Sensitive skin: causes, symptoms and treatment

People with sensitive skin feel unpleasant symptoms on their face, with or without erythema (redness). These symptoms can include tingling, tightness, heating sensations or even burning and occasionally pruritus (itching). They frequently cannot tolerate many cosmetic products on their face. 

How can I tell if I have sensitive or intolerant skin?

Sensitive and intolerant skin reacts more than normal skin; it is hyper-reactive. It is subject to prickling, heating, stinging and itching (more rarely), often in an intermittent way. 

Sometimes combined with redness, these feelings of discomfort are exaggerated in reaction to various kinds of stimuli that normally do not trigger irritation. 

These triggering factors can be:

Physical: UV radiation, hot or cold weather, wind, temperature variations, friction, etc.
Chemical: cosmetics, soap, water, shaving for men, etc.
Psychological: stress, emotions, etc.
Hormonal: menstrual cycle, etc.
Internal factors: spicy food, etc.

Sensitive and intolerant skin therefore reacts to stimuli that have no effect on other skin types. This hyper-sensitivity of the skin is the result of a lowered tolerance threshold. The more sensitive the skin, the lower its tolerance threshold. For sensitive skin, reactivity manifests itself temporarily, at certain times.

Intolerant skin is constantly or nearly constantly reacting and always has nearly zero tolerance. 

What are the 2 causes of skin sensitivity?

2 main factors are responsible for this decrease in the tolerance threshold and therefore this heightened sensitivity :

First of all, the barrier function of the epidermis in sensitive and intolerant skin is impaired. This phenomenon promotes skin dehydration and the penetration of potential irritants.
It also seems that sensitive skin secretes too many pro-inflammatory cytokines (substances secreted by skin cells) and certain neuromediators through its superficial nerve endings. These abnormal secretions then cause the unpleasant sensations felt by affected subjects. Sensitive and intolerant skin also produces too many free radicals.

Who is affected?

This sensitive skin phenomenon is frequent as it is said to affect a third of the adult population.

Women (60%) are more often affected than males (40%). Due to family and genetics, some people’s skin is more sensitive than others, especially fair skin. But skin color does not determine sensitivity. The frequency of this condition generally decreases with age. 

Sensitive skin may or may not be combined with clinical signs of a facial condition such as rosacea, eczema or seborrhoeic dermatitis. 
Not taking precautions against traditional triggering factors can cause the phenomenon to appear and worsen.

Having sensitive skin is not without psychological repercussions, because it means that simple things in life can be disrupted by these reactions. It is also more complicated to treat sensitive skin dermatological problems because local treatments are generally poorly tolerated.

What are the 4 recommendations for sensitive skin?

Complete diagnosis

Visit your dermatologist so he/she may identify factors that cause your skin to react or make it worse and give you appropriate advice.
The doctor will examine you to rule out rosacea, eczema or seborrhoeic dermatitis as causes of your cutaneous hypersensitivity; these would require special treatment.

Everyday

All sources of aggression should be limited:

Exposure to cold;
Irritating products and damaging cosmetic products (aggressive cleansers, scrubs, inappropriate creams, etc.);
For men, inappropriate products and not enough time when shaving (hair should be in contact with warm water for at least three minutes to soften it);
The sun’s harmful effects on the skin increase its sensitivity (use a good photoprotection product).

Cleansing

Use a limited number of soothing cosmetic products. 
Wash your face with an ultra-high-tolerance soothing cleansing product, preferably one that is no-rinse, fragrance-free, preservative-free and surfactant-free.
Be very careful when drying your face. Lightly pat instead of rubbing.

Skincare

Once or twice a day, gently apply an ultra-high-tolerance treatment (fragrance-free, preservative-free, surfactant-free) that fights skin reactions.
Once or twice a week, gently apply an intense moisturising treatment (mask).
Make-up should also be limited and chosen with care.