Do you hide behind the painful (and often embarrassing) symptoms of sensitive skin?

Whether your skin is sensitive or sensitized, the symptoms are actually the same. Redness, dehydration, itching and burning.

signs of sensitive skin

• Thin skin texture with a translucent appearance.
• A feeling of tightness, which can indicate dehydration and lead to skin reactions from products.
• Redness or blotchiness. This signals over-reactive capillaries or a tendency toward rosacea.
• Flaking, peeling or cracking on the cheeks and forehead. This indicates dehydrated skin and impaired barrier function.
• Flushing and itching, or burning sensations, which can also be a sign of over-reactive capillaries.
• Small, rash-like bumps or breakouts (not to be confused with acne breakouts).

sensitive skin you're born with

Sensitive skin is a weak protective function of the skin that can be genetically predisposed. When skin is sensitive its protective outer layer lets irritants, microbes and allergens pass through, causing adverse reactions like stinging, pain, redness or flushing. Genetically sensitive skin is considered more delicate because it has a lower amount of pigment, a thin epidermis, and blood vessels close to the skin surface, hence the appearance of redness. You may notice that you’re also prone to asthma and allergies. Sensitive skin can be passed down through generations – but there are ways to manage it.

sensitive skin caused by your environment (sensitized skin)

Sensitized skin can be triggered in anyone, regardless of your genes. It’s actually a reflection of your environment. Frequent irritability from lifestyle, irritants, cosmetic ingredients including alcohol, lanolin, fragrance and artificial color and other external factors can contribute to sensitized skin. Hard to avoid right? Ready for the good news? Avoiding your individual triggers can actually reduce or eliminate your symptoms. When these triggers can’t be avoided (think pollution, environment and temperature sensitivity), your symptoms of sensitized skin can be managed through skin care and lifestyle changes.

Your skin can be affected by any of the following factors:

how to calm sensitive and sensitized skin

The heat can also lead to skin sensitivities like a heat rash, which happens when your sweat ducts get closed off. The moisture gets trapped under the skin and can lead to a rash made up of blisters or bumps!

The good news is that the skin – when healthy – is a pretty efficient filter of what's good versus what's bad on its own. And, since you can’t always avoid harsh environmental factors like pollution or extreme weather, here’s how to keep your skin calm, strong, and healthy.