Sensitive Skin

This may seem like a super random topic. However, sensitive skin and/or inflammatory skin diseases occur frequently along with chronic illnesses and autoimmune diseases. An overeager immune system can attack the skin barrier and make it more susceptible to dryness, irritation, and skin conditions such as eczema, acne, and rosacea. I will share skincare tips I have learned along the way that work for my sensitive skin.

Disclaimer: I am not a dermatologist, esthetician, or skincare specialist. These are tips and products that work for me. Everyone is different, so these may not apply to you. I recommend that you see a dermatologist for skin-related concerns.

Face skincare tips

• Choose fragrance-free products. This is my number one tip for everything. It is a common culprit of irritation. This includes essential oils, they are also very sensitizing.
• Put moisturizer on when skin is damp, it helps lock in the moisture.
• A humidifier can be useful. I don’t use one anymore because two in row grew mold despite daily cleaning. If you can use one successfully, then by all means do it.
• Say no to scrubs, brushes, etc. They irritate more than anything.
• Pick the most gentle cleanser you can find that still gets the job done
• Less is more when you have sensitive skin. Skip the fancy products. My skin gets worse if I try and get extra with a serum, treatment, etc.
• If you have acne, don’t nuke your face with over-the-counter products targeted to acne. Most likely, you would be better served to use a gentle, basic cleanser and moisturizer and then see a dermatologist for a prescription (or you could try Differin now that they offer that over-the-counter). When I had significant acne, Retin A Micro and Plexion were my jam. Once I had my kiddos (hormones change) and switched to gentle, fragrance-free products, I haven’t needed any prescriptions.

Body skincare tips

• Put lotion on after every time you wash your hands
• Pick a gentle, fragrance-free hand soap
• If your hands get cracked/bleed, slather on a thick coating of oil and lotion and sleep with socks on your hands to lock the moisture in
• Pick gentle, fragrance-free bodywash/soap
• Try kids’ sunscreen, they tend to have less irritating ingredients
• Use a free and clear laundry detergent and skip fabric softeners

Eczema tips

My eczema is well-controlled for the most part now that I use gentle, fragrance-free products. When weather changes or in the winter, I will occasionally get a flare up. For mild flare ups, Aquaphor twice a day does the trick for me.

Several years ago, when I was in massage therapy school, I had a major eczema flare all over both of my arms. No amount of Aquaphor or hydrocortisone could touch it. I figured out by deduction that it was the massage cream we were provided with at school. Once I switched to an alternative product, it cleared up without any other interventions. This demonstrates that identifying triggers is an important part of managing eczema.

Hair/scalp tips

• Choose something that is fragrance-free- this is actually quite hard to find in hair products.
• Minimize the use of styling products including dry shampoo, they increase the chances of scalp irritation.

Products I like:

Facial cleansers

• Paula’s Choice Gentle Touch Makeup Remover (eye makeup remover)
• La Roche Posay Toleraine Hydrating Cleanser
• Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Oil Reducing Cleanser

Facial moisturizers

• Paula’s Choice Clear Skin Hydrator
• Etude House Soon Jung 2x Barrier Cream– This is the MVP. If your skin is dry or irritated, give this a try.
• Mary Kay Timewise Firming Eye Cream
• Lansinoh Lanolin– I use it as a lip balm

Hand/Body soap

• Dove Sensitive Skin bar soap– I use this as shaving gel too
• Seventh Generation Free and Clear Hand Soap

Hand/Body moisturizers

• Aquaphor– Good for eczema
• Any oil- I am currently using grapeseed oil. I also like jojoba oil
• Up and Up Daily Moisturizing Lotion (knockoff of an Aveeno product)

Sunscreen

• Paula’s Choice Super Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30– Daily use on face
• La Roche Posay Anthelios Clear Skin– Use on my face while swimming
• For the body, I use whatever sunscreen I bought for the boys. Currently, we have a bottle of this Coppertone sunscreen.

Hair

• Paula’s Choice All Over Hair and Body Wash
• Paula’s Choice Conditioner
• Neutrogena T-Sal– I use this once or twice a week for an itchy scalp
• Jojoba or grapeseed oil– Adds shine

Random

• Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Gel– I use this sporadically if a pimple leaves a dark spot
• Up and Up Free and Clear Laundry Detergent– Fragranced laundry detergent makes my skin angry and flares up eczema. If you have irritated skin, I definitely recommend switching to free and clear laundry detergent of any brand.

Great resources on skin

• Dr. Dray
• Dr. Sam Bunting

They are both dermatologists that share great tips and advice on YouTube.

What tips do you have for sensitive skin?

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Statements on this site are not meant to be taken as medical advice. These statements reflect my personal experiences having mild-ish post-viral POTS and ME. Due to the wide spectrum of these diseases, comorbidities, and everyone being different, your experiences may be very different than mine.

Note: If you post a comment, this site does NOT have a feature to notify you of responses to your comment. I have not found a good solution for that yet. However, I usually respond to every comment in a timely manner, so be sure to check back.