Sensitive skin SOS

Hey guys,

Apologies for my MIA-ness over the past while.. I’ve been working and studying….(and sleeping..sshhh) loads recently and have just been generally super busy. I’ve got tons of reviews lined up for the next few weeks.. but I thought I would get back in the game with a post about sensitive skin. As most of you will probably know..seeing as I mention it in pretty much every single one of my posts (ha, sorry about that) I have severely sensitive skin… it reacts to EVERYTHING! I also have a slight form of eczema just to top things off nicely. (you can read all about my experiences and how to deal with eczema here: https://atinysliceofkate.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/escaping-eczema-the-unglamorous-side-of-skincare/) Over the past few years, I have tried and tested so so many products to help combat this sensitivity. Some have been successful and some have been just downright uuuugly! I feel that there aren’t enough products out there for us sensitive-faced-peeps. However I have found a few that work wonders for me and I’d like to share them with you.

Sleepingbootay goes completely bare-faced and make-up less! Sigh... the things I do for this blog....

DISCLAIMER:I just want to firstly state ( before some annoying person states it for me)  that I am in no way a trained dermatologist, I’m not a science buff or a professional. These are just some tips that I go by and some products that I find to be really helpful. Everybody’s skin is different and therefore can react to certain products differently.

My skin type:

I have sensitive combination skin with a slight form of eczema.

While this post is obviously more targeted towards those with the same skin type as me, a lot of the tips can be helpful for everybody no matter what skin type you have. Those who are blessed with “normal skin” can luckily usually use any products they wish.. however the products and tips I mention below will also  be relevant. Any body with very oily or very dry skin will probably have a different skin routine and a different list of products that you many use.. but I do hope some of these tips will be helpful to you too!  There’s a little bit for everyone.

What is sensitive skin? 

It is commonly dry and delicate skin which is prone to allergic reactions. It is skin that reacts quickly to both heat and cold; therefore, it sunburns and windburns easily.

Some symptoms that you might experience with sensitive skin:

• the skin can appear inflamed or red which can occur in blotches around the face or body.
• Irritation and itchiness
• Skin can feel or appear red or tight
• Broken red veins can occur most commonly around the nose and cheek area.
• In some cases, painful rashes can occur..especially after shaving.

What is combination skin?

This is skin that is neither completely oily or completely dry, but instead a combination of the two (see that’s why its called combination skin 😉 ) People with combination skin can experience this combination in many different ways but most commonly they find dryness around the cheek area and then have an oily T-zone ( forehead, nose and chin).

What is eczema: 

In order to not bore anybody who has already read my post about eczema, I will just leave the link to it here:https://atinysliceofkate.wordpress.com/2012/02/07/escaping-eczema-the-unglamorous-side-of-skincare/

In this post, I just discuss what eczema is, the symptoms, my experience with it and treatments I find to be helpful in dealing with it.

Ingredients and things to stay away from if you have sensitive skin/eczema:

• Antibacterial or deodorant ingredients
• Alcohol
• Retinoids or alpha-hydroxy acids
• Highly-fragranced products, especially products that contain “perfume” in the ingredients list.
• Tea tree oil: this is a personal one as I have found that I am highly reactive to this ingredient. While it is great for getting rid of spots and blemishes, it is waaay too harsh for my sensitive skin and eczema. It’s just something to be wary of if you haven’t already tried it.

Good ingredients to look out for:

It’s best to look out for products with very little ingredients; the less ingredients the better. Also, anything that has little or no fragrance. Be careful of products that state they are for “sensitive skin” or “hypoallergenic”. The FDA have stated that there are no official federal standards governing manufacturers use of the term”Hypoallergenic”, so companies are often free to use it as they wish. Always read the ingredients and stay away from the “Baddies” that I’ve mentioned above!

Calming essential oils such as:Chamomile,Lavender,Neroli ,Rose, Aloe vera, Sandalwood are all good at soothing irritated skin. But as with all products its best to do a swab test before applying any of these extensively around your face or body.

Products I find to be useful:

On my face I use: Dermalogica Ultracalming range, La ROCHE-POSAY, Avene, Simple.

On my Body I use: e45, Sanex, Dove ( Dove also now have a new range out called Dove Sensitive which is meant to be extra gentle to sensitive skin)

Hair removal: Gillette Venus sensitive blades and shaving foam and Wilkinson Sword Intuition blades which contain Aloe Vera and Vitamin E.

My favourite eye make-up removers: Boots Simply sensitive range, Nivea Extra gentle make-up remover and La-ROCHE-POSAY:

My "sensitive skin combating kit"...cause I'm cool like that!

If you have any questions at all about any of the products that I’ve shown above, please don’t hesitate to ask. 🙂

Other helpful tips (cause who doesn’t like to be helpful afterall?):

Before putting a new product on your sensitive skin, do the following:

• Every day for 5 days, apply a small amount behind an ear and leave it on overnight.
• If your skin does not become irritated, follow the same procedure, this time applying the product on an area alongside an eye.
• If you continue to be irritation free, the product should be safe for you to apply on any area(s) of your face

– Pat your skin dry when you get out of the shower or bath OR if you have the time.. lie around and let yourself dry naturally. The less rubbing and tugging you do to your skin the better.

– Don’t OVER ex-foliate your skin. Of course ex-foliation is good for your skin as it gets rid of any dry dead skin and makes your skin look healthier. However, excessive scrubbing of your face can irritate the skin, cause irritation and inflammation and can often result in your skin becoming too dry and tight. Those with sensitive skin, should ex-foliate maybe, once or twice a week.. using gentle circular motions and avoiding any harsh “scrubbing”.

– Certain detergents or washing powders that you use on your clothes can irritate your skin..as they contain strong ingredients and often strong fragrances. Try to go for ones that are “Non-bio” as they are kinder to skin and choose if possible ones with little or no fragrance.

– Throw out old cosmetics, which can spoil or become contaminated.

– Always clean your make-up brushes…this should be done, if possible, once a week (especially your foundation brush).Your brushes can harbour quite a lot of bacteria which you will be applying to your face daily if they are not cleaned regularly.

– Sometimes the type of fabric you wear can even irritate your skin. Try to wear Smooth, soft, natural fabrics, such as fine cotton and silk. Rayon and linen are also comfortable for sensitive skin but are heavier than cotton or silk. Clothing should be loose fitting with a minimum of potentially irritating creases and folds.

– Often, the food you eat can react badly with you and can also cause skin reactions. If you feel this happens to you, it’s best to contact a doctor or go to get a food allergy tests…most pharmacies these days offer these kinds of tests. If you are unsure, maybe keep a food diary for a week or so.. write down every food that you eat and if you experience any skin discomfort after eating any meal. Food allergies are common and one of the main symptoms is a skin reaction of some sort.

– Make sure you get enough nutrients and vitamins so that your skin can be in tip top condition. The healthier you are in the inside, the more healthier you appear from the outside. This is particularly true for your skin. Drink lots and lots of water throughout the day and eat lots of fruit and veg, Some of the best vitamins targeted for healthy skin are: Vitamin C, E and A, Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Zinc and Silica.

– Aaaand lastly but just as important, be kind to your skin. Give it a break every now and again with “make-up-free days” or treat yourself to a facial. As corny as it sounds,.,if you love your skin, it will love you back.

Yaaaaaaay for skin love! 🙂

I really hope this helped you in some little way.If you have any questions at all please ask.. either by comment or you can email me at sleepingbootay@yahoo.ie or even drop me a message at my new Facebook page:http://www.facebook.com/sleepingbootaykate

Thanks again for reading guys and I hope you are all well! 🙂

Until next time, Byyyye! Kx 🙂