Sensitive and sensitized skin are often confused as they manifest in similar ways. They both have the same exact symptoms which are redness, irritation, dehydration and burning of the skin. So what's the difference between the two? Well, one you are genetically born with and the other is an acquired skin condition.
SENSITIVE SKIN
Sensitive skin is a weak protective function of the skin that is genetically predisposed. It is something that you will always have, but it can be managed and treated. When skin is sensitive, its protective outer layer lets irritants, microbes and allergens pass through, which can cause adverse reactions like stinging, pain, redness or flushing. Sensitive skin is more delicate as it has a thinner epidermis. When you have thin skin your blood vessels that are closer to the skins surface will often give the appearance of redness. Having sensitive skin, you will need to trial and error products to find the right skin care. Sensitive skin can be passed down genetically, but there are many ways to manage it.
SENSITIZED SKIN
Sensitized skin is a reflection of your environment. It is an acquired condition that can be treated and/or resolved by eliminating whatever is triggering it. Triggers may include- weather changes, heavy pollution, aging, over cleansing, over exfoliating, or using products that are too harsh to name a few. Frequent irritation from lifestyle, cosmetic ingredients like alcohol, fragrance, artificial colors, harsh levels of acids, and essential oils can contribute to sensitized skin. These may not affect everyone, but can be the common trigger among most sensitized skin.
Lifestyle examples- smoking, stress, diet, dehydration, alcohol and cosmetic ingredients. Environmental examples- temperature changes, weather, pollution and airborne allergens. Physical examples- hormonal fluctuations, medical health disorders or side effects of medications. Skin disease examples- rosacea, psoriasis or eczema.
HOW TO TREAT
So how do we calm down sensitive and sensitized skin? All you have to do is choose calming ingredients to use in your skin care. We may not always be able to control environmental factors, but we can definitely control what we put on our skin. Calming and hydrating ingredients include- oatmeal/colloidal oatmeal, aloe, ceramides, antioxidants, allantoin, isabolol (used on its own and also found in chamomile), Boerhavia diffusa root extract, Burdock root, licorice and it’s components especially glabridin, green tea and willow herb. These are definitely ingredients to look out for when needing to calm down the skin.
Luckily our S.O.S (Soothing Oat Savior) Facial Oil contains cold pressed oats naturally containing ceramides and antioxidants. Giving your skin the perfect product during those "save my skin" moments.
Check out our shop to learn more about our S.O.S Facial Oil!
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