Sensitive skin isn’t really a medical term, it’s more of a term to describe skin that becomes easily irritated. 

But, we have some tips to help you avoid those nasty flare-ups.

1. Drink plenty of water.  Your skin will benefit from the overall cleansing effects of proper hydration.  A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight, divide it by 2 and that’s how many ounces of non-caffeinated beverages you should drink daily.

2. Avoid products that contain alcohol.  Alcohol is drying to the skin and can irritate sensitive skin.

3. Avoid fragrance. The term fragrance in ingredient lists is a catch-all for up to 5,000 different chemicals.  Fragrance is a common cause of cosmetic contact dermatitis according to the American Academy of Dermatology.  It is actually ranked with nickel and poison ivy for skin irritants, and we all know how common those are for skin irritation.

4. Do not over wash your face.  Try to just wash once a day at night and do a water rinse in the morning.  Try to use cool or warm water.

5. Do not take overly hot showers or baths.  Hot water will strip the skin of moisture.

6. In general, keep your skincare routine simple in both the number of products and number of ingredients in those products. 

7. Keep a log, if products irritate your skin, keep a list of the ingredients.  Over time you should be able to cross reference between products and pin point what ingredients are the most irritating to your skin.

8. Ingredients you do want to see are those that nourish the skin and help keep it healthy and intact.  Ingredients such as Shea butter and olive oil are both great examples, they are soothing for sensitive skin and chock full of vitamins such as A and E.

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