When it comes to common skin types, one that often gets the spotlight on (and you think you might have) is probably sensitive skin. But what is actually sensitive skin? Is it something that you are born with?
Does it only happen to the unlucky ones? What are the symptoms and reasons of sensitive skin? Why should you make friends with natural ingredients if you have sensitive skin?
Read on as we get to the bottom of this interesting topic and break it down for you!
Sensitive Skin 101
Sensitive skin generally refers to skin that is more prone to inflammation or adverse reactions. People with sensitive skin may notice occasional or frequent redness, itching, or breakouts in the skin that can be quite uncomfortable.
Sensitive skin is usually treatable but may require a visit to the dermatologist to confirm the diagnosis and figure out any underlying condition.
While sensitive skin may sound to be not a serious concern, it can be outright disturbing to deal with on a day-to-day basis, prevent us from taking part in certain activities, and limit the choice of products that we can use.
How Can You Tell If You Have Sensitive Skin?
If you suffer from skin that frequently throws temper tantrums over just about anything, you may notice the following common symptoms of sensitive skin:
1. Reactive Skin
Sensitive skin is easily irritated by triggering factors, such as environments or certain topical products like soaps, skincare, or household products that contain dyes or fragrances. Getting in contact with these products may cause your skin to react and in response, your skin may develop redness and experience itchiness or dryness.
2. Your Skin Struggles with Redness
One regular sign of sensitive skin is that your skin flushes easily. Redness on the skin can be caused by a genetic predisposition or a reaction to certain or harsh ingredients.
3. You are Prone to Rashes
When exposed to potential triggers, sensitive skin frequently develops rashes or breakouts-like tiny red bumps.
4. Dry and Flaky Skin
Some people who have sensitive skin can also have dry skin, which may lead to itchy, cracked or flaky, and even peeling skin. Dry skin typically gets worse in cold, windy, and dry weather conditions.
5. Sensitivity to Sunrays
People with sensitive skin will tend to find the heat from the sun problematic and turn beet-red if they happen to step outside without a hat or sunscreen. Sensitive skin is particularly more susceptible to the harmful effects of the sun because it has thinner and impaired skin barrier than other skin types.
Causes of Sensitive Skin
Here are some of the main reasons why your skin is sensitive:
1. Naturally Sensitive Skin
Naturally sensitive skin is an inherited trait and can be linked to inflammatory skin conditions, like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
2. Environmental Elements
Low temperature, humidity, wind, heat, sun exposure, and air pollution are the common aggressors responsible for sensitive skin triggered by the environment.
3. Thin Skin
Thin or fragile skin is skin that tears, bruises, or breaks easily and a prevalent condition in older adults. As we age, our body produces less collagen – hence, our skin naturally becomes thinner. Thinner skin is more vulnerable to external aggressors and easier to irritate.
4. Exposure to Irritants
Sensitive skin can be easily reactive when exposed to external irritants and responses in inflammation (contact dermatitis) or allergic reactions.
7 Best Natural Ingredients for Sensitive Skin
For those who have sensitive skin, choosing the right skincare products wisely is extremely important. When looking at a plethora of ingredients on your skincare products, keep an eye out for the below natural ingredients that will help make your skin look healthier and calm your angry skin.
1. Almonds
Almonds are high in B vitamins, zinc, and vitamin E. Almond oil is anti-inflammatory and has long been used to help soothe skin and treat dry skin conditions. Due to its emollient properties, almond oil also has the potential to improve both complexion and skin tone.
2. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a superfood that possesses anti-inflammatory properties, helps your skin stay hydrated, and has been shown to help treat eczema.
3. Green Tea
Due to the tea’s high content of polyphenols, green tea has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce skin irritation, skin redness, and swelling. It is also proven to be an effective remedy for many dermatological conditions, soothe sunburns, as well as irritation and itchiness.
4. Grape seed Oil
Grapeseed oil is rich in vitamin E and high in omega-6 fatty acids, which are necessary for skin barrier functioning. The main omega-6 PUFA in grapeseed oil is linolenic acid and this acid may help reduce inflammation in the skin’s middle and outer layers.
5. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is your new best friend if you have dry and sensitive skin. The gel-like component of this plant has cooling and moisturising benefits and is renowned to heal various skin ailments, such as sunburns, dry and itchy skin, and inflamed skin.
6. Feverfew
Feverfew, also known as Wild Chamomile, is a natural anti-oxidant. This flowering plant battles free-radicals, calms redness, soothes even sensitive skin, and is ten times more potent than vitamin C.
7. Oats
Oats are age-old remedies used to treat skin ailments in adults, children, and babies. For thousands of years, oats have been known and used as a powerhouse to soothe and treat skin topically.
Did you know that Cleopatra had oatmeal baths as part of her skincare regime?
Oats are excellent moisturisers with skin healing, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and itch relieving benefits – thus, they are often recommended to treat sensitive, allergy, or eczema-prone skin.
Oats help to keep the skin gently exfoliated and soft. Oats also protect the skin from external irritants, by lending moisture to the skin.
Moreover, oats’ mild pH can help to cool down itchy and inflamed skin that may have been caused due to some rashes or infections – causing dry skin.
With all that said, make sure you choose skincare products that contain oats to save your dry and sensitive skin.
Meet AVEENO® – Skincare Products Made with Natural Ingredients
Enriched with Prebiotic Triple Oat, AVEENO® offers the best therapeutic products for your sensitive skin. The Prebiotic Triple Oat used in AVEENO®‘s product range helps replenish skin’s natural barrier and supports its natural ecosystem, for a healthy and balanced skin.
Why AVEENO®?
For skin that needs a little extra loving care, make sure you choose AVEENO® products because they are:
- Formulated with oat and other high-quality natural ingredients that soothe and nurture sensitive skin.
- Clinically proven for itchy, dry skin relief in just one day*.
- Dermatologist-recommended.
- Safe for adults and babies.
- Free from triclosan, microbeads, phthalates, 1,4-dioxane, and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.
*Based on clinical grading: with 70% subjects improved.
Sensitive Skin Calls for Sensitive Care
For generations, AVEENO® has relied on nature’s soothing and moisturising properties and gently combined those with innovative formulas to provide care for all skin, even the most sensitive one!
Find comfort for easily irritated skin by using AVEENO®‘s skincare products as they are clinically proven to balance your skin’s microbiome, soothe itchy skin, cure, and prevent further flare-ups.
AVEENO®️ SKIN RELIEF BODY WASH
The unique formula in this fragrance-free body wash contains soothing oatmeal, to help moisturise and relieve dryness – even after you rinse. It is soap-free, dye-free, fragrance-free, and hypoallergenic. Totally gentle for sensitive skin!
AVEENO®️ SKIN RELIEF 24HR MOISTURIZING LOTION
Formulated with Triple Oat Complex with oat oil and natural shea butter, this moisturising lotion is rich yet fast-absorbing to nourish and restore essential moisture. It is fragrance-free and steroid-free.
AVEENO® DAILY MOISTURIZING BODY WASH
This body wash cleanses and moisturises for visibly healthier skin long after you shower. Its breakthrough formula combines Colloidal Oatmeal – long known to soothe skin – with a unique blend of natural oils and emollients to help replenish skin’s moisture. It is lightly fragranced, soap-free, dye-free, and hypoallergenic.
AVEENO® DAILY MOISTURIZING LOTION
Using Colloidal Oatmeal and rich emollients as part of its active ingredients, this nourishing lotion is clinically proven to improve the health of dry skin in 1 day with significant improvement in 2 weeks. It is fragrance-free, non-greasy, and non-comedogenic.
Fresh from Head to Tiny Toes!
- Made with high-quality ingredients
- Enriched with soothing natural oat extract
- Hypoallergenic
- Tear-and soap-free
- Gentle for everyday use
- Paediatrician-recommended
Now available in Watsons Malaysia, try AVEENO® products today and witness how nature’s goodness works wonders for your skin when combined with real science!
For more information, drop by and follow AVEENO® on Facebook and Instagram today!