2 Things Your Sensitive Skin Hates

Why was this ever a thing?! Nothing to do with this post but speaking of things I HATE..

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Taking care of sensitive skin can be tricky and frustrating. Although there have been great strides taken to eliminate harmful ingredients from a marketing perspective, you have to be vigilant when it comes to ingredient lists.

Two things to avoid. Two things to try.

• Avoid fragranced skin care products or makeup. Fragrance is a pretty word that disguises a laundry-list of chemicals of up to 300 chemicals used to create that coconut, gardenia, baby powdery cloud of “freshness” that can come with a steep price health-wise. Allergic reactions, itchy skin, sneezing, watery eyes, pimples just to start, so error on the side of caution & avoid synthetic fragrances on labels.
• Scrubs aren’t really your friend. I’m a huge fan of skin exfoliation. It’s important for maintaining clear pores and smooth skin. Exfoliation gets the gunk out of clogged pores and helps to prevent future breakouts. It also removes dead skin that leads to scaly, ashy, unattractive layers voiding the effects of moisturizing, since lotions & creams just sit on top unable to do their job. But for sensitive types, harsh mechanical scrubs can irritate and possibly damage delicate cells. Opt for a gentle topical serum or moisturizer to do your exfoliating. You can receive the same results just without the actual scrubbing action.
• Wash and rinse with cooler temps. Hot water feels great in winter when the temps plummet but it can be too much for delicate skin types. Stick to lukewarm and cooler water to soothe your skin thus avoiding irritation.
• SPOT TEST. Now, if you’re frowning and giving me the “who the hell actually spot tests” face, I absolutely understand. Spot testing is a lot like leaving the tags on your pillows – no one really does it even though the tag clearly states to leave them on forever. I’ve never quite figured out the reason but when it comes to spot testing, better safe than sorry. Simply follow the instructions for spot testing on the package or as a rule of thumb – dab a little of the product in your inner elbow & leave it for 24 hours. If there’s no irritation, you’re good to go! This is a safe way to determine if a product will irritate your skin & if it does, take a careful look at the ingredients list, google the first five & gain some insight into which ingredients you want to avoid in the future.

Reference: The 5 Minute Face by Carmindy