Taken together, small steps can lead to a big impact for your sensitive skin

Keep your sensitive skin’s tingling, itching and stinging at bay with our nine tips for living with sensitive skin. Each on its own is easy to work into your regimen. All together they can make a big impact on how your skin feels on a daily basis.

Protect yourself from the sun. UV rays can make sensitive skin react, so that it flushes. The best way to avoid this is to wear adapted clothing and apply sunscreen to protect your skin. Keep both next to your door, so that they become second nature as you head out.

Avoid perfumes and fragrance. On their own, or when included in product formulations to heighten their attractiveness, they can irritate sensitive skin and make it itchy and red. Fragrance can be a catch-all term that hides a number of chemical compounds. If you’re unsure, test the product on your arm for a week to see what happens. Better yet, avoid altogether if at all possible. Fragrance is disappearing from many products as consumers and companies seek to improve their choices.

Avoid cigarettes and alcohol. Cigarettes’ effect on overall health has been widely demonstrated. Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes lead to premature ageing. The smoke causes oxidative stress, weakening the skin barrier so that irritants can penetrate and cause a reaction. As for alcohol, it can dilate blood vessels, causing flushing, which may provoke feelings of discomfort in sensitive skin.

Choose pure cotton for clothing and metals for jewellery. Wool can often irritate sensitive skin, sometimes even the softest kinds, such as cashmere and merino. With 100% cotton, there is no risk, and it also allows skin to breathe. As for jewellery, pure gold and silver are less likely to irritate sensitive skin compared to commercial metals and decorations. Whenever possible, choose them for necklaces, bracelets, and earring posts.

Wash with warm water. Hot or cold water can be too harsh on sensitive skin. Hot water even alters the skin barrier. Both can cause temporary redness, similar to a sudden change in temperature when going outside or inside. The redness can cause discomfort. With warm water, close to body temperature, you keep your sensitive skin within a familiar environment and it doesn’t become irritated. Avoid rubbing, and opt instead for a gentle cleanser such as a micellar water adapted to sensitive skin.

Stick to secure, high tolerance products that are effective and adapted to your skin. For your make-up and skincare routines, your sensitive skin needs products that respect its environment and biology. Products that are too harsh and not adapted to your sensitive skin can further exacerbate your skin’s reactions, rather than soothing them. If your skin does react, it’s better to find the right product that your sensitive skin tolerates, rather than telling yourself your skin just needs to get used to it.

Consult an expert who can provide advice to help you adapt your lifestyle. If you have tried all kinds of different advice, if one product after another only elicits new reactions from your sensitive skin, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by having to deal with it all, don’t hesitate to consult a dermatologist. Their experience and understanding can provide the relief and help you need, to finally take back control from your sensitive skin.

Wear a cotton mask. People with sensitive skin are prone to increased trouble with their skin as a result of wearing a mask. They can experience itching, dryness and redness due to the specific environment that exists inside a mask: no light, higher CO2 and less air circulation. A cotton mask that hasn’t been chemically dyed can help your skin breathe and won’t make it react. You can try alternating different types of masks to see if that helps. And, when there is no risk, remove your mask to give your skin a break.

Sensitive skin products Sensibio Defensive

Your symptoms can increase or decrease in intensity, between slightly itchy and all out red, tingling and stinging. There is just one fundamental problem: you have sensitive skin.

Learn more and read our article "Breaking news: the same symptoms, always sensitive skin"

To soothe your sensitive skin and care for it throughout changes in the season, a new job, pollution or whatever else comes along in the normal course of your life, you can adopt your Sensibio Defensive active soothing skincare and facial moisturiser for sensitive skin. For summer or winter, day or night, combination or oily or dry skin, on holiday or at work, for a countryside hike or city pollution, Sensibio Defensive protects your sensitive skin and strengthens its self-defence mechanisms. 

  • Sensibio Defensive

A light and refreshing texture for this cream that provides antioxidant protection and active soothing, and that strengthens sensitive skin’s ability to defend itself against daily irritations. Soothes immediately and lastingly. Moisturises during 12 hours.

  • Sensibio Defensive rich

The rich and enveloping option provides the same antioxidant protection and active soothing, and strengthens sensitive skin’s ability to defend itself against daily irritations. Soothes immediately and lastingly. Moisturises and nourishes during 12 hours.

 

Learn more about our product and read our article "Sensibio Defensive: Active soothing cream that strengthens skin’s self-defence"