Skincare routines for sensitive skin

What is sensitive skin?

To start with, sensitive skin is a very common problem for many patients. According to many international surveys, approximately 40% of women struggle with skin sensitivity. In reality, there is no straightforward understanding of what sensitive skin is. One should know that it is not limited simply to redness. Such reactions as itching, stinging, burning and flaking are pretty frequent too. In a nutshell, sensitive skin is the skin which has certain (usually negative) reactions to external or internal factors such as environmental conditions or weather conditions such as the sun, humidity, wind, genetics, stress, cosmetics, lifestyle. It should be mentioned that there is a subtle line between a simple skin reaction to external stimuli (UV rays e.g.) and sensitivity which becomes a result of skin diseases. E.g. psoriasis, seborrhoea, rosacea should be treated by a professional dermatologist. What is important too, is that many clients address those with high skin sensitivity whereas they don’t have sensitive skin per se. How can it be? We always stress out that sensitive skin is a skin type and it doesn’t depend on your cosmetic routine. At the same time the skin which has damaged the barrier is not a type, but a result of excessive usage of peels and other aesthetic products with too many active ingredients.  In any case, treating sensitive skin is a roulette because you never know what to expect next time. In this article we will highlight some of the best skin care routines for sensitive skin with a holistic approach to make your experience easier. 

General advise for sensitive skin skincare routines

When treating sensitive skin avoid any mechanical exfoliators and aggressive peels which can cause extra irritation. Better to use professional cosmetics with no fragrances, non-comedogenic which are indicated as for sensitive skin. Avoid products which contain camphor, menthol and products with active ingredients. Use only alcohol-free lotions. Apply SPF every day before going outside. 

General best sensitive skin care routine

HL-Always Active developed a separate professional line for patients with damaged and sensitive skin. CALM DERM helps to calm and soothe the skin. Thanks to vitamins A, E and F, ceramides and omega fatty acids, aloe vera and copper peptide you will feel immediate relief and comfort. The line is suitable for those who have skin diseases such as psoriasis, seborrhoea and dermatitis. 

Step 1. Cleansing. Remove makeup with Eye & Lip Make-up Remover. As part of home treatment, we’d advise you to begin with the Calm Derm cleanser. This mild gel soap will gently cleanse your skin even when it’s entirely irritated. Recommended to use twice a day.

Step 2. Peeling. 

• As part of professional treatment, your cosmetologist can use Professional Alpha Peel which is based on AHAs and fruit extracts. Please, note, despite the fact that the peel is mild, you cannot use it at home!

• As part of home sensitive skin care routine you can use White peel which contains lactic acid and is neutral. Do not rub the skin. Apply gently, wait 10 minutes and wash with lukewarm water. Pat dry. We do not recommend to use any other peels or scrubs which contain active ingredients or microgranules. 

Step 3. Moisturizing and nourishing. After peel was used, we recommend to apply Calm Derm serum. The serum formula is unique, contains vitamins and broccoli extract which will soothe and nourish the skin. 

Step 4. Apply the Calm Derm balm (cream) at the end. The cream will help to calm the skin, reduce redness and itchiness triggered by various external factors. 

Step 5. At the end apply the sunscreen. We advise to choose from our Sunbrella or CC Age Defense range.

SEBORRHOEA AND PSORIASIS require separate attention. These skin diseases cannot be treated only at home. Professional guidance of a dermatologist is required. However, Holy Land Cosmetics developed three specific creams to help patients with itchiness, redness and flaking. All creams are to be applied daily (day/night).

• Calm Derm Redness Relief – the cream which helps to reduce red spots, especially useful when treating rosacea.

• Calm Derm Psorelief - significantly diminishes itchiness and nourishes the skin.

• Calm Derm Sebo Relief - regulates the production of sebum, prevents infections. 

• Calm Derm Atopic Relief – for patients with atopic dermatitis and rash.

General skin care protocol for sensitive-damaged skin. Cuperosis.

Another HL-Always Active line which is widely used to treat damaged skin is BIO REPAIR. The line is specifically designed to treat the skin which was environmentally damaged, undergone stress or fell under other negative external  factors. Bio Repair line contains soothing natural extracts such as aloe vera, camomile, Olive oil and high concentration of vitamin E which helps to repair damaged skin and reduce local stress. The line is suitable for everyone, especially for those who have sensitive, dull and tired skin. 

Step 1. Cleansing. Remove make-up with Eye & Lip Make-up Remover. Use Bio Repair gel cleanser to delicately cleanse your skin surface from dirt and impurities. Bio repair gel formula doesn’t irritate the skin. Suitable after peel treatments. 

Step 2. Peeling. 

• As part of professional treatment we recommend to use Professional Alpha Peel. It’s an extremely mild peel based on AHAs and fruit acids. Should be used only by a professional!

• As part of at-home treatment we recommend to use White peel which contains lactic acid. Alternatively, you can use a creamy-textured Enzymatic peel to gently exfoliate your skin.

Step 3. Nourishing and moisturizing. If your skin requires extra nourishing, we highly recommend to use Bio Repair Concentrated Oil with vitamin E. Apply a small amount and gently massage it for 5-10 minutes. On top of it you can apply Bio Repair Cellular Firming gel- a perfect moisturizer to complete the treatment and massage for an extra 10 minutes. It’s highly recommended to use it around the eye area and neck as well.

Step 4. As part of professional treatment, it’s recommended to apply Bio Repair cream mask at this stage to calm and soothe the skin. However, the mask can be applied directly after the professional peel was washed off. 

Step 5. Apply the Bio Repair Day care cream. The cream helps to hydrate and  rehabilitate sensitive skin. Perfectly suitable to use under makeup. At this point you can apply Bio Repair Eye Cream as well. The cream contains a regenerative complex with collagen to delicately smooth and moisturize the skin in the periorbital area. 

Step 6. Don’t forget about the application of the SPF cream to protect yourself against UV!

As part of home skin care routine for sensitive skin we advise to use Bio Repair Special Toner to cleanse and soothe the skin. It repairs and stimulates the boost of new skin cells. The toner helps to prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as well.

Best skin care routine for acne sensitive skin

Another skin concern that triggers sensitiveness is acne. HL-Always Active designed two separate lines to treat acne skin problems: DOUBLE ACTION and ACNOX. Both lines contain essential active ingredients which help to struggle with clogged pores, excessive skin oil production, inflammation and blemishes. If you experience extreme inflammation we recommend to use these lines with extra caution as some of the products contain alcohol and camphor. The difficulty here is to maintain the adequate level of skin hydration when using products with alcohol which can dehydrate the skin and cause flaking.

To moisture acne skin we recommend to use either Acnox hydratant cream or Double action hydratant emulsion. We highly recommend supplementing your daily routine with ACNOX Active cream.Please, note, the cream contains active acids. The cream has a light texture and should be applied to reduce inflammatory skin process. Below you can find the guide on how to reduce the inflammation when dealing with acne at home.

Step 1. Cleansing. Use Double Action Soap to cleanse the impurities on your skin. Pat dry.

Step 2. Use a light exfoliator to remove dead cells and cleanse the skin. We advise to use either enzymatic or white peel. 

Step 3. Apply Double Action Mask on inflammation spots, no need to apply on the whole face. Wait 10 minutes, wash off with lukewarm water.

Step 3. Apply Double Action Hydratant emulsion to moisturize the skin and prevent flaking and dehydration.

Step 4. Apply sunscreen to protect your skin against the sun.

If you experience tight and dehydrated skin condition, we strongly recommend you to supplement your sensitive skin care routine with the Vitalise line.

Seborrheic Dermatitis Sensitive Skin Protocol

Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin problem which is considered to be a form of eczema. The common symptoms are: flaking and itchiness, general sebaceous gland disorder. Frequently, it appears to be in chronic form. How to treat face skin with seborrheic indications?

Firstly, cleansing. Can be in the form of a foam or gels for dry or oily skin. 

Secondly, peelings. The best choice here will be a peeling-gommage. A weak peeling but effective in terms of exfoliation. We advise in this case the White peel.

Thirdly, do not forget to apply masks. Calm Derm Mask will suit those who have an active phase of dermatitis with inflammation. 

At the end do not forget to use a cream which will relieve itchiness and regulate the work of sebaceous glands. We advise to try Calm Derm Sebo Relief. To finish your daily routine apply an spf cream not less than 30 - either Sunbrella or any of CC Age Defence Creams which contain spf 50.

When the inflammation is removed, try to introduce some cosmetics which contain acids (for dry skin – only lactic one, for oily skin – azelaic acid (e.g. Renew Formula Cream with Azelaic Acid). Please, note that using products with retinol at home is highly undesirable. 

Med and Skin highly recommends consulting your skin specialist before using at home products especially if you experience atopic dermatitis, seborrhea or rosacea.