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Sensitive Skin Care
Believe it or not, sensitive skin is not considered a medical condition. Sensitive skin is simply related to the level of susceptibility to the skin becoming irritated, red, swollen and/or itchy. This is usually as a result of either an environmental condition or use of a certain product. When dealing with allergic reactions a person’s skin sometimes has a heightened response and can feel overly sensitive to stimuli.
What makes skin become sensitive?
There are many reasons as to why skin can become sensitive; the most common of these reasons is a negative reaction to products used to cleanse and protect the skin. Don’t think of just that new lotion you just bought, but of all of the products used in combination throughout each and every day. In addition, outside pollutants and changes in the environment can develop reactions.
Soaps, cleansers, toners, blemish reducers, blemish concealers, foundation, blush, facial masks, after shave lotion is just a fraction of your daily skin care regime. In most cases, these products are manufactured by different companies and have not yet been tested with each other. Your skin becomes the lab for all of these concoctions to be tested upon. Sometimes products make minor changes to ingredients which force the “testing” to begin all over again.
Determining the exact cause of your sensitive skin
With the number of products that come into contact with our skin everyday, trying to determine the one or few that attribute to your sensitive skin is not always easy. Your laundry detergent, fabric softeners, shampoo, perfume, hair spray, and even the household cleaning products you use can be the culprit. It can take hours or even days before the signs of skin sensitivity are felt or become visible. Exposure to the sun can create skin irritations as well, as can extremely hot water. Allergic reactions can be immediate or can appear over time with certain foods or plants.
For the more organized, try to keep track when you change products. Many of us are habits of routine so we tend to purchase the same brands of skin care products, for example. We are more apt to repurchase specialty products, but what about cleaning products, such as polishes and laundry or dishwashing detergents. If you aren’t picky about the brand of laundry soap and pick up whatever is on sale, keep a notepad in the laundry room just to document when you are started a new brand of detergent. This becomes a great help when attempting to pinpoint your newly developed sensitive skin.
Healthy skin is inherently less sensitive because it's able to act as an effective barrier against many or these irritants. Damaged skin from sunburn, or skin that is excessively dry will tend to be more sensitive. Sometimes skin sensitivity develops during winter months as the air is drier, and the cold air strips the skin of its protective moisture.
Keep skin healthy and well-balanced year round by reading our Winter vs Summer Skin Care article.
How to treat sensitive skin
Sensitive skin can be treated mostly by ensuring it is as healthy as possible. The difficult part is finding out the cause of the sensitivity. A dermatologist may be able to assist in determining or ruling out and known medically treated skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or rosacea.
Start reading product labels - the fewer ingredients, the better. Limit products containing alcohol, fragrances, botanicals, antibacterial, ethanol and propylene glycol. Avoiding them altogether would be great, but at minimum just understand what they are doing to your skin and that they could add to your sensitivity issues. Alcohols and antibacterial soaps tend to dry the skin so if you do use these products ensure you keep your skin moisturized. This adds to the number of products you are using though!
Here are some additional tips for keeping skin healthy and therefore preventing sensitive skin. As with any “proactive treatment” knowledge is power, get involved with all aspects of what goes into your body.
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Keep skin moist and always apply sun protection.
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Gently clean skin. Avoid harsh products like scrubbing mitts, excessively hot water and abrasive exfoliating products. Don’t over exfoliate. Any temporary redness from exfoliation should remain for no more than a few minutes.
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Spot test new facial products before applying to entire face. Apply a few dabs behind ears for 5 days, and if there's no reaction, apply beside eyes for another 5 days. If all goes well, full facial coverage likely will be safe.
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Choose natural fabrics for pillowcases and washcloths like 100% cotton or silk instead of synthetic materials. Check your 'cotton' balls, too. Some look like cotton but are polyester.
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Eat a balanced diet to ensure skin gets the nutrients it needs to remain healthy. If in fear, ask your doctor about a suitable, daily multivitamin.
Link to this article:
<a href="http://www.expressskincare.com" target="_blank">Sensitive Skin Care</a>
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