Sensitive skin is kind of an umbrella term; it doesn’t identify any particular type of sensitivity but rather a range of conditions, including acne, rosacea, and contact dermatitis. Here’s what you need to know about caring for sensitive skin.

Common Sensitive Skin Reactions

Acne: Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, acne can rear its pesky little whiteheads and blackheads, especially if you’ve got sensitive skin. From pimples to cysts to pustules, acne is annoying and can even be painful. If your skin is susceptible to breakouts, avoid oil-based skin-care products and cosmetics that can clog pores. And keep in mind that even natural ingredients, like coconut oil and avocado, can upset sensitive skin and lead to breakouts. Your best bets are water-based, oil-free products, especially when it comes to makeup. To treat an acne breakout, your dermatologist may suggest antibacterials such as antibiotic creams or ointments, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and retinoids. Some people also use tea tree oil as a natural remedy.

Rosacea: Rosacea (a skin disease that causes redness and pimples on your nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead) is sometimes called “adult acne” because it can cause outbreaks that look like acne. Rosacea can also cause burning and soreness in the eyes and eyelids. Ouch! The condition often flares up when something triggers blood vessels in the face to expand, which in turn causes redness. Common triggers are exercise, sun and wind exposure, hot weather, stress, spicy foods, alcohol, and hot baths. Swings in temperature from hot to cold or cold to hot can also cause a flare-up. If your sensitive skin is due to rosacea, you likely experience redness, swelling, small pimples, or visible blood vessels on your face when your skin is irritated. Sometimes just the act of caring for your skin can irritate it, so gentle skin care is a must — no vigorous scrubbing and no vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids, fragrance, or alcohol in anything you put on your face (and that includes cleansers, moisturizers, makeup, and sunblock). The American Academy of Dermatology reports that anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as caffeine, sulfur, some antibiotics, chamomile, green tea, and licorice extract, can reduce inflammation.

Burning or stinging: Nobody knows exactly what causes burning or stinging reactions in sensitive skin, but the AAD recommends you do your best to avoid acidic ingredients, such as lactic acid, azelaic acid, benzoic acid, glycolic acid, vitamin C, and alpha hydroxy acids, since they are all known offenders.

Contact dermatitis: This sensitive skin reaction occurs in two forms. The first is an allergic reaction that involves some kind of rash — a sign that your immune system is making antibodies in response to whatever caused the reaction. The other kind of contact dermatitis is simply a reaction to an irritant on the surface of your skin. If you’ve got skin that’s prone to contact dermatitis, steer clear of skin-care products and cosmetics that contain added fragrance, preservatives, coloring, and formaldehyde, since those ingredients are known to cause rashes in sensitive skin.

General Tips for Caring for Sensitive Skin

– Do a patch test before using any new skin-care product or cosmetic

– Wash with lukewarm (not hot) water and gentle cleansers

– Do not overwash or vigorously scrub skin

– Let skin dry before applying topical medications or moisturizers

– Moisturize with products specifically formulated for sensitive skin

– Look for fragrance-free, nonirritating skin-care and cosmetic products

– Avoid wearing clothes made from irritating fibers, such as acrylic or wool

– Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 that contains at least one of the following sensitive-skin-friendly ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, and silicone (silicone may also be listed as dimethicone or cyclomethicone)

Remember, sensitive skin is a fairly common condition, and products created especially for people with sensitive skin are fairly easy to find. If your skin reactions become severe, see your dermatologist. He or she may recommend a prescription-strength steroid (cortisone) or another type of medication to soothe your symptoms.

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