You have a “Sensitive Skin”? 10 Things you should know

There is no exact definition for a sensitive skin. For most people however it means they suffer symptoms like tingling, burning sensation, itching, redness or break outs when the get exposed to external elements mostly skin care products. Here are 10 things you should know if you have a “sensitive Skin”

1. Your skin condition could be caused by underlying skin conditions like atopic eczema, rosacea or contact dermatitis.

2. Your over the counter skin products may be causing your skin products because they contain retinoids or other chemicals that you are reacting to.

3. You need to avoid soaps and cleansers with fragrances. Avoid products with complicated and numerous chemical contents.

4. Self diagnosis and frequent use of skin care products that are not suitable for your particular skin type can predispose you to irritation.

5. Excessively dry skin can make your skin sensitive. So be sure to keep your skin well moisturized

6. A skin test called a patch test can help identify what you are sensitive to. So if you feel you have a sensitive skin you will need to see a dermatologist to determine if a patch test will be of help to you.

7. Your skin can be irritated by physical agents like the sun. You may need to use physical sunscreens that contain titanium or Zinc oxide. They should have an SpF of 30 or Higher.

8. Hypoallergenic skin products are generally recommended for sensitive skins. Note, however that that there are many over the counter ” hypoallergenic” products and their claims have not strictly being verified by Medical regulatory authorities.

9. A product may be labelled hypoallergenic and you can still react to it because of the nature and peculiarities of individual immune systems

10. It is always a good idea to test a product in a small part of the body or behind the ear and leave it for 24 hrs before you try it out on the face or the rest of your body.