How to deal with sensitive skin

Why is sensitive skin difficult?

People who have very sensitive skin can often have a very low tolerance level for certain things in their environments, what they eat and drink and also to ingredients in their skin care products. Usually the skin reacts by becoming inflammation that shows as red, blotchy patches and sometimes lumpy swellings. It is difficult for those with sensitive skin as what will be no problem for one person will not suit someone else. Also to establish what it is that actually bothers you can be a time consuming exercise.

How do we deal with sensitive skin?

The more natural a skin care product is the less the chance of them irritating sensitive skin. Having said that, there are many essential oils that are very irritating to the skin or one of their components is. Conversely not all synthetic ingredients are harmful for your skin and may be a suitable alternative to a natural ingredient that can be an irritant. So the best thing is to choose a skin care product range that has been designed to be non-irritating, to calm and soothe a sensitive skin. skinsaviour has designed its cleansers and moisturisers to be very gentle yet effective on a sensitive skin.

What to look for in skin care products?

• Cleansers with no harsh soaps or detergents.

• Skin care products with low levels of preservatives.

• Moisturisers that provide a long lasting barrier to external pollutants.

• Skin care products formulated to avoid ingredients known to irritate sensitive skin.

• Skin care products that come in dispensers to avoid contaminating your skin care products with bacteria from dipping fingers in.

• Skincare products that come in dispensers that block out the light to also avoid spoilage.

Eczema

What is eczema?

Eczema (pronounced ek-sma) is a very common allergic skin condition that affects the skin of people in all age groups. Another name used for eczema is dermatitis. Usually it looks like a pinkish-red scaly rash appearing anywhere on the body.  Dry and scaly looking skin forms over red inflamed areas causing intense burning and itching. The area can feel hot and is usually very itchy and Babies can have eczema when they are young and then grow out of it as they get older and some people don’t get eczema until they are adults. Most people with chronic eczema will get their first patch of eczema occurring before they are school age.

Why do you get eczema?

It is not exactly known why we get eczema, it does have some connection to allergic reactions and the immune system it is not the typical allergic reaction.
Some types of eczema have a genetic link and a family history of allergies, asthma and eczema mean you may be more susceptible.

Some types of eczema happen after the skin comes into contact with a trigger or allergen which may happen immediately or only come after repeated contact. Common allergens are soaps, detergents, wool, animal fur, plants, chemicals and many others so it may be difficult to establish the cause. Sometimes physical stress like an illness or mental and emotional stress can trigger an attack. Although this skin condition often looks as though it might be contagious, it isn’t, you can’t catch eczema from someone else.

What can I do?

• If you are unsure about the diagnosis, consult a skin specialist or a doctor. Allergy testing may be necessary.
• If you are so uncomfortable that your sleep, work, or other daily activities are disrupted, you should also seek medical help.
• Avoid what you know you are allergic to wherever possible.
• Try not to scratch it – fingernails can harbour bacteria and can cause an infection if you scratch and break the skin.
• Try to avoid washing clothes in harsh detergents and soaps.
• Avoid showering or bathing excessively – once a day and only use soap where you really need it. Pat the skin gently dry.
• Avoid hot water as this will only make the itching worse.
• Clothing should be cotton where possible, wool can irritate.
• Keep cool and out of the sun, getting hot and sweaty can make it worse.
• Avoid strenuous exercise when your eczema flares up.
• Avoid physical and mental stress. Eating a well balanced diet, reducing stress and adequate sleep will help you stay healthy, which can help prevent flares.
• Clean the area with a hypoallergenic cleanser every day.
• Gently apply a moisturising cream after washing that has been formulated to be calming and soothing as well as moisturising with no perfumes or colours.

What do I do about oily skin?

Oily skin is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin that produce sebum that keeps our skin lubricated. If you look in the mirror and see a greasy shiny face looking back you most likely have an overproduction of oil. Sometimes people with excessively oily skin have large pores and the skin can look quite heavy in texture and blemishes occur more frequently. Women may find that makeup doesn’t stay in place and begins to slide. If you are still unsure, wash and gently cleanse your face and leave to dry for 30 mins. Place a clean tissue on the face and pat down gently. If you look at the tissue and see areas of oil on the tissue, you have oily skin.

What do I do?

Oily skin needs to be treated gently. Often people with oily skin will try to scrub the skin with hot water, harsh soaps and exfoliators to try and remove all the excess oil. This often has the reverse effect and can cause the skin to produce even more oil to try and compensate for the oil being removed. We do want some oil on our skin as this is what causes the skin to be lubricated and comfortable and helps to prevent wrinkles forming. Oily skin needs to be gently cleansed and a minimum of moisturiser applied, making sure it is one that is comodegenic, that is, it won’t block the pores and cause blemishes to form.

Following some of these suggestions below should help ease oily skin conditions:

• Cleanse the skin thoroughly but gently, using a cleanser with no harsh soaps or detergents.
• Cleanse the skin morning and night to keep the skin free of built up oil and grime.
• Use lukewarm water and pat dry to avoid stimulating oil production.
• Do not use alcohol based toners and astringents as they can over dry the skin.
• Use a moisturiser that is formulated not to block your pores.
• Use a tissue to blot excess oil during the day rather than over wash your face.
• Avoid fatty foods with a high fat and oil content.
• Use non oil based sunscreens.
• Use non oil based cosmetics.
• Consider visiting a skin specialist or your doctor if these measures don’t help as there may be underlying physical causes.

Causes of unhealthy skin

Is my skin unhealthy?

Problem skin can have many causes but in general doesn’t have the look of healthy skin.  Healthy skin has clearness about it, a healthy glow with a smooth, unblemished look. Problem skin can look dull, tired and sallow either too greasy and possibly with blemishes or too dry and prematurely wrinkled. Pigmentation does not necessarily mean the skin is unhealthy but can be a problem in how the person feels about it. There is a lot we can do to improve the health and therefore look of our skin and need to look at some of the causes and see what we can identify what could be causing our own unhealthy skin.

What are some of the causes of unhealthy skin?

Although the causes are many, the main culprits are a diet that doesn’t support the heath of the skin, lifestyle factors and a skincare regime that we do not adhere to or the products are not effective.  The skin is the largest organ of our body and needs the same things our body needs to perform its best – adequate sleep, hydration and good nutrition. Excessive lifestyle habits such as overindulgence in alcohol, smoking, late nights and a poor diet will show up on our skin – sooner or later. The good news is our skin will respond to changes we make to support it and while specific skin problems will have specific solutions; these general suggestions below will help improve all skin problems to some degree.

Look at the list below and see how many of the causes of problem skin you can see in your own life:

• Late nights, lack of sleep in general
• Excessive alcohol
• Smoking
• Use of sun beds or tanning
• Lack of fresh fruit and vegetables in the diet
• Fried and greasy foods high in fat
• Dehydration, not drinking adequate water
• Excessive tea and coffee
• Heavy makeup
• Not cleansing the face morning and night
• Not using an effective moisturiser moisturiser
• Use of harsh cleansers with soap or sulphates, not a gentle but effective cleanser