How to care for sensitive skin
Is sensitive skin something that’s beyond your control? While this skin type is usually due to internal factors (pigmentation, sensitization, genetic predisposition, etc.), external factors can also cause the skin to become increasingly sensitive over time. If you have sensitive skin, you’ll know that the slightest thing can upset it, and it’s not always easy to look after. The good news is that you can influence external factors by using gentle, skin-friendly cosmetics and an appropriate routine. At Absolution, we’ve learned a lot from nature, and we’d like to share a few tips and tricks to help you to care for your sensitive skin.
Identifying sensitive skin
Unlike normal skin, sensitive skin tends to have a weaker skin barrier, so it’s not always able to cope with daily aggressors. Sensitive skin is much more porous, so all those nasty molecules we’re exposed to every day – and particularly the highly irritant ones – can penetrate it more easily. Sensitive skin usually reacts suddenly and immediately. It may feel hot, itchy or tight. It might go red or experience prickling sensations.
There are two kinds of aggressors that can trigger reactions in sensitive skin:
- chemical aggressors, caused by contact with even the smallest amount of an inappropriate cosmetic product or a skin-irritating substance,
- environmental aggressors, such as the cold, pollution or hard water.
If you’ve always had sensitive skin, then the cause is internal. There’s also a big chance that your skin is naturally dry. However, if your skin becomes sensitive due to seemingly insignificant environmental or external factors, you may well have combination or oily skin that is sensitized by substances or cosmetic products that are overly irritating and strip your skin.
How to cleanse sensitive skin: the key steps for a more beautiful complexion
Remove makeup gently
When it comes to removing makeup from sensitive skin, you need products that are kind, gentle and effective! Avoid using disposable cotton pads: not only are they rough on the skin, they’re also rough on the environment! (Cotton is one of the most water- and pesticide-intensive crops in the world!). Simply cleanse your face with your fingertips instead! La Crème Douce Démaquillante is formulated to remove makeup, cleanse, soften and restore even the most sensitive skin. It provides lots of tender loving cleansing care and only takes a few minutes to use. While you enjoy a soft, soothing moment, it removes toxins and traces of pollution without ever upsetting your skin, and helps to restore its natural balance. The main active ingredients in this formula are Aloe Vera, with healing benefits, softening St John’s Wort and calming Neroli hydrosol. It also contains Pracaxi oil, rich in behenic acid – a saturated fatty acid that helps to protect against environmental aggressors and nourish the skin, without leaving a greasy film behind.
Use a rinse-off cleanser that won’t strip the skin
Who said sensitive skin couldn’t enjoy a rinse-off cleanser? With Le Nettoyant Pureté, you can say goodbye to feelings of tightness! This rinse-off cleanser is ideal for sensitive skin types: it dissolves impurities and traces of makeup while helping to soothe and regulate your skin. Enriched with Oat – an excellent ingredient for sensitive and reactive skin, due to its nourishing and hydrating proteins – Le Nettoyant Pureté also contains extracts of White Willow, which help to reduce irritation, redness and itching. The flower heads of Roman Chamomile, meanwhile, help to combat stress, calming skin reactions. This versatile, effective and very gentle cleanser is a must-have product to help rebalance your sensitive skin!
Protect and balance
La Brume Systémique is the guardian of your skin’s ecosystem! In a single spray, it works to soothe, hydrate, nourish and regulate the skin. You can apply it as a final step after using your rinse-off cleanser or removing makeup. It delivers freshness, radiance and vitality, while also working to optimize your skin’s protective capacity – and the effectiveness of the products that come next! Shake before use, then spray directly onto your face. Its active ingredients leave your skin feeling soft and looking radiant! Wild Pansy contains mucilage that helps to soothe the skin. Rose Hip, rich in polyunsaturated essential fatty acids, has a regenerating and antioxidant action. And finally, Sodium PCA – a humectant that occurs naturally in the skin – increases epidermal hydration by trapping moisture in cells.
How to look after sensitive skin every day
Whether your skin is permanently or temporarily sensitive, you need to do more than just address its specific cleansing needs. Both sensitive and sensitized skin need lots of gentle care, which you need to incorporate into your daily routine.
- Avoid overly hot baths and showers, as these tend to damage the skin’s hydrolipidic film, causing itching and discomfort. Remember to lower the temperature and use a specially formulated cleansing gel, such as Le Lavant Corps Doux, which is free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oils, GMOs, and synthetic colorants and fragrances.
- Protect your skin by using a daily face cream such as La Crème de Santé, rich in balancing prebiotics.
- Remember to care for your eye area too. This is where the skin is finest, and it can quickly become easily irritated and weakened. Look for a soothing formula, such as La Crème Réparatrice Regard, to smooth out and visibly reduce wrinkles around the eyes, while helping to firm and restore elasticity to this delicate area. With its light, instantly absorbed texture, it helps to stop the skin around your eyes from going red at the slightest thing!
With the right products and the right approach, sensitive skin really can be comfortable skin!
