Sensitive skin

This week is all about sensitive skin.

The sensitive skin type is characterized by being fine, thin, often reddish, poor tolerance to the sun, and often reacts a bit dramatically to external influences by blushing and flaring up. It can easily become hypersensitive, which can lead to rashes, bumps and, in the worst case, eczema or rosacea. 

Mind, body and skin are naturally connected, and not surprisingly, sensitive skin often appears when we are mentally stressed, depressed or out of sorts.

Characteristics:

  • Refined surface / thin structure
  • Light and often a red or pale complexion
  • Small, invisible pores
  • Sensitive to pressure, touch, heat, friction
  • Often dehydrated
  • Often encapsulated comedones and milia
  • Sensitive to wind, weather and cold
  • Most often seen in fair-haired and red-haired people 
  • Blood vessels are located superficially under the thinner skin which causes a tendency to redness and broken capillaries.
  • Flares and blushes easily

Focus on treatment for sensitive skin

  • Cleanse and exfoliate the epidermis gently with oil based or facebalm cleanser. Learn how HERE 
  • Deep cleanse through lymphatic drainage massage rather than mechanical extractions
  • Soothe and calm the nervous system fx. through self massage including gua sha massage
  • Moisturize the skin with clean and simple products. Oils containing carotenoids and omega 3 calms inflammation and redness. Our sea buckthorn balm is perfect for sensitive skin. Learn more about the sea buckthorn oil HERE.
  • Protect and rebuild the skin barrier with shea butter based products.

EXTERNAL SKINCARE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

For sensitive skin, it is important that you use oil based cleansing products that do not wash the natural moisture out of the skin or destroy the protective barrier film on the surface of the skin, namely the acid mantle. Try oil cleansing with facebalm massaged into moist skin and cleansed with a clean, lukewarm water soaked soft wash cloth. Replace the traditional skintonic with a mist of e.g. flower water with rose, jasmine or chamomile, which gently disinfects and constricts the pores. Mist can also be sprayed on during the day to soothe and counteract flare-ups

Choose water free moisturizes such as facebalms (which most often don’t contain preservatives as they don’t contain water) that protect against wind and weather and preferably with serum or with drops of oil, e.g. inca inchi or sea buckthorn under the moisturizer, to soothe the skin. 1 drop of sea buckthorn oil is so carotenoid-rich that it leaves the skin with a healthy golden glow that can help cover mild redness.

Use only grain-free exfoliation and use it no more than every 14 days. Choose an enzyme peel or a mild and emollient face scrub with emollient herbs that do not scratch and irritate the skin. Our favorite is honey, but if you have a very sensitive skin patch test on a small area first, as honey is very active.

Use moisturizing masks after exfoliation with regenerative care from aloe vera, sweet almond, honey or shea butter, which rebuilds the fine skin surface and provides an emollient layer of nourishing and protective care.

Avoid on sensitive skin:

  • Mechanical or coarse-grained exfoliation
  • Heavy steam
  • Very hot water
  • Vacuum based massage such as cupping

Herbs to look for in skincare products for sensitive skin:

  • Chamomile
  • Linden flower
  • Calendula
  • Gotu kola
  • Rose
  • Comfrey

Essential oils for sensitive skin (max 1% concentration of essential oil in 99% vegetable oil):

  • Chamomile, German and Roman 
  • Jasmine
  • Neroli
  • Rose
  • Sandalwood

Vegetable oils for sensitive skin:

  • The apricot kernel oil
  • Macadamia oil 
  • Inca inchi oil
  • Sea buckthorn oil
  • Tamanu oil
  • Jojoba oil
  • Shea butter
  • Squalane         

 Active ingredients to look for in skincare products for sensitive skin:

  • Hyaluronic acid 
  • Honey
  • Cholesterol
  • Ceramides
  • B3
  • B5
  • Vitamin E.

INTERNAL SKINCARE FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

Take a spoon of good quality omega 3 oil daily which nourishes the skin from within. Choose a fish oil or algae oil that has been tested free of heavy metals and with a low totox value (rancidity value) - or organic and cold-pressed oils from sea buckthorn, evening primrose, hemp oil, olives, flaxseed and avocado. 

Drink at least one and a half liters of water, vegetable juice or herbal tea a day to maintain a stable fluid balance. Our favorite herbal teas for sensitive skin are calendula, chamomile, stinging nettle, linden flower, white tea, rooibos tea, rosehips, chamomile and peppermint.

With optimal doses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega, collagen, algae and herbs, your skin gains more resistance and radiance. Use it as needed as a cure in periods or as regular rituals all year round.

If you're interested in knowing more about how to treat your skin during the day read our blog about daily skin care cycle HERE

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