Is your skin really sensitive? (Or is it sensitised?)

Most people think their skin is sensitive, when it actually isn’t.

If you really have sensitive skin, it’s something you were born with. You’ve had it your whole life. Someone in your family has it too.

Your skin reacts to the tiniest of things. Like touch. Fabric. Food. And you’ve most probably used fragrance-free products all your life as even the slightest amount of perfume can irritate your skin.

Now if this is not you, then chances are you have SENSITISED SKIN.

Sensitised skin is something you have developed along the way. Anyone can get sensitised skin. It has nothing to do with your genes, and everything to do with external triggers like weather changes, hormones, certain foods, stress or even harsh skin care products.

This also means that it’s not forever. And it can be brought back to normal. Yay!

You know your skin is sensitised, if you have some (or all these) symptoms:

1. It’s dehydrated and is very rough to touch.
2. It stings or burns when you apply products.
3. It’s tight and very itchy.
4. You see small, rash-like bumps or breakouts.

5 easy ways to de-sensitise your skin:

1. REVERSE THE TRIGGERS. 

The first step is to find your trigger and remove it.Stressed? Try and get more sleep. Take a holiday…
Hormones? Get them checked. Eat better. Drink more water…
Food? Reduce coffee, dairy alcohol and spicy food.

2. PICK MILD, GENTLE AND CALMING PRODUCTS. 

Your skin’s moisture-barrier has been damaged. So you need to repair it with products that contain calming and healing ingredients like oats, chamomile, cucumber, aloe vera…

Stay far away from products containing alcohol or perfume – as these can really irritate your already sensitised skin.

3. TREAT THE REAL SKIN PROBLEM FIRST. 

Some people get acne because of their sensitized skin. But they are only treating their acne and making their skin even more sensitised. Instead, if they treated their sensitised skin first, the acne would go away automatically. So treat the skin problem, not the side-effect.

4. USE A SUNSCREEN NO MATTER WHAT. 

UV damage makes sensitized skin get much worse and harder to repair. So never ever miss the sunscreen.

5. NEVER EVER WASH YOUR FACE WITH HOT WATER. 

Hot water strips your skin of essential moisture, making it more dehydrated and irritated. It’s best to use lukewarm water.