Caring for Sensitive Skin

Having sensitive skin can really impact the quality of life that you have. This is because when you have sensitive skin there are a lot of products that you simply cannot use. However, having sensitive skin doesn’t have to mean the end of the world. You can make your life a lot easier by understanding what things your skin reacts to and then avoid products that have these elements in their ingredient list.

Family History

The best place to start when researching your skin’s sensitivity is to talk to your blood relatives, especially to those family members who also have sensitive skin. See what ingredients they have to avoid, and also see what products cause a reaction in their skin. Chances are, if someone in your immediate family has sensitive skin and has a bad reaction to certain additives or products that you will too.

Know What You React To

If you are trying to figure out what things your skin reacts to you may want to keep a journal. Every time that you try a new product create a journal entry that details if you broke out in a rash, if you got a tingling sensation, or if you had no reaction at all. At the back of your journal keep a list of ingredients that are in products that you don’t react to and in the products that you do react to. Compare these lists. If an ingredient is on both lists then you know that it is an ingredient that you probably aren’t reacting to so remove it from the react list. As your lists develop you will begin to see what ingredients you react to. These are the ingredients that you will need to avoid.

Try it in Small Doses

If you don’t know if you will react to a product or not then buy a trial size version of the product instead of buying a full sized product. This way if you do have a reaction you won’t have to throw away a full size bottle of the product and you won’t waste your money. Free samples are another great way to try out a new product to see if it works and to see if your skin likes it. Samples can be found in magazine inserts, product distributors, and at make-up counters at finer department stores. Your local salon will also be a great source for free samples. All you have to do is to ask for a sample the next time you go in for a day of beauty.

Get Tested for Allergies

If your skin has a major reaction to beauty products then you may have a serious allergy. The only way to find out if your skin’s sensitivity is due to an allergy is to go to your doctor and have an allergy test. An allergy test usually is comprised of a series of small scratches on your forearm. Each needle is treated with a different compound. If your skin reacts to the compound then you are allergic to that compound.