Is your skin sensitive?
You must be struggling with persistent rashes, frequent sunburns, itching, dryness, flaking, and breakouts.It also means that your skin needs extra care than other skin types. Sensitive skin is hyper-reactive to a certain environment and various chemicals and substances. Some people have naturally sensitive skin while some experience skin sensitivity with their skincare products.
Simply put, it is the skin that is more reactive than usual.
Sensitive skin is caused by the irritation of nerve endings in the top layer of the skin. The irritation is likely to occur in the skin with a weak or damaged natural barrier.
While we can’t change our genes or environment, we can cultivate good skincare habits to keep our sensitive skin healthy, beautiful and comfortable. Here’s how…
1. Protect Your Skin from the Sun:
While wearing sunscreen might sound a basic piece of advice, but sun protection is downright essential for people with sensitive skin. Sun exposure reaches harm to the skin, leading to dryness and premature aging. Make sure to wear a good sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. A good quality sunscreen contains zinc oxide or titanium oxide.
Besides, try to avoid out in the sun during the peak hours in summers. Keep in mind that the sun isn’t the only thing to worry about. Heat can irritate sensitive skin, so stay in the shade to keep your skin cool.
Also, wear protective clothing to protect the skin from the sun. Cover the skin with tightly woven long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, and long pats.
2.Choose Your Skincare Products Carefully:
Having sensitive skin means you need to be careful with your skincare products. Avoid using skincare products that contain acids, such as lipoic acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid. These acids can irritate your skin. Look for the cosmetics that are labeled “hypoallergenic” on the packaging. Also, they prefer fragrance-free products as they are good for sensitive skin.
Luckily, there are many herbal skin care products to choose from. Most are formulated with herbal ingredients like Argan oil and Aloe Vera.
Coming to makeup products, go for mineral powder as they are free from preservatives and artificial dyes. Prefer pencil eyeliner as liquid ones have latex that causes a reaction.
However, avoid waterproof mascara as harsh cleansers are needed to remove it. Make sure to discard old cosmetics as they lose efficiency and become contaminated over time. Always keep your tools like makeup brushes neat and clean.
3. Always Patch-Test New Products
Make sure to test a small part of new cosmetics on the inside of your arm to determine its reaction. You can use it overnight to see the result in the morning. No reaction in the morning means it is safe for your sensitive skin. This is called a patch test and can be done informally at home.
4. Use Home Remedies to Soothe Skin Irritation:
Natural remedies like aloe-vera and turmeric are completely safe and efficient for skin irritation. Starting from Aloe Vera, it contains therapeutic properties along with vitamin E that can soothe skin itchiness and redness. It is simple to use. Just peel off a fresh aloe leaf and extract out the gel.
Apply the gel to the affected area. Let it dry overnight and wash off with water the next morning. Experience mild itchiness after the application is normal.
Turmeric is an Indian herb that has been in use for treating various health concerns for ages, including skin problems. Thanks to its antiseptic and healing properties to prevent problems like breakouts and rashes. It also contains a compound known as cur cumin that improves the appearance of the skin.
All you need to mix 1 tbsp of turmeric powder and add a few drops of honey and 2 tbsp of raw milk to it. Mix well and apply it to the affected areas. Let it dry and wash it off with plain water.
5.Keep Your Skin Moisturized:
Keeping your skin moisturized will make it less vulnerable to dryness and irritants. Regular moisturizing protects the skin from water loss and helps maintain a strong barrier from the daily beatings of environmental factors, including wind and pollution.
If your skin is not too oily, you can use a face-oil instead of moisturizer at night. Coconut oil is a light oil that works well on the skin. For oily skin, prefer silicone-based moisturizers that are generally labeled as non-oily or light moisturizers.
Make sure to apply moisturizer within 3 minutes of the bath when your skin is slightly damp. If you have excessively dry skin, or that reacts with any product you use, try petroleum jelly and fragrance-free products such as Vaseline.
6. Take Care of Your Diet
Your diet is one of the key factors that determine the health of your skin. In fact, it plays an important role in nourishing and repairing your skin. The minerals and vitamins can promote collagen production to keep your skin firm and youthful. Add fresh fruit, veggies, and omega-3s to your diet.
Minimize your intake of salt, foods with additive/colorings, sugar, and junk food. Also, avoid spicy food as they raise body heat which is not good for someone with sensitive skin. Make sure to drink lots of water as it keeps your skin hydrated to minimize dryness.
7. Learn How to Manage Stress:
Did you know that stress can take a toll on your skin?
This is because our body triggers inflammation to get protection from the stress. Although this is a natural defense mechanism, it irritates the skin. That’s why many people experience hot flushes and itching when they are in stress. Therefore, you should manage your stress. Do meditation and breathing exercises to calm down yourself.
8. See Your Doctor for Persistent Skin Problems:
Sometimes our precautions and efforts are not enough to deal with skin irritation. If your problem persists despite all measures, make sure to visit a dermatologist. They can do several tests to figure out the things affecting your skin and prescribe accordingly.
So these are some tips to keep your sensitive skin healthy and beautiful. What do you think? Let me know by commenting below.
