Want to know the secret to healthy skin? Understanding and listening to what your skin needs! Is it dry, oily, irritated, or dull? Is it sensitive or sensitised? You may have heard a lot of people mention that their skin is sensitive and so they have to be careful about what products they use. You may have sensitive skin yourself. Or do you? It is possible that your skin is sensitised and is not sensitive by nature. But wait, what does this even mean? Let’s find out!

What is Sensitive Skin?

Sensitive skin is the type of skin that is more reactive in nature. If your skin reacts to certain ingredients or foods, it is probably sensitive. But why do some people have sensitive skin and others do not? The cause of sensitive skin goes much deeper - it is about genes.

Conditions such as eczema and rosacea are also regarded as an outcome of sensitive skin.  Eczema or Atopic Dermatitis is a skin condition that makes your skin red and itchy. It often begins before the age of 5 and may persist into adolescence and adulthood. For some people, it flares periodically and then clears up for a time, even for several years. Eczema is genetic. It may also be a cause of food allergies. Rosacea is a condition that causes redness, small, red, pus-filled bumps, and visible blood vessels in your face.

If you are suffering from the likes of Eczema and Rosacea, be sure to moisturise regularly - preferable twice a day, use gentle cleansers, don’t tug on your skin too much, and try to identify what makes the condition worse. It could be sweat, stress, obesity, or pollution. 

Taking care of sensitive skin means understanding what exactly it is that your skin reacts to. Perhaps artificial fragrances do not work for you, or perhaps a particular ingredient does not suit you. The trick to taking care of sensitive skin is figuring out the problem ingredient and then avoiding products that contain it! Also, watch out for the food you eat. That might be a problem too! 

But then what is Sensitised Skin?

Let’s put it this way: while sensitive skin is genetic and not in your control, sensitised skin is pretty much your doing. Sensitised skin is not a skin type. Rather, it is a skin condition in which your skin has been triggered and is irritated.   

What happens is that your skin barrier gets damaged. That’s the layer of the skin that protects it from environmental stressors, dirt, grime, etc. A damaged skin barrier leads to damaged nerve endings and that results in the flare-up. There are multiple reasons why your skin barrier could be damaged. Your lifestyle plays a big role in the health of your skin and skin barrier. Lack of sleep, an unhealthy diet, and stress are all contributing factors to be damaging your skin barrier. Even the climate can really affect your skin. Exposure to extreme hot and cold temperatures can potentially lead to a damaged skin barrier. 

But there are some other factors that can also be the reason your skin is sensitised. Let us take a look. 

What causes Sensitised Skin?

With sensitised skin, there are many reasons why your skin is irritated:

1. Your skincare routine is far too complex: With skincare, many times simple is better. While the 10 or 15 step routine might sound like it will do wonders for your skin, that might not really be the case. Harsh cleansers and overuse of active ingredients such as Vitamin C, AHAs, BHAs can damage your skin barrier and sensitise your skin.
   
   
2. Your scrub is not-so-gentle: With exfoliation, one is always at the risk of overdoing it. Is your skin feeling too tight? Does it feel squeaky clean after you wash your face? With physical scrubs, many people tend to be rather heavy-handed. The result of this heavy-handedness? Sensitised skin. 
   
   
3. You have an allergy: It is very much possible that you are simply allergic to an ingredient. Allergies can develop at any point of time. For example, preservatives tend to be irritating for some people. 

    

   

Taking Care of Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, here are a few things you should keep in mind:

1. Don’t touch your face: The urge to pick at pimples and to touch your face in general can be quite great for some but try to stay away from doing so! Our hands touch all sorts of places and things and you do not want to keep on transferring those germs and bacteria to your skin.
   
   
2. Stay away from fragrance: While good smelling makeup makes you feel really good, at times you may find that your skin disagrees. Synthetic fragrances can irritate your skin so that is something you should be careful about.
   
   
3. Don’t strip your skin: Don’t use any harsh cleansers that may leave your skin feeling too tight. Be as gentle with your skin as possible!
   
   
4. Patch test: Before applying a product to your face, always be sure to patch test it! You never know which ingredient or product you are sensitive to so it is always better to be safe.
   
   
5. Opt for non-comedogenic products: Be on the lookout for products that are non-comedogenic. The terms means that the product will not clog your pores.
   
   
6. Eat well and drink lots of water: Be sure to get your greens in, get a good night’s sleep and drink plenty of water during the day! This holds true for every skin type.
   
   
7. Be careful with actives: People tend to get carried away with active ingredients such as Retinol, Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, and whatnot. Try to reign yourself in and be very careful with the actives you pick. Don’t expose your skin to harsh ingredients!

How Can I Tell Whether My Skin Is Sensitive or Sensitised? 

It may often happen that you are confusing a skin sensitisation to actually having sensitive skin. Given that causes for each are very different, it is important that you are able to correctly identify what your skin really is. So how can you tell?

Well, if you have sensitive skin, you will know it because this is something you have had your whole life. You could be sensitive to fragrance, a certain ingredient, a food group, or even a fabric. 

Sensitised skin, on the other hand, is not genetic. In fact, it is probably something you are doing that is sensitising your skin. It happens when your skin, which was previously normal and non-sensitive, is exposed to potential irritants such as environmental factors, overuse of skincare products, or lifestyle factors.

Another tell-tale sign for figuring out whether your skin is sensitive or sensitised is your age. If you are in your twenties and are experiencing such reactions, it is most likely that your skin is sensitised.

If you feel your skin is tingling or is turning red, the best way to figure out if it is sensitised is by stopping the use of all active ingredients such as Vitamin C, AHAs, BHAs, PHAs, and Retinols. Get rid of any cleansers that may contain strong cleaning agents such as Sulphates. Stop using products containing ethyl alcohol too. Go through the ingredients list of all your products to eliminate any potential irritant. Then observe how your skin behaves. If it seems to be returning back to its original form, you know it was sensitised!

Here are a few ways you can tell whether your skin is sensitised or not:

1. Your skin feels really tight after cleansing.
   
   
2. Your skin is dry and flaky.
   
   
3. It stings when you apply products containing active ingredients.
   
   
4. It is easily irritated and turns red.
   
   
5. Your skin has bumps and rashes.
   
   
6. Your skin feels itchy.
   
   
7. Your skin reacts to extreme hot and cold temperatures.
   
   
8. Your skin is breaking out easily.
   
   
9. Your skin has become more sensitive to the sun.
   
   
10. Your skin feels rough to the touch.

Taking Care of Sensitised Skin

So you have damaged your skin barrier and your skin is irritated and inflamed. 

The Don’ts:

Here are some things you should avoid doing or using:

1. Do not touch your face: Our hands are home to millions of bacteria, irrespective of how clean you think they may be. Constantly touching your face could mean transferring potentially irritating bacteria to your already-irritated skin. 
   
   
2. Stay away from acids: Enjoy using exfoliating acids a little too much? Well, it is time to take a break! With acids, always remember to start slowly - once a week or once in two weeks and see how your skin adapts to the product. Take your time and do not rush! 
   
   
3. Take a break from Vitamin C and Retinols: While both of these are great ingredients, they can often be too strong for you and you can damage your skin if you are using them too often and without allowing your skin the time to adjust to them. 
   
   
4. Do not scrub your face every day: This is something you should keep in mind even when your skin is not sensitised. Physical exfoliants can be pretty harsh. If your skin barrier is damaged, you want to let it heal. As a rule of thumb, exfoliate once to twice a week and do not use both physical and chemical exfoliants!

The Do’s:

Here are some tips for healing your irritated skin:

1. Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate: A damaged skin barrier needs water and plenty of hydration. Dryness can cause further damage so it is important to drink plenty of water and use hydrating lotions and creams.

2. Ingredients such as Glycerin, Sorbitol, and Hyaluronic Acid are great humectants. This means these ingredients draw water from the depths of the skin to the surface, making your face look plump and hydrated. 

3. Hello, Ceramides and Peptides: Ceramides are the building blocks of your skin barrier and help protect the skin. They’re great moisture-binding ingredients and also block irritants from penetrating. Similarly, Peptides are the building blocks of proteins such as Elastin and Collagen. You can opt for products containing Niacinamide, which stimulates Ceramide production and restores skin barrier function. 

4. Gentle cleansers for the win: Opt for mild cleansers that don’t dry out your skin. The First Water Solutions Clear 7 Face Wash is a great choice! 

5. Antioxidants to the rescue: Use antioxidant-rich oils to repair the damage done to your skin barrier. Oils such as those of Sunflower and Safflower are rich in linoleic acid which is hydrating and not too heavy. 

6. Sunscreen is your best friend: UV rays will be extra harsh if your skin barrier is damaged so make sure to apply a Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. 

7. Healthy Diet = Healthy Skin: One of the best ways of healing your skin is from the inside. Incorporate fatty acid-rich foods into your diet such as nuts, seafood, flax seeds, and chia seeds among others.

Summary

Most people tend to assume that they have sensitive skin when in reality their skin is simply sensitised. Understanding the difference between these two is very important. As skincare formulations evolve, it is crucial that we all learn to listen to our skin and understand what products are working for us and what are not. If your skin is sensitised, it means your skin barrier has been damaged and needs to heal. Opt for hydrating and non-occlusive moisturisers, use gentle exfoliants and mild cleansers. Most importantly, drink plenty of water!

- By Gauri Sindhu