Sensitive or Irritated Skin? How to Adapt Your Sensitive Skin Care

 

When skin suddenly turns red, feels tight or starts to sting after applying a product, we quickly assume we have sensitive skin. However, not every such reaction means that the skin is sensitive all the time. Sometimes it is only temporarily irritated because of a new product, over-cleansing, the weather or a routine that is too intensive.

Proper sensitive skin care therefore starts with understanding what our skin is actually telling us. If we recognise the difference between its usual sensitivity and current irritation, we can adapt our routine in a much more considered way.

 

Sensitive skin is not necessarily the same as irritated skin

Sensitive skin generally reacts quickly to various external influences. The discomfort can recur when using cosmetics, when the weather changes, after sun exposure or even after slightly more intensive cleansing.

The following may appear:

• a feeling of tightness,
• a burning or stinging sensation,
• itching,
• dryness and flaking,
• visible redness.

Irritated skin, on the other hand, can be a condition that also occurs in skin that is not particularly sensitive otherwise. The cause can often be linked to a specific change – for example a new cosmetic product, exfoliating too often, using several active ingredients at the same time or a strong external influence.

The difference is therefore not always in the appearance of the skin itself, but above all in how often the problems occur and what triggers them.

 

How do we know whether the skin is just irritated at the moment?

First, let us think about what we have changed in recent days. In skin care it is useful to track the timing between a new routine and the onset of an unpleasant feeling.

We can ask ourselves:

• Have we started using a new product?
• Have we increased how often we exfoliate?
• Have we introduced several new products at once? 
• Has the skin been exposed to strong wind, cold or sun?
• Are we cleansing it more often or more intensively than usual?

If the discomfort appeared suddenly after such a change, the reason may well be simply temporary irritation.

With skin that is already sensitive, however, reactions are often less predictable. That is exactly why, when it comes to sensitive skin care, we do not recommend constantly trying new formulas and quickly changing the whole routine.

 

When skin reacts, simplify your routine first

The first reaction is often a wish to add even more products to the skin. In practice, the opposite approach can be more effective.

When the skin is irritated, we temporarily reduce the number of steps and focus on basic care. Above all, we avoid unnecessary rubbing, frequent exfoliation and introducing several intensive products at the same time.

Sensitive skin care should be based on a few well-considered steps:

• gentle cleansing that does not strip too much oil from the skin,
• regular moisturising,
• products that the skin tolerates well,
• protecting the skin from the sun and from pronounced weather influences,
• introducing new products gradually.

If we want to find out how the skin responds to new care, we introduce new products one at a time. That way it is much easier to identify the product after which an unwanted reaction appears.

 

In sensitive skin care, consistency matters most

Sensitive skin does not necessarily need a long routine. Often it needs, above all, a routine that is gentle enough, predictable and adapted to its current condition.

The same rule applies to natural ingredients as to other cosmetic ingredients: the fact that an ingredient is of natural origin does not mean it will suit every skin. That is why we always observe the skin's individual response.

At Aroma Herbal, our sensitive skin care puts the emphasis on products intended for gentle care, moisturising and skin support. Among our products for sensitive skin we have, among others, Soothing oil serum, Soothing gel mask, almond oil and other products that we can include in our routine according to our needs.

If, however, redness, itching, a burning sensation or other problems get worse, persist or keep recurring for no clear reason, simply adjusting the cosmetic routine is not always enough. In that case it makes sense to consult a dermatologist.

The most important thing is not to try to “fix” the skin by force with more and more products. First we identify what is putting it under strain, then we gradually adapt our care. If we are looking for gentle products with which to build a considered sensitive skin care routine, we can choose products that we at Aroma Herbal have designed specifically for the needs of sensitive and quickly reactive skin.