Thin Skinned

I am overly sensitive. I am referred to as a nuclear reactor. I tend to overreact. My skin is incredibly thin. Everything that could potentially irritate me, does. I’m not talking about my personality kittens (that’s more like this); I’m talking about my skin. I am definitely a sensitive, sensitized skin type. From the day I was born I have been dealing with skin issues. Over the last twenty six years I have learned some things. If you are dealing with sensitive skin here are some of my tried and true methods for dealing with it:

1. Keep it simple. If you’re dealing with sensitivity, you can’t afford to be a product whore. I can’t really judge as I, myself, am one. You need to look at your routine and pare it down to the essentials. Think simple cleanser, moisturizer, and a physical sunscreen. If your skin is really acting up I’d recommend laying off on the exfoliating until conditions improve. Then you can slowly incorporate a gentle exfoliant back into your routine.
2. Additives may be your enemy. In keeping with simplification, you don’t want to use any products that have any added fragrances or dyes to them. Take a good long look at what you are currently using on a daily basis. If you’re suffering from sensitive skin complications it could be an allergy or reaction to added dyes or fragrances. Read your ingredient labels and look for potential irritants. Some of these include: mineral oil, lanolin, alcohol, parabens, fragrance, phthalates, menthol, sulfates, colors and dyes. A good rule of (green) thumb is to read your product labels and see if you could safely ingest any of the ingredients. If your beloved moisturizer reads like the list of chemical ingredients in your floor cleaner, you may want to make a switch. I prefer my lotions to be scented because of the essential, natural oils and ingredients they contain, not due to added fragrance.
3. The environment plays a pivotal role. If you expose your skin to extremes of any kind, you will see a visible consequence. If you subject your skin to the baking sun, only to then go into the air-conditioned indoors (and vice versa in the winter, the bitter cold outdoors to go into the dry heated indoors) you will notice an increase in your skins sensitivity. Our skin is our body’s largest organ; it protects our bodies from infection and damage. When your skin is sensitive, it’s compromised. The skin’s barrier function is hampered and cannot do its job. You need to avoid extreme changes in temperature whenever possible (that means no scalding hot showers) and keep your skin hydrated. Moisturization is so crucial I can’t stress it enough; the more hydrated the flesh, the better it will be able to protect you and keep you healthy.

You may also need to look at some rather innocuous details, like your laundry detergent and fabric softener. The chemicals used to fragrance your clothing, sheets, and towels may be the culprit behind your skin’s sensitivity. If you have recently made a switch this could also be part of the problem. For sensitive types like myself, I recommend Dreft laundry detergent or dye and fragrance free formulations. If it’s good enough for babies, it’s good enough for me!

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