Living with sensitive skin can be frustrating. Often, it feels like even the smallest trigger can cause irritation. However, if your skin is sensitive, there are steps you can take to improve the comfort of your day-to-day life and protect the health of your skin. Whether you suffer from dry skin, eczema, hives, allergic contact dermatitis or another form of skin sensitivity, making a few small changes to your lifestyle and skincare routine can make a significant difference. Here are seven trusted tips for taking care of sensitive skin.
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1. Select the Right Skin Care Products
If you’ve been dealing with sensitive skin for a long time, then you’ve probably learned the hard way that some skin care products can do more harm than good. There are many excellent sustainable skin care products, such as a daily antioxidant serum, that are gentle on sensitive skin, free of irritating chemicals, and made with earth-friendly ingredients. Generally, look for products that are advertised as gentle or specifically formulated for people with sensitive skin.
2. Improve Your Diet
Did you know that your diet can have a significant impact on the condition of your skin? When you have sensitive skin, it’s especially important to be conscious of what you’re eating daily. Ideally, you should avoid processed foods and choose natural foods whenever possible.
You can also make specific anti-inflammatory foods a regular part of your diet to take advantage of their soothing and healing properties. For example, blueberries and apples are rich in antioxidants, which can help keep your sensitive skin healthy. Other great foods to eat regularly include nuts, avocados, leafy greens, cold-water fish, carrots and whole grains.
3. Use Sunscreen Regularly
Using sunscreen is recommended for everyone to protect against premature aging and skin cancer. However, it’s especially crucial if you have sensitive skin or a related skin condition. Applying sunscreen is considered one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect and improve the health and appearance of your skin.
All you need to do is put on a layer of SPF 15 or higher sunscreen before you head out for the day, and you’ll protect your sensitive skin from sunburn, rashes and other skin problems. Plus, you’ll significantly reduce the chances of developing skin cancer, age spots and premature wrinkles. If you have sensitive skin, you should be careful about using sunscreen with an SPF higher than 30; more powerful sunscreens tend to contain a higher amount of irritating comedogenic ingredients.
4. Moisturize Often
One thing that many people with skin conditions have in common is chronic dry skin. When your skin lacks moisture, it tends to become cracked and irritated. For these reasons, you must include moisturizing in your daily skin care routine. A quality moisturizer can have a variety of benefits, including keeping your skin hydrated, restoring its natural oils, soothing it and increasing and retaining its moisture barrier.
When you have sensitive skin, you should look for moisturizers that don’t contain too many fragrances or chemicals. Products featuring artificial fragrances and colors are known to cause irritation. For the best results, look for an organic, plant-based product explicitly tailored to sensitive skin. For example, you could use organic hair and body oil to moisturize and soften the skin. Once you’ve found a great moisturizer, be sure to apply it regularly to keep your skin feeling its best.
5. Drink Lemon Water
Drinking water regularly is an effective way to keep your skin moisturized. But, if you have sensitive skin, you can take it a step further by drinking lemon water. Drinking a glass of lemon water each day when you wake up can help protect against skin damage and blemishes, acne and wrinkles. These effects are mainly due to the antioxidants and vitamin C found in lemons, which can help reduce free-radical damage.
Additionally, lemon water works to detoxify your blood, which assists in keeping your skin looking and feeling healthy. Ideally, you should drink at least six glasses of water each day, and squeezing a lemon into one of those will be great for your skin.
6. Apply Raw Milk to Your Skin
Although it may sound strange, cleansing your sensitive skin with raw milk is an excellent treatment to include in your skin care routine. Milk contains several ingredients that positively affect the skin, including anti-inflammatories, moisturizing agents and skin-nourishing elements. To apply raw milk to your skin, simply dab it on your skin using reusable cotton rounds, which are perfect for sensitive skin. If time allows, let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing it off. Doing this a few times a week will soothe your sensitive skin and prevent dryness, itchiness and irritation.
7. Avoid Too Much Hot Water
Although taking a long, hot shower or bath feels great, it can cause skin irritation for people with sensitive skin. The hotter the water and the longer you stay in the shower, the more moisture and natural oil are stripped from your skin. So, taking shorter lukewarm showers is actually better for your skin. Try to keep showers or baths under 10 minutes. You should also avoid scrubbing too hard with a loofah or washcloth.
You Can Manage Sensitive Skin
Having sensitive skin can sometimes be miserable, but it doesn’t need to be. If you’re willing to make a few changes to your routine and improve some of your habits, you can eliminate the worst of your skin problems. It can be overwhelming to make many changes at once, so start with a couple of tips on this list, and then stick with the ones that work best for you! As always, it’s best to speak with your dermatologist to ensure you are using products and techniques that are right for you and your skin.
