What Does Sensitive Skin Mean and How to Help It?

Is my skin sensitive?

You see, “sensitive skin” isn’t a permanent condition or skin type, but rather a temporary state. Think of it as your skin crying out that its protective barrier function has been compromised.

Some individuals are naturally more prone to disruptions in their skin barrier function, mostly due to genetic factors or skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, or even acne. Hormonal changes—like those during menstruation, pregnancy, menopause, or periods of stress—can also throw your skin barrier off-balance.

In essence, all skin is sensitive; it’s just that some people’s skin is more reactive than others. If you don’t suffer from a chronic skin condition like eczema or psoriasis, “sensitive skin” is a temporary state resulting from a disrupted skin barrier. Once your skin barrier is restored, your skin’s hyper sensitivity should subside.

What causes hypersensitive or reactive skin?

Having sensitive, reactive, or hypersensitive skin might sometimes feel like a riddle. However, understanding it doesn’t have to be complicated. Essentially, sensitive skin is a sign of a weakened skin barrier function. When this protective layer is off-balance, your skin may struggle to shield itself against external “attackers”. This could result in symptoms such as dryness, tightness, itchiness, redness, or frequent inflamed acne breakouts.

Let’s break down the causes of sensitive skin into two categories: ‘external’ and ‘internal’ factors.

External factors

• Over-cleansing and over-exfoliating: This happens when you wash your skin too often or with a harsh cleanser. Using an overly strong exfoliating skincare product, or exfoliating too frequently can also lead to sensitive skin.
• Exposure to irritating ingredients: Certain elements in skincare, haircare, or household cleaning products can provoke sensitivity. These may include preservatives, fragrances (both natural and synthetic), plant extracts, and cleansing agents. Often, a mix of ingredients, rather than just one, can trigger irritation. Skincare actives like retinoids, vitamin C, AHAs, hydroquinone, benzoyl peroxide, and others, can also be strong irritants. Remember, the more products your skin encounters, the more likely it is to react.
• Exposure to allergens: While this may sound similar to exposure to irritating ingredients, it’s slightly different. Irritant reactions aren’t “permanent”—your skin might react to an ingredient once but be fine with it later. Allergic reactions, however, are more consistent. Once an allergic reaction occurs, every subsequent exposure to the allergen will trigger a reaction—even the smallest amount can cause trouble.
• Dry air environment: Places with heated or air-conditioned air, like homes or offices, can dry out your skin.
• Extreme weather conditions: Exposure to wind, cold temperatures, and direct sunlight can distress your skin.

Internal factors

• Chronic skin conditions: Conditions like atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, and others can make your skin more sensitive.

• Medication and medical treatments: Certain medicines and treatments may lead to sensitive skin.

• Allergens in food: Consuming food that you’re allergic to can also affect your skin’s sensitivity.

If you think your skin sensitivity might be due to internal causes, or if you’re experiencing an allergic skin reaction, it’s best to seek medical advice from a dermatologist.

How do sensitive skin reactions happen?

When your skin shows symptoms of sensitivity like redness, dryness or itching, it’s actually your immune cells going into a heightened state of alert. They sense danger in your environment, even if there isn’t any, and spring into action with inflammation to defend your body.

Now, sometimes this heightened response is due to an allergy. In such cases, your immune system permanently tags a substance as harmful. So, skin allergies, once they crop up, usually stick around for life.

However, more often than not, your immune system reacts to a threat just at that specific moment. This reaction is known as “irritant contact dermatitis” or simply, irritation. This means that your skin might react negatively to a skincare product today, but it could be completely fine with it a month from now. (Though, it’s important to note that we don’t recommend you try this out!).

Each of us has a unique level of tolerance to these perceived threats. Some people have highly tolerant skin, which can handle a variety of products and concentrated actives without any reaction. On the other hand, some people find that almost any skincare product can trigger sensitivity symptoms. The reason for this variance isn’t fully understood by doctors and scientists, though genetics definitely plays a part. In some cases, the skin’s immune system can be so sensitive that it leads to a chronic medical condition like eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis).

But even individuals with typically healthy skin can experience bouts of sensitivity. Certain substances, such as fragrances (both natural and synthetic) and preservatives, are more likely to cause irritation than others, especially when found in cosmetic products.

Irritant reactions are also more common when your skin barrier is weakened. Think of this barrier as a brick-and-mortar wall. The “bricks” are the dead skin cells on the surface, held together with the “mortar” of skin natural oils and water-loving substances. If there’s a “hole” in this wall, irritating substances can slip through more easily, setting off an alarm with the immune system.

Frequent or harsh cleansing is often the culprit behind a weakened skin barrier.

Three simple steps for helping sensitive skin restore the balance

Sensitive skin can be quite a handful. But fret not – here’s a simple three-step plan to help reduce your skin sensitivity and reclaim your comfort.

By following these three simple steps, you can significantly reduce skin sensitivity and enjoy the comfort of healthier skin.

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