Expert Tips on Caring for Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, you may have days where you feel like everything irritates it - from pollen, to the sun, pets, washing detergent and even emotions such as stress. And, while you can’t completely avoid all of these external factors, you can help ease the symptoms with your skin care.

Here’s the ultimate skin care for sensitive skin guide and the best products that can help treat its symptoms.

Characteristics of sensitive skin

Sensitive skin can affect most areas of the body including the scalp, lips, hands, body and face, and is usually best identified by the feeling it creates such as itching, soreness, burning, stinging and tightness. It can also create redness in the skin and sometimes roughness, swelling and a rash. In most cases though, you’ll feel your skin becoming sensitive before you see it.

The causes of sensitive skin

Our skin protects itself from aggressors in the environment (such as pollution and bacteria) with a natural protective barrier. This barrier also helps the skin stay hydrated and prevents too much water from leaving the body. When the skin starts to feel sensitive, however, it’s a sign that the barrier has been weakened – either by factors happening inside the body like stress and fatigue, or externally such as a change in climate.

Skin care for sensitive skin

While you can’t control everything in your environment that irritates your skin, you can control the skin care you use to clean and moisturise it with. Try to avoid anything too harsh or drying such as soap and overly perfumed products as these can strip the skin of the essential oils and lipids that help to keep the protective barrier hydrated. Instead, use products with minimal ingredients created especially for the needs of sensitive skin.

In the shower

Cleanse your body in the bath or shower with a gentle product such as Sanex Expert Skin Health Sensitive Shower Gel. Formulated with Lactoserum, it will leave the skin feeling comfortable and soft. And, for very sensitive skin, you can also use Sanex Expert Skin Health Sensitive Shower Gel. It contains no colourants or soap and is completely fragrance-free with no fragrance allergens. Use this when your skin is feeling hypersensitive.

In the bath

If you love nothing more than a long soak in the bath but find bubble baths too irritating, try a gentler alternative like Sanex Expert Skin Health Sensitive Shower Gel. The formula contains Lactoserum, an ingredient rich in milk proteins, that helps to leave the skin soft and comfortable. It can also help skin restore its own natural PH levels.

Under the arms

The underarms are one area of the body that can become very sensitive, especially when the climate is very humid and even very cold. If you find that deodorants can make the skin under your arms red and sensitive, swap to something more delicate such as Sanex’s Zero Sensitive Roll On. It provides effective protection against odour for up to 24-hours but contains no Aluminium Chlorohydrate (ACH) or Ethyl Alcohol.

Body

Sensitive skin needs hydration in order to help repair the protective barrier and replace loss lipids. So, once you come out of the bath or shower, apply an unfragranced moisturiser to the whole body.

Hands

Sensitivity on the hands is very common, so it’s important to keep them hydrated and protected throughout the day. Make sure you wear protective gloves for chores such as washing up and cleaning and apply a hand cream after every wash.