How to care for sensitive skin

                              How to care for sensitive skin

 

           Sensitive skin types are usually a challenge to care for. For some, it seems virtually everything causes redness and or breakouts. For others, the existing skin concerns are not alleviated; or they worsen with tried antics. Regardless of which one of the above pertains to you, I'm going to go over some very important things that may help your skin concerns. I'm going to touch on some things to avoid as well. Do keep in mind that I am not a doctor. Therefore my suggestions are not intended to replace medical advice. If you are suffering with any medical condition, seek the advice of a physician before trying any of the following.  Thank you all for reading. I hope and pray this information will help with your sensitive skin concerns.

        First of all, I'm going to discuss cleansing the skin. Contrary to popular belief it is not necessary to use a cleanser twice a day. Using one twice daily strips the skin of its lipid barrier and could cause dryness and more irritation. A splash or two of cold water in the morning is sufficient to remove dust and sebum that accumulates while we sleep. 

At night our faces are very dirty even for those who do not wear make-up. This is why it is essential for all skin types to cleanse the skin before going to sleep. A mild cleanser is a must for sensitive types. I use the oil cleansing method. I absolutely love it! See my post on DIY oil cleansing to learn how to make your own. Those of you who want to use finished products should look closely at the ingredients before purchasing. Most commercial products are packed with ingredients that cause further irritation. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate should be totally avoided! It may be referred to as Sodium Laureth Sulfate as well. This is what causes your cleansers to foam. It is in seemingly everything! It can be very drying and irritating. It is sensitive skins worst enemy! Another thing to avoid is exfoliating. It causes damage to the skin.  Ingredients that may help are allantoin, aloe, calendula,  and jojoba. After you have done your cleansing, pat dry then the next step is toning.

          A toner is necessary to restore the natural acidic balance lost from the cleansing process. I make my own using a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in twelve ounces of distilled water. It is extremely gentle. Once again, those of you desiring to purchase finished products must get to know and read the ingredient labels. Things to avoid in toners are SD Alcohol or denatured alcohol, mineral oil or petroleum, fragrance or parfume. As a matter of fact, all of your skin care products should be fragrance free and without added color. After using a gentle toner, its time to moisturize!

      Moisture is lost during the cleansing process; so it is necessary to use a good moisturizer to avoid the skin becoming too dry. Oilier skin types need to use one as well. I use a light oil called camellia seed oil. It is ideal for oily skin; and it seems to sooth inflammation. When shopping for moisturizers read and know your ingredients! I cannot possibly stress this enough for sensitive types. Avoid Bromonitropropane diol, DMDM hydantoin, quaternium-15, diazolidinyl urea, hydroxymethyl nitromethane, imidazolidinyl urea, alpha hydroxy acids, salicylic acid, glycolic acid, retinol, retinoic acid, mint, citrus, lavende and of course fragrance. Just the names of some of these things is quite scary! To contrast, you want to look for jojoba oil, wheatgerm oil, sunflower oil, Green tea extract, Camomile extract, panthenol, and oatmeal.  If your moisturizer does not contain sunscreen, the next step is to apply sunscreen.

         Sunscreen is the most important thing for all skin types especially for those of us who are sensitive. Sunlight is one of our skins worst enemies! The good news is that it is easy to prevent damage from these harmful rays. It is very important to avoid anything that could potentially cause further irritation. Sunlight even in small amounts is a known culprit. If your moisturizer contains sunscreen, most likely its active ingredients are a combination or at least two of the following: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, and octinoxate. These are known as chemical filters. They can cause irritation, free radicals, and hormonal disruption. Therefore, they must be avoided. Opt for a mineral based sunscreen that has the active ingredients zinc oxide, and or titanium dioxide. Some sensitive types can be irritated by titanium dioxide. If you want a very good mineral based sunscreen I recommend Burnout Sensitive. It does not contain titanium dioxide. Many people experiment with different brands just to see what works best for them. There are those who choose not to use one despite the warnings which defeats the purpose of everything I've discussed here.

        In closing, a simple routine is important for sensitive types. Avoid using too many products or trying all kinds of different things. You may be surprised that it does not need to be complicated or expensive. You may find that your sunscreen moisturizes fine. In that case, its totally okay to skip the moisturizer; but never skip the sunscreen. These recommendations are not set in stone. Different things work for different people. The key things to remember are cleanse with water only in the morning, tone with weak mixture of apple cider vinegar, moisturize with something that has the ingredients mentioned above, apply mineral based sunscreen; and know your ingredients before shopping! 

       Comments are welcome! I do love them. However, I am not professing to be an English major. Therefore, I do not welcome comments critiquing that or spelling. In addition, I will not allow any trolling or plain rudeness. It will simply be deleted. However, those of you who have questions or concerns feel free to comment. I will do my best to answer your questions. Once again thanks for reading and God bless!