In the middle of a sensitive skin flare you search Google for sensitive skin care tips. Help. Google returns tips like – keep your skincare routine simple, use products with limited ingredients, get back to basics.
You want to cry, you’ve tried all of this. Using skincare hurts. Using nothing hurts. What do you do?
Why Has My Skin Become So Sensitive?
The number one reason why skin becomes red, raw and sensitive is simple. Skin is unable to protect itself and is suffering from barrier breakdown.
Healthy skin forms an effective barrier to defend skin against irritating and inflammation-provoking outsiders. Pollution particles, pathogenic bacteria, pollen, allergens, fragrance, water.
It’s true. Even water can cause barrier breakdown. Free water is irritating to skin. Bound water, for example water which is bound by molecules like hyaluronic acid is hydrating.
With a leaky skin barrier, skin’s immune function is hyper activated and inflammation signalling molecules get mass released. You see this as redness, irritation, tingling, burning, heat, blotchiness, stinging.
How Can I Stop My Skin From Being So Sensitive?
In the middle of a sensitive skin flare the best sensitive skin care tips focus on healing and repairing your skin barrier.
Of course soothing skincare is also helpful but shouldn’t be your skincare routines only focus. Sensitive skincare with soothing actives helps reduce short term symptoms. Barrier repairing sensitive skin care helps prevent persisting flare ups for long term sensitivity reduction. This is how the best sensitive skin care tips work.
What Is The Best Skincare For Sensitive Skin?
How do you soothe skin and repair it at the same time? A lesser known active ingredient has the answer – triterpenes. Naturally sourced, some of the most potent and effective are;
- Asiatic acid
- Asiaticoside
- Madecasosside
- Madecassic acid
All of which are found in centella asiatica, the hero ingredient in our new Centella Asiatica Facial Mask.
Studies show when extracts of centella asiatica are applied to skin, in just 7 days the potent triterpenes get to work to help reduce swelling and inflammation, boost hydration plus help repair a leaky and damaged skin barrier[i].
A study published in 2016 tested the soothing ability of centella asiatica – also known as gotu kola – on purposefully irritated skin. Not only was skin visibly soothed, seen as a reduction in redness, skin’s barrier function was measurably repaired, seen as a reduction in trans epidermal water loss (TEWL). The study also shows how centella can restore a healthy skin pH allowing skin to feel comfortable, calm and moisturised[ii].
The Best Sensitive Skin Care Tips
Finally an ingredient your sensitive skin will love. The best sensitive skin care tips go one step further than cutting back to basics. They focus on active ingredients which help heal and repair. Soothe and rebuild. Hydrate and condition. Centella asiatica is one such multi-tasking active. Able to provide noticeable short term comfort while also improving skins long term resilience. Sensitive skin flares are calmed, future flare ups are reduced. Skin is happy and healthy again.
Get our Centella Asiatica Facial Mask here.
[i] J Dermatolog Treat. 2015 Oct;26(5):465-70
[ii] Indian J Pharm Sci. 2016 Jan-Feb; 78(1): 27–33.
