Sensitive Skin Reactions

Sensitive skin care is more than just choosing the right sensitive skin care product. Sensitive skin has a low tolerance level to certain products or environmental conditions. People with sensitive skin may react quickly to chemicals, heat or wind by developing red, blotchy and irritated skin. The four most common reactions tend to be acne, rosacea, stinging or burning reactions and allergies or redness.

Acne

Between 40 and 50 million Americans are troubled by acne, with eleven-to twenty-five-year-olds accounting for 70 to 80 percent of acne sufferers. While many adult women have acne resulting from hormonal imbalance, adults are often more perturbed by acne than teens. Three main factors contribute to acne: increased oil production, clogged pores, and a bacteria called P acnes. First, oil causes the dead skin cells to stick together, leading to a clogged pore, which is called a blackhead or a whitehead. Bacteria then moves into the pore, producing inflammation, which manifests as redness and pus. Addressing acne requires medications or treatments that decrease oil secretion, unclog pores, and kill bacteria.

Rosacea

Affecting tens of millions of Americans, rosacea typically begins in adults over twenty-five years old. Its symptoms are facial redness, flushing, pimples, and the formation of prominent blood vessels in the face. Prior to age twenty-five, people prone to rosacea may experience frequent blushing and facial redness with strong emotion. The same bacteria that causes ulcers (H. pylori) may contribute to rosacea, some studies show. Rosacea sufferers with inflammatory bumps and facial redness should be tested for H. pylori,which can be treated with oral antibiotics. If you suffer from rosacea, please see your dermatologist for the many effective prescriptive treatments.

Stinging / Burning / Redness

Stinging in response to products and ingredients is not due to allergies, but to more sensitive nerve endings. In dermatology, tests (like the lactic acid stinging test) can determine whether or not your skin has this sensitivity. If you do, you may experience terrible stinging in response to benzoic acid, present in many products such as vaginal yeast infection creams. Stinging skin is not necessarily accompanied by redness or irritation, although it’s more common in people who experience facial flushing as well. If you notice these responses to your skin care products, you should avoid products that contain the following ingredients:

Alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid)

Benzoic acid

Bronopol

Cinnamic acid compounds

Dowicil200

Formaldehyde

Lactic acid

Propylene glycol

Quaternary ammonium compounds

Sodium lauryl sulfate

Sorbic acid

Urea

Vitamin C

Allergies

Allergies are most common in those with dry sensitive skin. Allergic reactions happen when the protective outermost layer of the skin breaks down or weakens, skin care ingredients can seep around the skin cells and penetrate to deeper layers of the skin. Through these gaps, allergens, chemicals, and other irritants invade the inner levels of the skin tissue and bloodstream, creating an inflammatory response. While this is the mechanism for topical skin allergies, there can also be internal allergies to foods or other substances that trigger an inflammatory response via the skin.

While stinging is the most common reaction, allergies to cosmetic ingredients also occur. To identify cosmetic ingredient allergies, dermatologists perform patch tests, where twenty to one hundred potentially harmful ingredients are taped to a person’s back. Twenty-four to forty-eight hours later, the tape is removed and the skin is examined for reddened or swollen areas, indicating an allergic reaction.

Up to 10 percent of patients test allergic to at least one cosmetic-product ingredient, according to various studies. But many more may be allergic and unaware of which product it could be as they simply discontinued use without medical testing.

The most common allergens are fragrances and preservatives. People who use a variety of skin care products are more likely to develop allergies as they have been exposed to more ingredients. If you tend to have dry skin (indicating an impaired skin barrier) you may tend to have more topical skin allergies.

However, whatever your type, due to the high rate of people who experience these allergies, there is no way to be absolutely certain that a product is right for you, without patch testing. It is always recommended that those with sensitive skin test a product sample, prior to purchase, if possible. If your skin reacts to many ingredients, you should consult a dermatologist to identify the specific offending substance in order to avoid them.