensitive skin in the USA.”
That means if you think you have sensitive skin, you probably do, and even if you don’t think you do, your skin may be displaying subtle signs of sensitivity.
The good news is that once you know you’re sensitive, you can make choices that can have your skin looking and feeling a lot better in just a few weeks.
What is Sensitive Skin?
Sensitive skin simply means that the skin can be easily damaged or “bothered.” It may react when you try a new cleanser or moisturizer by breaking out in pimples, getting dry, turning red, or erupting in an allergic reaction. Some products may sting when you put them on your skin, or you may experience random blotches of redness here and there.
Does your skin act up when you’re exposed to smoke, or when you’re going through that time of the month? Does it dry up and flake in the winter when it’s cold? Does it burn easily in the sun, or act completely different when you travel to another climate?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, you likely suffer from sensitive skin. It may be something you’ve had since you were born, or it could be that it developed gradually as you were exposed to various environments, lifestyle conditions, or harsh products.
Whatever the cause of your sensitive skin, the important thing is that you give it some extra TLC. If you don’t do that, it will likely continue to act up, and it could cause premature aging, wrinkling, and sagging, and even become more sensitive over time.
Step 1: Beware of Your Triggers
You’re probably already aware of some of the things that your skin doesn’t like. Some common “triggers” for sensitive skin include the following:
- Harsh products that contain synthetic fragrances, sulfates, dyes, formaldehyde and other toxic preservatives, and petrolatum products like mineral oil
- Hormonal changes
- Temperature changes
- Dietary changes
- Smoke or pollution
- Alcohol and caffeine
- Sensitizing materials like gold, silver, rubber latex, and chemicals in pesticides and herbicides
- Allergens
- Stress
In normal healthy skin, the other layer is strong and smooth and can protect against these types of assaults, but those with sensitive skin typically have an outer layer that is either damaged, or more easily disturbed.
Stress can trigger a psoriasis flare-up, for example. Allergy season can cause more redness and hives. Drinking too much milk can result in an acne breakout.
Avoiding your triggers, if you can, is a good start toward helping to heal your sensitive skin.
Step 2: Protect
The next step is to protect your skin more than you currently do. Think of your skin as fragile skin that needs more shielding to perform its best. Try these tips:
- Use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to protect your skin from damaging UV rays.
- Use clothing to protect from harsh weather and pollution; think hats, scarves, long sleeves, etc.
- Clean your house of toxins regularly. Dust and vacuum often, and get rid of irritants in your laundry detergents, household cleaners, and furniture.
- Cut down on bacteria by washing sheets, towels, face cloths, and makeup brushes more often. Use gentle cleansers, and always replace makeup products in a timely manner.
- If you live in a dry climate, use a humidifier; it can help keep your skin from drying out too much.
- Avoid products with harsh ingredients, which includes most over-the-counter products. Look for natural and organic brands instead that use real ingredients to cleanse and moisturize. Realize that terms like “hypoallergenic,” “dermatologist tested,” “sensitivity tested,” and “non-irritating” mean little-always read the ingredient list. For safer places to shop, check out our post, “Where Do I Find Safer Products?”
- Always test a new product on a small area of skin before using it.
Step 3: Nurture
The third and perhaps most important step in caring for sensitive skin is to use products that will not irritate it, but more than that, to find products that will actually nourish and help it heal.
How can you tell which products will be best? Let me start by explaining one thing: I made my skin care products, CV Skinlabs products, specifically for people with sensitive skin.
A special expert panel screened each item in the CV Skinlabs line to ensure none of the ingredients had links to allergic reactions or health issues of any kind. Further, we use biocompatible ingredients that are easily recognized by the skin, so any risk of sensitivity is lessened-because the body readily takes up and uses the formulas.
Because we were careful from the start, our products are safe enough for even baby’s sensitive skin, but effective enough to help minimize sensitivity, tame redness, infuse moisture deeply into the skin, delay the effects of aging, and help skin to recover from years of struggle.
When you use products like ours on a daily basis, you can’t help but notice your skin starting to calm down and relax, and soon you’ll see it start to thrive.
You can use our products as examples for what all of your products should look like. You want to see natural ingredients like aloe vera, oat extract, natural oils, shea butter, turmeric, calendula, triglycerides (healthy fats for the skin), and other similar items.
Did you know that celebrities like Michelle Williams and Nitika Chopra rave about how CV Skinlabs products create a healthy, radiant glow on their skin? I invite you to give the products a try. We have a handy new try-me kit that gives you the perfect introduction to safe, effective skin care completely free of potentially harmful ingredients.
No matter what you do, try to use only safe products on your sensitive skin. With a little extra TLC, you’ll find that it responds much better for you, and you’ll likely notice the results in the mirror.
How do you manage your sensitive skin? Please share any tips you have with our readers.
