Sensitive or Reactive Skin

This is the second highest maintenance skin type, next to acneic, is sensitive or reactive skin types. Sensitive skin is the Drama Queen of skin types. Instead of dealing with breakouts, you are regularly dealing with redness and irritation. The key to treating sensitive or reactive skin is to calm it down and to strengthen it. Sensitive or reactive skin needs healing. It needs products that will cool it, soothe, heal and protect it.

By choosing products with healing and soothing properties that repair sensitive or reactive skin, you can turn your delicate skin into strong skin.

Daily rituals for sensitive or reactive skin

Cleanse AM & PM: Choose milky cleansers that soothe and calm. Some can be used with or without water.

Tone AM & PM: Use toners that soothe. Absolutely no alcohol allowed. Remember toners that balance pH. Sensitive skin has an unbalanced pH, and a toner can be critical in its recovery.

Exfoliate: Sensitive or reactive skin needs exfoliating too. Never use a scrub or a brush. Choose enzyme based exfoliants. These exfoliants removes cells without scrubbing. Use 1 – 2 times per week.

Mask: Use gel and cream only. They hydrate, soothe and heal.

Moisturise: Many with sensitive or reactive skin avoid moisturisers in fear of allergic reactions and some sensitive skins are also prone to breakouts. Often, the wrong moisturiser can make a sensitive or reactive skin look “greasy” thus enhance the redness; this outcome can lead to no moisturiser being used. Sensitive skin desperately needs the correct moisturiser to protect, hydrate and correct the situation.

Special considerations

Water: Important for all skin types, but did you know skin can develop sensitivities just from being dehydrated! Red, irritated and hypersensitive skin is a common reaction to dehydration. Often the increase in water consumption and the addition of a toner, alone can greatly improve a sensitive or reactive skin.

Consume alcohol and spicy foods in moderation.

Protect your skin from extreme heat or cold.

Courtesy: Nicci Leigh Love your skin