Managing sensitive skin is a struggle for many. Whether you have difficulty finding products your skin doesn’t react to or are dealing with constant redness and irritation with little relief, here are my top tips for soothing and strengthening sensitive skin.
- Avoid harsh products that strip or irritate the skin. Your skin should not feel tight, burning or tingly. Harsh products will damage your skin's healthy protective barrier.
- Reducing inflammation is key when addressing sensitive skin. This includes an anti-inflammatory diet, and skin care.
- Avoid hot or cold water. Sensitive skin doesn't like extremes.
- Drinking a lot of water is not sufficient for hydrating skin. Skin must also be hydrated topically to function optimally. Apply 4-6 spritzes of toner twice/day and follow with your moisturizer
- Contrary to popular belief, oil is your friend. Incorporating oils, like jojoba, calendula, evening primrose, pomegranate and cranberry oils help nourish, heal and repair reactive skin's natural lipid barrier
- Focus on calming redness, reducing inflammation and strengthening your skin before introducing active products like retinol alternatives or Vitamin C into your skin care regime.
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Avoid harsh exfoliators or over-exfoliating your skin. Skin regenerates every 28-40 days. Weekly exfoliation with a gentle exfoliant is sufficient. Over-exfoliation will aggravate sensitive skin.