Redness, irritation, dryness, itching, reactive skin. If you recognize yourself in these discomforts, you may have sensitive skin.
You are born with sensitive skin or you become sensitive! Yes, the skin can become sensitive for many reasons.
Index
Sensitive and sensitized skin
Skin sensitivity depends on the fact that the skin barrier is damaged or weak and does not work properly, and the protection is compromised . The skin is thus more exposed to attacks from environmental factors , such as cold, and external agents , such as bacteria, chemicals, allergens or others.
The symptoms of sensitive or sensitized skin, which can appear anywhere on the face , body and scalp , are:
- redness
- dryness
- flaking
- swelling
- itching
The skin's natural defenses are very important and understanding the causes of weakening can help you better address the situation both with prevention and with natural remedies.
The goal is to control and minimize the factors that trigger a reaction.
How to recognize sensitive skin
Each of our skin has a natural protective barrier.
This barrier:
- helps prevent “bad” bacteria and harmful substances from entering the body
- limits water loss and thus prevents dehydration.
The skin therefore remains healthy and hydrated, elastic and compact.
However, both external factors , such as climate, and internal ones, such as stress and illness, can damage the barrier and weaken the skin's natural defenses. Sensitive skin is often also dry, but this is not always the case. A common mistake is to treat sensitive skin as dry skin, but this is not remedied.
Hypersensitive skin
When the skin barrier is very compromised , or due to a genetic characteristic it is very weak, you may have hypersensitive skin.
Condition caused by increased sensitivity of the nerves in the skin tissue , resulting in reactions that may be more frequent or severe than those of sensitive skin. Itching, swelling, and redness are associated with more bothersome symptoms such as tingling and burning.
External causes of sensitive skin
The upper layer of the epidermis is the stratum corneum which, together with the hydrolipidic barrier, prevents the invasion of our body by microorganisms, certain substances and allergens. It also reduces water loss, thus protecting the body from dehydration.
A stable stratum corneum and an intact hydrolipidic film ensure adequate protection for the skin.
The hydrolipidic acid film is an emulsion of water and fats that has a pH value of around 5, slightly acidic. It maintains healthy skin flora, the microbiota , and allows the process of desquamation, essential for skin cell renewal.
When the skin's natural pH is altered , the skin's barrier function is compromised.
The skin's defenses weaken and the consequences are:
- increased transepidermal water loss associated with dryness
- penetration of irritating agents
- environmental factors attack the skin
The skin becomes sensitized and susceptible not only to inflammation but also to bacterial infections , viruses and fungi.
The climate and especially temperature changes can increase skin sensitivity.
In cold weather, the skin glands reduce the secretion of substances needed to maintain the protective acid mantle, and dehydration sets in. Heating, a too dry environment, and air conditioning can also have this effect.
When it 's very hot, the skin glands produce more sweat, which evaporates, leaving the skin dry.
Harsh cleansers, with SLS and SLES, can also cause damage to the skin barrier, removing the lipids that protect it and causing an imbalance in pH levels.
Internal causes of sensitive skin
The internal causes are mainly genetic and related to hormones, growth and aging.
The skin of children and babies is thinner and its barrier is much weaker! Similarly, as we age and the skin ages , it loses some of the substances that are fundamental to its structure and the functioning of the hydrolipidic film, causing an imbalance in pH and dryness. This happens even if you have always had normal skin. The amount of aquaporins in the skin also decreases with age. Aquaporins are like distribution channels that supply water and glycerol to the skin, and as they decrease, mature skin is more prone to dryness and sensitivity.
In addition to these factors, hormonal imbalance, due to circumstances such as pregnancy, menstrual cycle, puberty, menopause or even stress or illness , can reduce the effectiveness of the skin barrier.
Those who already have dry or damaged skin, such as from atopic dermatitis , acne, psoriasis or rosacea, are much more likely to have highly sensitive skin.
Remedies
Daily habits, repeated over time, can cause barrier dysfunction and therefore sensitization! We must convert them into good habits that will help you to remedy and ensure that the skin regenerates and rebuilds its protective barrier as best as possible.
Here are some tips to put into practice immediately for cleansing :
- take a warm bath and shower, not too hot
- Don't spend too much time in the shower or bathtub
- use product with gentle and natural surfactants
- you prefer oils to body creams
- Pat your skin dry
In addition, to reduce skin sensitivity it is also useful to keep stress under control. I know, it is not easy, but a home spa or even just dedicating time to a face and hair mask help!
Sensitive skin routine
To take care of your sensitive skin, implement a minimal skincare routine , capable of offering the skin a real reset , where we will offer the skin only what it strictly needs. In this case, the skin needs hydration , soothing elements and treatments capable of re-establishing the health of the skin barrier .
Opt for a super delicate cleansing , doing it in two steps if you also use makeup. For the first step, choose an oily cleanser, which allows you to remove makeup without excessively degreasing and without rubbing, which risks further sensitizing the skin.
The ideal solution is the Cleansing balm 4in1 by Yuniwa , which you can also use in this case as a nourishing mask when needed.
Perform the second step of the double cleansing with Yuniwa Facial Cleansing Mousse , a delicate yet effective cloud that removes impurities and residues without attacking the skin, pampering it with its soothing ingredients.
Now take care of your skin barrier with a toner , which aims to restore the skin's pH after cleansing, using the Probiotic Mist , an anti-aging spray with a dermo-protective action for sensitive skin, which reduces redness, dryness, flaking or visible capillaries.
Use a specific serum for sensitive skin , which offers you the possibility of restoring the health of the skin. The ideal is the Probiotic booster by Yuniwa , rich in soothing, protective and repairing ingredients, perfect for pampering stressed skin.
You can combine the Probiotic Booster with Lipids Serum , a serum with natural lipids that help restore the skin's natural hydrolipidic balance, for a stronger and healthier skin barrier.
Complete your routine with a moisturizer , such as Yuniwa Multi-Active CBD Oil , a treatment with anti-aging, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action, excellent for soothing redness, itching and inflammation, offering the skin the hydration it needs, without weighing it down.
Even the phases of the menstrual cycle can interfere with the health and balance of our skin. Read our guide to skincare and menstrual cycle to learn more!
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