Tips for Tackling Skin Sensitivity
If you feel that you have skin sensitivity, please don’t be concerned, we feel that it can be a good sign that your body’s immune system is functioning and warns you when it isn’t happy. Sensitive skin can mean different things, we can help you understand how it works, potential triggers, and how to get optimal skin health… to look and feel your best.
How Our Skin Works
Skin sensitivity can be from birth or through environmental factors. Your skin has many mechanisms, it is a barrier and the largest organ of your body. Like any other barrier, your skin can vary in its strength as a defence mechanism e.g. it can be a weak defence, varied or strong and balanced. If your skin barrier is weak, the immune system will trigger a reaction to either make us aware, deal with the threat or reverse the damage and we term that as skin sensitivity. Skin sensitivity can be reduced by using a careful care regime and looking after your skin.
What are skin sensitivity triggers?
- Touching your face too much and spreading bacteria from the environment (results in spots).
- Being too rough (results in redness, scarring, pigmentation).
- Using cocktails on the skin (can be toxic – short term or long term).
- Contamination (products that are old may cause infection of the skin).
- Chemical sensitivity (allergy to products or individual-specific side effects).
- Becoming a surgeon (picking, poking, cutting the skin can result in scarring and sensitivity).
- Washing with water that’s too hot.
What To Do
- Keep nails short or clean with a nail brush & antibacterial wash prior to touching your skin, skin products, or skin tools. This will prevent bacteria and dirt from contaminating your skin.
- Wash clothing, towels, or bedding that touch your skin regularly (clean) with a non-bio detergent.
Use products that are simple and natural. We sourced true natural products so you don’t have to: www.clearmedical.co.uk/shop as these have lower skin sensitivity than manufactured chemicals (cocktails). The bonus with natural sources is that they do not have any long-term side effects and if they have short term side effects – these are rare and cause no damage. - If the product you are using has caused a reaction, stop using it, and feel free to email us, so we can advise.
- Wash with cooler or cold water, so that the natural oils that protect the skin are not stripped away.
- Ensure that you apply a barrier to your skin after washing, this will protect against chemical or environmental conditions.
What Not To Do
- Do not use products that are old, they can cause risk to your skin. If you have bought an over the counter cocktail product and haven’t used it for a while – bin it.
- Use a product that doesn’t improve your skin or make you feel better, stop using it straight away.
- Do not pick, cut, squeeze, or tamper with the barrier of your skin. When you squeeze spots, you can spread bacteria which can lead to more spots, scarring, and slower healing.
- Do not keep tools that you use to apply any products on your skin such as cotton wool and brushes. If you have to reuse them again, keep them as hygienically clean as possible.
When considering a treatment
We advise that you ensure that your skin sensitivity is low and that you try to optimise skin health factors. Please see our article on healthy skin steps.
We aim to advise based on our knowledge and experience. we do not have the right to tell you what to do, you’re the only person that can choose what is best!