Sensitive skin is more common (and complicated) than you might think. In fact, up to 50% of people that come to see us complain of having sensitive skin. Although there are a ton of cosmetic products available on the market that are “especially” meant for sensitive skin, there is more than one type of skin sensitivity and not all of these products may be good for your specific skin type.
The four main types of sensitive skin are:
- Acne Type – in which there is a tendency to develop acne (black heads or white heads).
- Rosacea Type – characterized by recurrent flushing of the skin, facial redness, and hot sensations.
- Stinging Type – with a tendency towards feeling stinging or burning sensations.
- Allergic Type – Prone to exhibit redness, itching, and skin flaking.
So, you can see how each of these types of sensitive skin can present a unique set of treatment challenges as skin care products which are labelled “for sensitive skin” are not necessarily suited for all sensitive skin types.
But, these four sensitive skin types do have one thing in common: they all involve inflammation of the skin. Therefore, reducing and eliminating inflammation should be the main focus in any sensitive skin treatment regimen. It’s also possible for someone to have more than one type of sensitive skin. This would make treatment even more complicated and likely requiring multiple different skin care products.
If you are looking for a skin care product for your sensitive skin, make sure you are aware of what type of skin sensitivity you have as there are different skin care products for different types of skin sensitivity.