Ultimate Guide To Caring For Sensitive Skin

Heat, cold, new products, your mood, the air—your skin tends to react to anything and everything. Whether it’s dry or oily, you just can’t stop it from getting red, itchy, and flaky all the time, and it’s becoming very frustrating to deal with. After all, waking up with a face full of pimples or with your nose as red as Rudolph’s is no one’s idea of a fun time, and being unable to prevent your skin from looking inflamed all the time can lead to a lot of confidence issues.

Well, don’t worry—that’s why we’re here. To help you learn how to take better care of your complexion and get everything under control we’ve made a list of really handy tips. Ready for some awesome skincare advice? Then read on!

Figure out which type of sensitive are you

There are different types of sensitive skin, and how you treat it will depend on its specific issue. A large majority of sensitive skin types have very dry skin, but oily and combination types can also be prone to redness and irritations. Constant ruddiness could also indicate a condition called rosacea.

Another type of sensitive skin is breakout-prone, so if you suffer from acne you might have to introduce a slightly more complex skincare regimen to get it all under control. It’s a good idea to figure out what’s causing the blemishes—do you tend to wake up with a lot of them after trying on a new product? Or are they more cyclical and keep appearing at the same time every month, regardless of how you care for your face? If that’s the case, you might be suffering from hormonal acne.

Find which ingredients you react to

Do yourself a favor and start reading ingredient labels. It’s very important to know what goes into the products you put on your face, as some things can cause allergies and sensitivities. Sulfates, fragrances, essential oils, bismuth oxychloride, mineral oils—all of these could be potential allergens that are wreaking havoc on your skin. Get familiar with these toxic ingredients and common irritants, and then avoid buying anything that contains them.

Skip products that contain alcohol

While alcohol is frequently found in toners, cleansers, and acne-targeting solutions, it’s one of the worst things to put on your skin, especially if it’s sensitive. It can quickly dry it out, and while this sounds like a good idea for those who are oily, alcohol actually tends to push your sebaceous glands into overdrive to make up for the lost moisture, so you’ll end up looking like an even bigger grease-ball. Avoid anything that contains the word “ethanol” in the ingredient list.

Get your hormonal acne under control

Despite common belief, acne is actually not caused by bad hygiene. While cleansing properly can really help, it won’t resolve the underlying cause of hormonal acne. In truth, the best thing you can do on your own is start a good skincare regimen and use gentle cleansers and non-comedogenic moisturizers to keep your face clean and soft, but to truly resolve the problem it’s a good idea to visit your dermatologist.

They could prescribe you tretinoin creams or advise you on using salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, but they could also prescribe birth control. It can actually be quite helpful in getting your hormonal balance in check, but you need to be careful—it might take up to six months to really see the results, and it really depends on the kind of medication you use. If you want good results, the best birth control for acne contains both progestin and estrogen, and your doctor can advise you on which specific brand you can use. You should get your bloodwork done before committing to anything, and you should know that medication such as this can actually aggravate your condition if improperly used.

One final solution that you can turn to only if everything else fails is isotretinoin, or more commonly known as Accutane. It’s a very effective drug to combat acne, however it can have some serious side-effects and you’ll need a prescription from your doctor as well as frequent consultations to keep your health in check. Only opt for this if you have very severe acne that don’t respond to anything else.

Switch to natural products

Natural skin care products tend to be gentler on the skin, and they’re usually a pretty great solution for those who are looking for less irritants. However, buy only from brands that are certified, and avoid the use of undiluted essential oils. 100% cold-pressed organic oils such as rosehip and jojoba are, however, a great remedy for dry, patchy skin.

Always do a patch test

If you’ve just bought a new product, do a patch test on your arm. Clean the area with warm water and soap, dab it with a towel, then apply a small amount of the new product. Wait for at least 24h to see the results—if the skin there becomes red or itchy, you’ll know this product is not for you.

Never use more than one new product

If you try out several new things at once and your skin ends up irritated, you won’t have any idea what caused it. So, instead of trying out a whole new line of cosmetics, introduce products one by one. You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble that way.

It’s very important to accept yourself the way you are. Sensitive skin can be cared for and made to look absolutely wonderful, so simply be gentle and nurturing when it comes to your complexion and you’ll look great.