Here's 7 Great Tips For Sensitive Skincare

If you have sensitive skin you already know how frustrating it is to care for. All those lotions and potions that have to be thrown away because they reacted badly with your skin causing itching dryness and redness. You may have already given up the hunt for good sensitive skincare and decided to just stick with the products you know will work for you. The thing is your skin actually enjoys a bit of variety, so I'm here to tell you it's possible to find a good sensitive skin care product, if you follow the tips below.

This is a comparatively new skin type but it's becomming more common largely due to the ever increasing numbers of chemicals found in skin care products. People with this skin type probably have a genetic tendency towards sensitivity, although skin may also become sensitive through over exposure to the elements. Harsh acne products such as Accutane can also cause normal skin to become sensitive.

To save a lot of time, extra expense and ultimately your skin itself, here is a checklist to use to help you select a sensitive skincare product which has the best chance of success.

Choose hypo-allergenic and fragrance-free products ~ Being hypo-allergenic is not a guarantee that a product won't cause an allergic reaction, but it does reduces the chances of that happening. Hypoallergenic products usually leave out known allergy causing ingredients so that they have less chance of irritating the skin.

Don't use a lot of different products on your face ~ It stands to reason that the more stuff you put on your face, the greater the chance that some of them will have an ingredient which irritates. If you already know which products your skin tolerates well, use these regularly.

Don't wash your face more than twice a day ~ Yes, cleansing is important, but over cleansing will dry out your skin and remove the protective barrier that keeps moisture in the skin and keeps bacteria out. Use mild cleansers or a mixture of milk and olive oil to safely remove make up, dirt and bacteria.

Don't exfoliate ~ Exfoliating your skin using scrubs is designed to remove dead skin cells, but will irritate skin that is sensitive. Using a product containing salicylic acid provides a milder form of exfoliation and effectively cleans out the pores. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid which is non irritating if used sparingly. Pregnant women are not advised to use it as the effects on the fetus are unknown.

Don't use an astringent ~ It's commonly believed that astringent will dry up the oils in your skin. Well it will, but oil production will then increase to compensate so it's a never ending cycle. Astringent is harsh on sensitive skin so, bottom line, just don't use it.

Use mineral or water based make up ~ Oil based make up can clog the pores and also contains many harsh chemicals. Water based make up is a better option as it is non-comedogenic. Mineral make up is a more natural choice and a lot of brands are chemical free.

Choose a natural sunscreen ~ Sensitive skincare requires a sunscreen as the sun can irritate and burn the skin. Trouble is most sunscreens bought commercially contain a host of nasty chemicals. Opt for sunscreen containing zinc or titanium dioxide as these will block UV rays on the skin's surface rather than being absorbed.

Sensitive skincare is an ongoing and often tedious process. However the benefits are worth the trouble. Follow the above tips and you'll have beautiful healthy skin for life.