Skin Having a Tantrum? Our Top Tips to Calm and Soothe Sensitive Skin

Skin having a tantrum? You are not alone!

Trying to calm sensitive and angry skin is definitely a challenge. Your skin stresses you out, causing it to get angrier...which then makes you feel worse. Sounds familiar? It’s a struggle that many of us go through, so you definitely aren’t alone.

Sensitive skin isn’t a disease that a doctor can diagnose you with. It’s usually a symptom of another condition. You may not even know you have sensitive skin until you have a bad reaction to a cosmetic product, like soap, moisturiser, or makeup.

Conditions that cause sensitive skin are rarely serious. You can usually keep your symptoms under control with a few simple changes to your skin care routine.

It’s a puzzle to sort out environmental factors and the right skin care combination. There are some culprits that are easier to figure out, that’s just part of the detective work. And it’s worth it too - once you identify your internal and/or external triggers and find your holy grail skincare products, there’s no looking back! Here are our top tips for sensitive skin.

There are three essential components to explore:

• Environmental factors, such as your lifestyle, diet and the world around you
• Skincare products, and their ingredients.
• Medications, taking a new medication or multiple new medications increases the possibility of skin reactions. While the reasons they occur are unclear, it is known that they either involve immune-based reactions or non-immune-based reactions.

Environmental factors

Air quality

The role of humidifiers and air purifiers. Ever notice that sometimes your skin is doing great without much effort, and other times not so much? A likely culprit is air quality. This is more common in urban areas since there are more dust and pollution both indoors and outdoors.

An air purifier or a humidifier (depending on your type of skin, you may need both) can help soothe sensitive skin. The air purifier is essential if your skin tends to be sensitive around dust. The humidifier helps provide some extra moisture and humidity in the air which is super helpful, especially in dry climates!

Hoover frequently

Dust particles often set in places and end up causing a lot of skin sensitivity - especially if you have carpet. Hoovering often will help keep dust at bay and remove some skin triggers.

Wash sheets and pillowcases frequently

We’re not always disciplined about changing sheets and pillowcases as often as we should (be honest!). Sheets and pillowcases also accumulate a lot of dust and dirt, and washing them frequently can help prevent sensitive skin flare-ups.

Monitor your diet

Dairy and gluten are often blamed for causing sensitive skin but it really depends on your body. If you notice your skin is particularly aggravated, try to keep a food diary for a week so you can spot patterns.

Track hormonal fluctuations

You might see a particular flare-up happen around the week before your period or a week after. Many period tracking apps allow you to track your skin as well, which can help in monitoring.

The Seasons

Winter weather

Dry, sensitive skin is especially common during the winter months, when the humidity level drops. When the air outside is cold and dry, the water in your skin evaporates more quickly; this makes your skin feel dry and tight and can increase skin sensitivity. Skin also struggles to adapt to quickly changing temperatures and humidity levels.

High Pollen

Seasonal pollen levels vary depending on where you live, many people will experiencing varying changes in skin sensitivity when pollen levels increase. For example in Australia, pollen counts can be very high in October and November in Melbourne and Hobart, and in the spring and summer in Adelaide, Sydney and Canberra. Brisbane and Darwin have high pollen for most of the year.

The amount of pollen in the air changes according to the season and to where you live, if you are outside Australia look up the high pollen seasons in your area as this may be contributing to your skin sensitivity

Skincare routine

Take your makeup off!

Before delving into specific skincare routines, we have to make this point clear: Removing your makeup properly is very important. Even small amounts of residue can lead to increased sensitivity and redness. You can start with a light nighttime skincare routine by using gentle products such as our Microfiber Makeup Remover Cleansing Pads to remove makeup. The special fibers in the pad are designed to remove deep impurities without aggravating your skin. End with a gentle cleanser and night cream, such as Purely Radiant Elixir - Nourishing . With a blend of carefully selected oils, it helps calm sensitivity and red skin while helping skin recover.

Use the right cleanser

While we’re on the topic of cleansing…let’s discuss cleansers. Generally, for sensitive skin, foaming options such as our Award Winning Foaming Cleanser – Nourishing tend to be the best option. Gentle and soft, it contains ingredients such as Niacinamide B. A super-nutrient that fights inflammation, sensitivity, and rosacea, it is paired with Jojoba Oil, an anti-inflammatory wonder ingredient.

Another cleanser alternative is a Gentle Cleansing Milk . The texture is softer and creamier which can help hydrate and rebalance your skin without causing inflammation and stress. Ingredients such as calendula and bilberry extract make it extra soothing.

Moisturise day and night

The other puzzle piece in crafting the right skincare routine? Choosing the right moisturiser and sticking to a day and night routine. Our Award Winning Replenishing Day Cream is formulated to help keep your skin healthy, supple, and calm throughout the day. Using that familiar ingredient, Niacinamide B3 alongside innovative Liquid Crystals, a Biomimetic restructuring agent, it’s designed to give you hydration and protection. Paired with our Pure Radiance Rich Hydrating Creme at night, you’ve got yourself a great soothing combination. The hydrating creme is packed with coconut water, coconut lipids and fermented algae extract to help nourish your skin.

You’ll note that as we discuss products, there’s a lot of focus on ingredients. Everyone’s skin is different and understanding reactions to different ingredients is key in calming sensitive skin.

Look at the products you’re currently using. What are the common ingredients? If you haven’t really been able to find the “right” product, what kind of ingredients will help?

You’ll notice that all of these ingredients are in sensitive skin products for a reason: they are anti-inflammatory and help calm skin down. We’ve already noted some like jojoba oil, Niacinamide B3, calendula, and bilberry, but that is by no means exhaustive. Our PhytoActive Hydrator/Toner - Nourishing is a concentrated blend of soothing ingredients such as Olive Leaf Extract (a great anti-inflammatory ingredient), Comfrey Extract (astringent and soothing) as well as green tea extract among others.

Start making a list of these ingredients, such as the ones we’ve mentioned. This ingredient log can serve as a guide to really help you find the right skincare products.

Sometimes, angry skin is your body’s way of trying to tell you that you’re stressed. With the pressure of everyday life, self-care tends to fall off the radar and your skin starts to rebel. While it’s easier said than done, taking time out to pamper yourself (and your skin!) is important. Even just setting aside 20 minutes every 1-2 weeks can help! Our Soothing Clay Mask is a great self-care at home option. We use French Green Clay in our masks, which is known for improving skin softness, paired with Pomegranate Extract for a powerful antioxidant boost to feel luxurious and pampered.

All of the products mentioned help to soothe and strengthen skin’s lipid barrier, a damaged skin lipid barrier leads to dryness, dullness, redness, sensitivity, and breakouts. You can repair skin barrier damage by adjusting your skincare routine and ensuring you moisturise properly. Take care of your skin consistently, cleanse properly, use serums, moisturisers and face masks formulated to calm, balance and soothe. Our formulas help reduce visible skin redness and inflammation and help repair a damaged skin lipid barrier.

While this guide is by no means exhaustive, it can help provide a blueprint for your skincare journey. Identifying the right products and making changes to your environment can help soothe your skin in the short-term and provide some respite. Not all ingredients are created equal for your unique skin chemistry so it will take time to understand what suits you best. Consistently choosing high-quality, organic products that have the right ingredients for your skin is going to be essential for the long-term health of your skin. With some research and patience, you’ll soon be on your way to calm, happy skin.