SKINCARE ROUTINE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
Skincare Routine for Sensitive Skin
A skincare routine for sensitive skin is more important than ever. Studies have found that an increasing number of people consider themselves to have sensitive skin. But what is sensitive skin exactly and what’s the best approach for how to manage sensitive skin? This article provides the answers and a sensitive skincare routine you can follow.
What Is Sensitive Skin & How to Know If You Have It
According to the International Forum for the Study of Itch, sensitive skin is skin that has unpleasant reactions to stimuli that normally shouldn’t elicit those reactions. Such reactions include stinging, burning, pain, and tingling. We’d also like to add these other reactions: redness, flaking, itching, tightness, and a feeling of heat.
Sensitive skin can occur in all skin types, from oily to dry, and can be either chronic or temporary. Chronically sensitive skin is a skin type whereas temporarily sensitive skin is skin that becomes irritated only when triggered by stress, weather, or products.
Our gentle routine for sensitive skin will cover how to treat sensitive skin on the face with effective yet caring products.
Triggers That Aggravate Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is influenced by lots of factors, from age and genetics to environment and lifestyle. While some of these factors are out of your control, let’s focus on what you can manage: exposure to common sensitive skin triggers. These include:
- Fragrance
- Alcohol-based products
- Pollution
- Sun exposure
- Extreme weather
- Over-exfoliation
Avoiding these sensitive skin triggers is just as important as avoiding certain skincare that irritates your skin.
Signs Your Skin Barrier Might Be Compromised
The skin barrier is the system your skin uses to protect itself from UV rays, pollutants, and pathogens. It also controls skin’s moisture levels and protects against moisture loss.
The skin barrier is composed of two key elements. The first is the skin cells that make up a brick-wall-like structure on the outermost surface of the skin. The second part is the “bricks,” which consist of cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids.
As you can imagine, skin barrier function is vital to skin health. If your skin barrier is compromised, your skin may experience the following: tightness, stinging, flaking, redness, or increased sensitivity.
To restore balance and get your skin barrier back on track, use glycerin, aloe, and witch hazel, which are some of the best ingredients for sensitive skin. We’ll get into more detail later about what makes each one spectacular for sensitive skin and share a few other excellent ingredients, too.
Why a Sensitive Skincare Routine Matters
Before we provide our skincare routine for sensitive skin, we want to emphasize tailoring your skincare routine to your skin type. The best regimen for sensitive skin is one that matches your skin type while considering any sensitivities.
Sensitive skin has special needs regarding skincare. Skincare for sensitive skin should have calming, barrier-supportive ingredients to prevent flare-ups. Avoid skincare practices that are harsh on your skin (over-washing, using too-hot water, etc.) and avoid frequently switching up products, both of which can damage the skin barrier in the long term.
Best Skincare Ingredients for Sensitive Skin
The best skincare ingredients for sensitive skin are skin soothers such as witch hazel, aloe vera, and glycerin.
Witch hazel: Witch hazel is known for healing skin conditions like itching, redness, and inflammation. It’s no wonder we love it so much!
Glycerin: As a humectant, glycerin draws moisture to the skin, helping strengthen the skin barrier.
Aloe vera: Its moisturizing properties boost the skin barrier.
Barrier-repairing ingredients are also helpful in a sensitive skincare routine. These ingredients include ceramides and niacinamide.
Ceramides: This ingredient restores important lipids in the skin barrier, thus improving skin barrier function.
Niacinamide: This ingredient enables your skin to produce more ceramides for a stronger skin barrier.
Avoid products with alcohol, synthetic fragrance, and drying acids if you have sensitive skin.
Easy Sensitive Skincare Routine
Consistency is important in almost everything, including skincare routines! Creating an easy sensitive skin routine will ensure your skin regularly gets the care it needs, including moisture and a restored skin barrier. You can use our routine below as your daily skincare routine for sensitive skin and make tweaks where needed.
1. Cleanse
Washing sensitive skin is important because a buildup of excess oil, dead skin cells, and pathogens – all things cleanser can remove – can lead to more irritation.
Of course, not just any cleanser will do for sensitive skin. To avoid irritation, select a cleanser that is sulfate- and fragrance-free with a creamy or milky consistency.
Because over-washing can trigger sensitivity, try to wash your face just once a day at night and rinse your face with water in the morning if necessary.
2. Toner
Toners can soothe sensitive skin when made with the right ingredients. Choose alcohol-free, hydrating toners from Thayers, which are made with calming ingredients such as witch hazel, aloe vera, or snow mushroom.
3. Serum
Serums contain a higher concentration of active ingredients than do other types of skincare, such as moisturizers or cleansers. As a result, serums are the best way to experience the full benefits of active ingredients.
If you’ve got sensitive skin, seek out serums with gentle actives. Niacinamide and panthenol are known for skin barrier repair and hyaluronic acid, for moisture retention.
Skip out on strong exfoliants or concentrated acids, found in products like chemical peels, unless prescribed.
4. Moisturizer
Moisturizers play a key role in a sensitive skincare routine because they help repair the skin barrier. Ceramides and glycerin are two ingredients to look out for when shopping for moisturizers for sensitive skin; both promote skin barrier reinforcement and have anti-inflammatory properties. Sensitive skin moisturizers are usually fragrance-free.
5. Sunscreen
Sunscreen isn’t just for summer. For healthy skin and a lower risk of skin cancer and sunburn, wear sunscreen year-round. Sensitive skin tends to do well with mineral formulas containing zinc oxide or titanium oxide, which are less irritating than physical sunscreens are. Avoid sunscreen with fragrance, which can irritate the skin, and instead, go for a fragrance-free, lightweight formula.
6. Optional: Acne Spot Care
Acne can occur in any skin type but can be trickier to treat in sensitive skin, which might experience irritation from acne treatment ingredients. If you have occasional breakouts, opt for treatments with sulfur or low-strength salicylic acid, such as Thayers Rapid Acne Spot Treatment. Be sure to spot test first to see if a negative reaction occurs and avoid treatments that are alcohol heavy.
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Sensitive Skincare Routine FAQs
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What Skincare Ingredients Should I Avoid With Sensitive Skin?
You should avoid the following skincare ingredients if you have sensitive skin:
· Alcohol
· Fragrance
· Essential oils
· Physical exfoliants
· High concentrations of acids
· Parabens
· Sulfates
· Phthalates
Note that even essential oils are on the list. Although natural, essential oils can cause irritation when applied to the skin directly. Essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil before skin application.
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How Often Should I Wash My Face If I Have Sensitive Skin?
If you have sensitive skin, you should wash your face once at night. In the morning, you can rinse your face if needed. Depending on your lifestyle (if you play sports, go to the gym often, etc.), you may want to wash your face twice daily at most. Be sure to use lukewarm, not hot, water, and wash with a gentle touch.
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How Can I Tell If a Product Is Causing Irritation?
You can tell that a product is causing irritation if your skin is showing any of these signs: redness, stinging, itching, or flaking. We recommend that you patch-test new products and phase them in one at a time rather than trying multiple new products at once, which can overwhelm your skin. -
How Do You Rebuild a Damaged Skin Barrier?
A damaged skin barrier is a skin barrier that has been compromised. It can manifest as tightness, stinging, flaking, redness, or increased sensitivity. Here’s how to rebuild a damaged skin barrier: Do practice gentle routines and use barrier-supporting ingredients such as ceramides and aloe. Don’t overwash, use harsh cleansers, or use potentially irritating ingredients such as alcohol and fragrance.
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How Do People With Sensitive Skin Exfoliate?
People with sensitive skin can exfoliate by using gentle exfoliants, such as AHAs (mandelic acid, lactic acid, etc.) and polyhydroxy acids (PHAs), or soft tools. Konjac sponges may work well on sensitive skin if used gently.
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Do I Need Different Skincare for Sensitive Skin in Winter?
Yes, you might need different skincare for sensitive skin in the winter. For example, if your sensitive skin is also dry, you might want to switch to heavier serums or moisturizers, skip using toner, or use an even gentler cleanser so your skin can better handle the dry, cold air. Just ensure your updated skincare routine doesn’t contain any potentially irritating ingredients.
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How Do I Know If I Have Sensitive Skin or Just Irritated Skin?
You will know that you have sensitive skin if you experience recurring flare-ups unrelated to skincare use. In skin that’s just irritated, symptoms eventually go away and will return only when triggered by an allergen or irritant. Try the skincare elimination method for clarity: gradually pare down your routine to just the basics, carefully observing how your skin fares for at least a week. Then slowly reintroduce products into your routine and pay close attention to your skin’s reaction to each product. With this method, you’ll more easily see which products in your routine are the culprit.