Do you know that over 60% of Australians have experienced sensitive skin at some stage in their life? This includes problematic skin such as acne and rosacea to unknown reactivity in the skin to various irritants.

The good news is you can help your skin rejuvenate and stop reacting to everything you put on it.

Its important to know that the skin is essential to protect us from the outside world. It creates a barrier that has a strong line of defence if anything ‘dangerous’ comes into contact with it. The reason why your skin is reactive and sensitive is because the barrier is compromised and can’t protect you as effectively to the elements as it knows it can.

In fact, the hyperlipidic layer has less than 10% water so that makes the skin dry and crack which allows external pathogens to enter deeper in the skin. In this case the immune system recognises this and sets upon attacking the invasion of these irritants.

So, you immune system is protecting you; the last thing you should be doing is suppressing your immune system.

Here is what you should be doing to reduce your skin’s reactivity:

1. Topical Products

The reason why this is first on the list is because of its direct impact to the skin.

Avoid:

• Over-exfoliating: although you love the way you look after a deep exfoliation, your skin will get thinner and thinner making it reactive to almost anything you put on it.
• Using cheap products: It seems many people think they can get a quality skincare from a cheap product at Chemist Warehouse. The truth is quality isn’t dictated by price but by the ingredients and the reputation of the brand. You don’t need to break the bank for great skincare. Always do your homework, read the label, check out the brand and see what they are all about. Ideally, do a patch test with new brands to check for any reactivity.
• Nasty chemicals: That leads us to avoiding nasty chemicals such as PEGs, Parabens, Siloxanes, Phthalates, Tar and so on. People with sensitive skin need to be more mindful as to what they are putting on their skin as the damaged skin barrier wont be able to protect you as much as an intact skin barrier.

Do:

• Care for your skin daily. The number 1 reason for sensitive skin is the neglect many people have in caring for their skin. You must cleanse the impurities off your skin daily, hydrate after cleansing and gently exfoliating to get a deeper clean, ensuring the pores are open and able to help the skin breathe and rejuvenate.

2. Eating Clean

• You are what you eat! So simple yet can be so difficult to adhere to. 80% of the time, your diet needs to be alkaline and nourishing. Empty calories, inflammatory foods and limited water intake will cause the skin to become red, inflamed and reactive. Perhaps keep a food diary and see where you can make some small changes that will have a massive impact on the skin.

3. Reduce Stress

• Regardless if you are at school, at work or home with the kids, stress exists in most of us these days. The pressures we are surrounded by are literally killing us; with inflammation being a leading cause of dis-ease in the body, it reigns havoc on our skin. Whether it be some pimples popping up, increased sensitivity in the skin or eczema/psoriasis presenting, a regular daily meditation can do incredible things for the skin. I’ve seen this in myself and in some of my patients, where they start meditating and not only does their skin get clearer but they start to look younger.

There you have it, 3 very simple steps to healing your skin and reducing the sensitivity in the skin.

If you haven’t already, try our Pure Delicacy Trial Pack. I know it wont disappoint as the feedback is usually of shock and happiness that the skin just loves it and the redness eases within days.

Be sure to let me know if you decide to give it a go and check out some other blog posts on dietary recommendations for sensitive skin sufferers.

Yours in Great Health,

Irene