How to handle sensitive skin?

SENSITIVE SKIN is not a skin type. You are not born with it. With the help of perseverance, awareness and the right knowledge, there is high possibility to decrease your skin’s sensitivity. 

Sensitivity is a skin condition that can manifest itself at any age, any time. The main reason that affects the onset of sensitivity is skin’s damaged protective layer and it’s low ability to regenerate. Emotions, the usage of unsuitable products, external and internal factors easily affect the condition of skin. 

Redness, coarseness, noticeable capillaries and dryness might appear. There is a widespread understanding that sensitive skin is dry and/or dehydrated (read about how to tell these two conditions apart here). A lot of the times manufacturers promise that creams for dry skin also alleviate skin sensitivity symptoms. This is true when the product contains niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, jojoba seed oil (other base oils that are not essential oils), aloe vera etc.

We organise many presentations, give talks in shops and various events. Supported by our long expertise, we can say that sensitive skin is what is most often thought of as being combination or oily skin. Excessive sebum production especially in mature skin (lets leave the hormonal changes at the backdrop) is the result of an ill-suited skincare routine. There is a certain tendency to think that oily skin means an onset of acne and in that case the first step that is taken is to vigorously cleanse, exfoliate and influence  with different acids.

Best for sensitive skin is a gentle skincare routine, lukewarm water, an even temperature (yes, I know that in our climate this is a faraway dream), carefully chosen washing powder, omega oils and vitamin D, cleansers, body washes  and shampoos that don’t contain SLS and SLES, healthy food choices, stability of emotions and peace of mind.

Now, I will talk more about the skincare routine as that is where our expertise lies. If your skin is “throwing a temper tantrum”, then I advise you to reckon with the fact that just one (expensive) cream will not cut it for you. Sensitive skin likes layers. Layers are necessary in our climate, on every front! Think of it that way- nobody washes their hair with just shampoo. Everyone knows that you need to use a conditioner, oil, volume  mousse, heat protection, hairspray etc, etc. However, when it comes to skin, everyone wants to make do with just one or two products that do everything. 

As skin’s protective layer needs to be regenerated the most important thing is not to dry it out. For cleansing, a cleansing milk or a gentle,alcohol-free toner are best. If you feel that a cleansing milk does not make the skin clean or if you feel like your skin is already oily without the milk, then after applying it and cleansing  the face, wash the milk off  with lukewarm water. Afterwards, tap or “press” the toner into the skin. It sounds bizarre but try it, it gives better results than rubbing the cotton pad up and down and across your face. A TRICK – when using a cotton pad moisten it under running water beforehand, squeeze out  the excess water and apply the toner. Why? First reason is that cotton pads are dirty and full of dust. Secondly, you need to use less product. By doing the same before using double phase eye makeup removers, you will keep the morning eye puffiness at bay  ?.

Even when sensitive skin in shiny, produces a lot of sebum and suffers from pimples it has low moisture levels and a high histamine count. Skin releasing histamine is a process that takes place inside the skin and manifests itself as redness on the surface. It has to be taken under control. The skin manager that has the most powerful grasp is serum.

Serums (should) contain a lot of active ingredients, a minimal amount,  or none at all, of added ingredients (thickeners, emulsifiers, softeners, perfumes and colourants). Serum works quickly, like an injection. Find yourself a serum containing  niacinamide, otherwise known as vitamin B3. It is my favourite skincare component together with hyaluronic acid. Why? Because we are dealing with a real multitalent! Depending on the percentage added, niacinamide offers different effects: 

• ● 2-3% protects from city pollution, moisturises and soothes, restores skin’s protective ability
• ● 4% minimises pimples and spots (in addition to aforementioned qualities)
• ● 5% anti-ageing properties and evens out  skin tone  (in addition to aforementioned qualities)

D’DIFFERENCE 5D Revitalizing Face Serum contains 4% of niacinamide, moisturising hyaluronic acid, and plantbase stem cell extract, an excellent skin restoring agent that minimises lines and wrinkles and boosts elasticity. It is the perfect helper for both dry and sensitive skin and for oily and sensitive skin!

When skin is dry and coarse, the next step in the evening routine should be oil or skin conditioner. Cold winds and temperature fluctuations are one of the causes that can cause skin coarseness.Our Golden Jojoba Balm, free of water, perfumes, colourants and preservatives suits the whole family. Kaja’s experience has taught me that it is a very, very good product for families that swim a lot. Red and rough patches and different eczemas will disappear with the help of this product. To everyone still obsessed with the 8h cream- Jojoba Balm is it’s natural alternative that does not cause skin dependence ?.

Skip the oil/conditioner when your skin has excess sebum and pimples as it also contains shea butter and should be left out in high concentrations of the skincare products aimed at combination and oily skin. Shea is amazing but meant for dry and coarse skin. Products containing BHA-acids are best for clearing pimples. I can not stress this enough that spots and pimples do not equal acne! This word is overused. On nine times out of ten, the reason behind the sudden appearance of pimples is hormonal changes, food intolerance and an unsuitable skincare routine. If you suspect it being the first two then think whether you have changed something in your lifestyle (training routine, food, mood) and consult a doctor just in case. 

The last step in the evening skincare routine is cream. In the morning this is usually followed by sun protection or foundation, depending on the person.  Cream strengthens your skin, recovers and supports the protective layer. Think of it as outerwear. Outerwear doesn’t have to be heavy and thick  in order for us to keep warm. It is the same for cream,even in winter, it doesn’t need to be thick and oily to protect our skin. What is important is the presence of efficient active agents, the right pH level, molecules with different absorption capacities (multi-layer effect) and a long-term moisturising capacity. 

All of the D’DIFFERENCE creams can handle the most simple sensitivity concerns but we can also offer a cream specially meant for reactive skin – Anti-Redness Night Cream. For 4 years, we have developed, tested and tried this product and finally we are pleased with what we’ve got! It is a night cream, its base ingredients being aloe vera gel and mango butter. Water is not the main component in this product! The cream contains 11 active ingredients, the most amazing being the inflammation reducing and anti-redness neuropeptides, anti-ageing and skin tone balancing dwarf everlast/immortelle extract, skin strengthening 

horse-chestnut extract, 5% niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, skin’s protective layer builder squalane and nourishing jojobaseed oil. The cream has a different texture than the other D’DIFFERENCE products. It is heavier and melts into the skin just like whipped cream…mmm.

The appearance of different eczemas can surprise you when you have sensitive skin. Eczema is the inflammation of skin’s surface layers, especially of the epidermis. The most accurate indicator for diagnosing it is itchiness as it occurs for all eczema types. This condition can progress into rosacea. It is a vascular skin disease of the small capillaries. It is chronic and its causes are unknown with hereditary predisposition being noted  for rosacea. We strongly recommend contacting a dermatologist and cannot guarantee that the Anti-Redness night cream will work for rosacea. However, the people part of our test group all noticed the improvement in the condition and appearance of their skin, evening out of skin tone and the rise of skin’s moisture levels. A number of them mentioned that this cream brought them the understanding of what it means when we say ‘skin becomes stronger’. Stock up on time and patience. Skin is a big and slow organ, cell renewal in the extremely thin epidermis takes a month or even more. Every person is different, whilst one will observe a visible change within a week, the other might not notice any difference until the fourth week.