Skin Care For Sensitive Skin
Soothe Away Your Skin Problems
Dry, itchy skin?
Prone to rashes and skin irritation?
If your skin is sensitive you may be wondering what the best skin care for sensitive skin is.
First of all let’s look at the definition of sensitive skin.
Sensitive skin is generally characterized by the following traits:
- Prone to soreness, itchiness and irritation
- Easily reddens, flushes or becomes blotchy
- High coloring of the cheeks
- Prone to broken capillaries and thread veins
- Prone to sore, dry patches
- Aggravated by soap and many shop bought skin care products
- Reacts to certain foods or drinks, particularly alcohol
- Reacts to the temperature i.e. to hot and cold weather
Skin sensitivity can apply to any of the other skin types, so it is possible to have dry sensitive skin, normal sensitive skin and even oily sensitive skin.If sensitive skin is a problem for you, your main aim is to reduce irritation by strengthening and calming your skin from both the inside and the outside.
Following a diet that is high in alkaline foods may help sensitive skin as will taking a good quality evening primrose or GLA supplement, which will help to calm, soothe and moisturize dry, sensitive skin from within.
What Aggravates Sensitive Skin?
Sensitive skin is most often irritated when it comes into contact with the fragrance, chemicals or preservatives found in many skin care preparations.
There are varying degrees of skin sensitivity and some people with the condition may only experience mild reactions with slight dryness and a stinging sensation.
Other people experience skin sensitivity more severely and this can result in obvious inflammation and redness and sometimes dryness and peeling of the skin.
The weather is one of the worst enemies of sensitive skin, with hot weather leading to redness and itching and cold or windy weather also aggravating this delicate skin type.
Extreme weather conditions at either end of the scale cause the tiny blood vessels just beneath the skin’s surface to carry more blood than usual, which then results in red and blotchy skin.
Top Tips For Sensitive Skin:
• Avoid the use of soap
• Avoid skin care and beauty products that contain fragrance and harsh chemicals
• Choose skin care products for sensitive skin
• Choose a sunscreen for sensitive skin and always protect your skin from the sun – even when the weather is cooler
• Always do a patch test before trying out a new skin care product
• Avoid alcohol especially red wine, port, sherry, beer and lager
The Best Skin Care For Sensitive Skin
To look after sensitive skin you need to treat it with great care, you should always use skin care products that have been specially formulated for sensitive skin.
Try to avoid at all costs products that contain fragrance, alcohol, artificial coloring, soap or lanolin, as these are the most obvious skin irritants found in shop bought beauty products.
Natural skin care products really come into their own when used for sensitive skin and if you really want to have total control over what you put on your face, making your own beauty products is the way forward.
As long as you avoid using any ingredient you know irritates your skin – and it will be different irritants for different people – then you have a safe skin care system to hand that will work for you.
1. Cleanser For Sensitive Skin
Choose a cleansing milk or lotion if you have sensitive skin, as these are the most gentle – or better still make your own.
Aromatherapy essential oils are very useful when it comes to skin care for sensitive skin.
When using natural base oils make sure you are not allergic to them by doing a patch test first and checking for any skin reaction over the next 24 – 48 hours.
Add 1 drop of chamomile oil to 1 drop of a base oil such as sweet almond, grapeseed or jojoba. Chamomile essential oil is very soothing and will help to calm inflamed and irritated skin.
Apply to your face using a cotton ball. This will help to gently cleanse the skin and remove any bacteria, dirt and makeup.
2. Toner For Sensitive Skin
If you have very sensitive skin then it may be wise to skip toner completely.
If using a shop bought product make sure that it doesn’t contain alcohol and choose a toner that has been formulated specifically for sensitive skin.
Natural toners that work for this skin type include rose water, elderflower water and orange flower water.
3. Moisturizer For Sensitive Skin
Again the power of aromatherapy oils can help to soothe and moisturize sensitive skin.
You can make your own moisturizer by adding 2 drops of chamomile, rose or neroli oils to 10 ml of any base oil and applying morning and evening.
If oil based moisturizers don’t suit your skin type then look for a light moisturizer that has been created for sensitive skin.
4. Exfoliator For Sensitive Skin
If your skin is sensitive then exfoliating can be a problem.
Many exfoliating ingredients are simply too harsh for sensitive skin and will aggravate the condition, leaving the skin red and inflamed.
However it is not impossible to remove dead skin cells and unclog pores if you have this skin type – just use the gentlest of ingredients and only exfoliate once or twice per week.
You can make your own gentle exfoliator by adding 1 teaspoon of oat bran and 1 teaspoon of finely ground almonds to 1 teaspoon of jojoba oil.
Massage the paste carefully into your skin for a few minutes and then simply rinse away with warm water.
5. Facemask For Sensitive Skin
A facemask is a wonderful way to pamper your skin, you can make your own, apply it to your face and then sit back and relax for 10 – 15 minutes.
To make your own mix together 1 tablespoon of natural plain yoghurt with 1 egg yolk and half a teaspoon of sesame oil.
As long as you are not allergic to any of the following ingredients this is a lovely, soothing natural facemask for sensitive skin.
Taking Control Of Your Sensitive Skin
Making your own home remedies is the easiest way to make sure that your sensitive skin is well cared for.
When you make your own skin care products you can be sure that the ingredients are 100% natural.
And, after performing a skin patch test, you will know for certain that the ingredients you are using won’t irritate your skin further.