Some days, your regular skincare regimen works perfectly. And before you know it your favorite moisturizer feels like it’s stinging and your cleanser leaves your face feeling stiff and even products you’ve used for years unexpectedly seem to damage your skin. If that sounds familiar, you’re not insane. You never thought of your skin as sensitive, but skin sensitivity can arise from nowhere. Fortunately, unusual sensitivity doesn’t necessarily mean you’re suffering from a chronic skin condition. More often than not, it's your skin's way of saying something has changed, your environment, your regime, your health, or the state of your skin barrier. To get your skin feeling comfortable again, the first thing you need to do is understand what is leading to the change.
Read this guide to learn more about causes of skin sensitivity.
Damaged Skin Barrier
One of the most prevalent causes that the skin can become suddenly sensitive is a damaged skin barrier. Your body’s natural defense layer is the skin barrier. It locks in moisture and protects your skin from contaminants, bacteria, allergenic substances, and irritants. Your skin is more likely to lose water and be far more sensitive to products that were never a problem before when this barrier is compromised.
There are many things that can damage the skin barrier. Over-exfoliating, layering too many active ingredients at once, washing your face too often or using strong cleansers can all damage this protective layer. Rather than trying new treatments, simplify your regime. Usually a mild cleanser, a fragrance-free moisturizer and a daily sunscreen are enough to help the skin barrier heal.
New Skincare Routine
At times, the answer is quite straightforward, you’ve introduced something new. New skincare products can cause temporary irritation as your skin gets used to them, whether that’s a potent exfoliating serum, a retinol cream or even a different sunscreen. Sometimes the product just isn’t right for your skin. Think back to the last couple of weeks. Did you start using a new cleanser? Included acid-based toner? Switched to a more aggressive anti-ageing regimen? Some products marketed as “gentle” may still irritate your skin if you don’t tolerate certain ingredients. Stop adding new and more new products and go back to basics for a couple of days. If your skin clears up, reintroduce items one at a time. This will make it much simpler to pinpoint a specific product as the source of the problem.
Environmental Factors
Skin is always reacting to and that’s why sometimes you see sensitivity during seasonal shifts or after you’ve spent more time. Your skin can get irritated or dehydrated from high temperatures, bright sun, contaminants, dry air from cooling systems, and even prolonged, hot showers. For many individuals, sensitivity can be more evident during extreme heat or when transitioning between various environments during the day, such as commuting from humid outdoor weather into cooled classrooms or offices. These variations over time can make your skin barrier weaker, so your skin might feel tight, itchy or more reactive than normal. Protection from environmental stress doesn’t need to be complicated.
Allergic Reactions or Skin Conditions
If your sensitivity is extreme, or if you experience symptoms like swelling, intense itching, blisters, or a rash, it may be time to consider that a problem more than short-term irritation may be occurring. Even after applying the same product for years, allergic contact dermatitis can occur, and conditions like eczema (or rosacea) can present for the first time in adulthood. It is also important to remember that “sensitive skin” is not a medical diagnosis, it’s a sign. The true reason can be different for everybody so guessing and changing products all the time is frustrating. If simplifying your routine doesn’t stop your skin from reacting, or if the discomfort is interfering with your day-to-day life, a skin specialist can help diagnose the cause and advise treatment that’s right for your skin.
How to Calm Sensitive Skin?
When your skin unexpectedly gets sensitive, you may feel enticed to try loads of soothing products hoping one of them will work. In practice, the reverse approach tends to work better. Keep things basic for a week or two to allow your skin time to recover. Use a gentle cleanser, a fragrance-free moisturizer, and a broad-spectrum sunscreen on a daily basis. Don’t use scrubs, exfoliating acids, retinol or items that have strong fragrances unless your skin feels at ease again. Another good habit is to roll out new products slowly. Don’t overhaul your whole routine overnight. Introduce one product at a time and allow your skin a couple of weeks to adjust.