Having sensitive skin can be a struggle – but we've got you covered with these tips on how to care for your sensitive skin. If skin sensitivity is bothering you, try tailoring your routine according to these tips to start.
What is sensitive skin?
Skin can be sensitive in many ways. Most common types of sensitivity are:
- Sensitivity to mechanical stress
- Sensitivity to stong ingredients
- Sensitivity to allergens
Skin can be sensitive no matter your skin type! Taking care of it is all about choosing the right products and techniques.
Don't over-cleanse
Cleansing is a step where you can easily go wrong. Skin should be cleansed with ingredients and products that don't dry out the skin too much.
Strong surfactants, high pH and excess rubbing or cleansing for too long can all irritate sensitive skin – and even damage it. If you have sensitive skin, stay away from exfoliating cleansing products, cleansing brushes or other deep cleansing tools.
Choose your cleanser depending on your skin’s oiliness: either a hydrating gel cleanser, a non-foaming cleansing milk or just an oil-based cleansing balm. Even sensitive skin can, however, do a double cleanse, if both proudcts are gentle enough.
Don't use strong actives
Sensitive skin should avoid strong active ingredients in all products. High amounts of Vitamin C, Retinoids, or Exfoliating Acids can often just be too much for sensitive skin.
Smaller concentrations or opting for gentle alternatives, like Niacinamide, are often better fits for sensitive skin.
Don't pick products with common allergens
A person can develop allergies to almost any ingredient in skincare. Thus, it can be hard to know all of your allergies or predict an allergic reaction.
Anyone can be unknowingly allergic to an ingredient. New allergies can also develop by frequently using common allergens. People with sensitive skin should avoid common allergens, like fragrance, essential oils as well as some colorants and preservatives all together.
Don't use skincare with common irritants
In addition to avoiding strong actives and allergens, sensitive skin should also avoid common irritants, like skin-drying alcohols, menthol and some sunscreen filters. Avoiding these can help keep skin irritation at bay.
Do try new products with caution
As sensitive skin can be more prone to reacting to new products, our recommendation is to move with caution!
You should always patch test on your wrist or behind your ear before trying new skincare on your face, to see if you develop a reaction.
Always try out one new product at a time, not a whole new routine. This way, if your skin reacts, you'll know which product caused it.
Do use soothing ingredients
The list of ingredients to avoid may seem long, but there are also a lot of ingredients that benefit sensitive skin.
Panthenol, Centella Asiatica and Niacinamide are all great for soothing. These can be found, for example, in the Smuuti Skin Watermelon Dew and Peach Barrier products as well as Pear Balance Serum that specifically targets redness and irritation.
Minimizing skin irritation and inflammation will relieve immediate discomfort, but also improve overall skin health.
Do use strengthening ingredients
Keeping the skin barrier intact will help your skin to not react as easily to actives, allergens or irritants.
Same techniques apply to preserving your skin barrier, but to repair it, you should use Ceramides, Cholesterol and Fatty Acids. These can be found in our Peach Barrier line, designed with barrier repair in mind.
Dive deeper into boosting your skin's defense system
Do use balancing ingredients
In addition to keeping your skin barrier intact, you should also care for your skin’s microbiome. You can maintain your microbiome with the same techniques mentioned above, but to strengthen, use pre-, pro- and postbiotics. Fermented ingredients are good for this.
Are Smuuti Skin products suitable for sensitive skin?
Yes! All of our skincare products are formulated without harsh alcohols, sulphates, and other common irritants. This means that they're sensitive skin approved! Our Peach Barrier line is especially designed for sensitive skin, as all products are fragrance free and super gentle.