13 Skincare Tips For Sensitive Skin That Actually Help

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The top 13 skincare tips that every sensitive skin girlie should know to protect her skin from harm and actually glow up!

If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you’ve been personally victimized by your sensitive skin and don’t quite know how to control it.

Well, as a sensitive skin girlie myself, I know just how stressful skincare can be.

I’ve cried over random breakouts, burnt my face with a ‘brightening’ serum, and learned the hard way that just because it’s trending doesn’t mean it’s for us.

It sucks to be so darn sensitive to, well, everything.

How do you maintain a good skincare routine in such case?

I mean, we do need our glow-up, you know, which isn’t gonna come from just letting things be.

No, with sensitive skin, you actually need to take charge while also letting some things be.

So, what do you adopt, and what do you discard and never touch again?

In this post, I’ll answer it all for you.

Read on to discover my top 13 tried-and-true tips that I’ve gathered from years of trial, error, and endless googling at 2am.

Thank me later!

13 Skincare Tips For Sensitive Skin Type

1. Use a Mild Cleanser

Sensitive skin has a low skin barrier, which means anything strong can easily break through and cause damage.

That’s why your cleanser (which is the first step of skincare) should be mild. It shouldn’t leave your skin feeling squeaky or tight.

A good skin cleanser for sensitive skin should:

Not contain sulfates and harsh surfactants that strip natural oils
Be fragrance-free or lightly fragranced
Maintain your skin’s natural pH balance
Include soothing ingredients like ceramides, oat, aloe, or niacinamide

Now, based on the above conditions, these are the top recommendations I have for you:

2. Do Not Skip Moisturizer

A moisturizer is literally the only thing that can stand between your skin and all the bad things floating around in the air.

It is what dermatologists swear by for repairing and maintaining your skin barrier. You can think of it like a cozy blanket for your face.

And in case you’re thinking ‘But I’ve got oily skin, so it’s not for me’, let me bust your thoughts right now and tell you that you still need it.

Oily skin compensates for lack of hydration by producing even more oil.

A lightweight moisturizer can help create balance and keep your skin from accumulating excess oil.

My latest-find that I recommend you try: Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer

3. Wear Sunscreen Every Single Day

For sensitive skin, SPF is really ride or die. In simple words, it is not optional, girl.

Sun emits UV rays which can cause redness, sensitivity, and aging.

And if you are suffering from acne, scars, or pigmentation (downsides of having sensitive skin), then sunlight can really make them worse.

Sunscreen is your best bet against sun damage. You should use one that’s at least SPF 50.

Now when do you apply it? Right after your moisturizer every single morning.

I don’t care if it’s cloudy outside, or whether it’s a Sunday and you don’t need to go out. Just don’t fall asleep with your sunscreen on as it can clog your pores and cause pimples.

My top two sunscreen recommendations for sensitive skin:

Paula’s Choice Youth RESIST fluid SPF 50 (for oily sensitive skin)
CeraVe 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 (for dry sensitive skin)

4. Be Mindful Of What You Eat

When it comes to skincare, it’s not just what you put on your skin that matters. What you put in your body is just as important.

For example, dairy items trigger flare-ups for me. So, I try to steer clear of them as much as I can.

On the other side, cucumber and mint smoothie makes my skin glow up like nothing else. So, on days when I can muster up the motivation, I make it and drink it as if my life depends on it.

How do you know what stuff to be mindful of and what is safe to consume?

Pretty girl, your body is always trying to tell you this. You just need to start noticing your food triggers and wins and adjust accordingly.

Here are some food items that don’t go well with sensitive skin:

Now, you must be thinking ‘Guurl, you added all of my favorite things in there. Do you want me to be unhappy?’

Ah, no! You don’t need to steer clear of all of these food items. God knows I can’t ever quit pastries even if my life depends on it.

But there must be things in this list that your skin just does not take well to. Is it coffee, milk, or bread? If you know what your food triggers are, then try to avoid them, and see the difference.

Now, let’s look at some healthy foods for sensitive skin so that you can start feeding yourself goodness.

I’d highly recommend adding at least one of the above in your daily diet. Your skin will love you for it.

5. Avoid DIY Skincare

I know that turmeric-honey-yogurt-lemon concoction is all over Pinterest, but your face is not a salad. Imagine a crying emoji here, okay?

Sensitive skin types like us do not have the privilege to go rummaging around our kitchen in search of skincare.

To scare you better (coz it needs to happen), let me tell you I’ve had breakouts from turmeric, tomato, and even a DIY facial kit that claimed it would be the best thing for my skin (lol the damage it did was horrble).

So, for the sake of your skin, stick to products that are dermatologically tested. No kitchen experiments, okay? Our skin is just not cut out for them.

6. Drink Loads and Loads of Water

The cheapest skincare tip I can give you in this post is to drink your water, and drink loads of it.

Water flushes out toxins from your body, makes your skin plump, and soothes redness that us sensitive skin girlies always seem to be targets of.

Keep water on your nightstand, carry a bottle with you wherever you go, and drink up at regular intervals throughout the day.

Just one week into this habit, and your skin will start glowing like never before.

7. Stick To Minimal Makeup

I have nothing against heavy makeup; I think it looks gorgeous if done right.

But for sensitive skin, heavy makeup products mostly only lead to breakouts.

I mean, it’s kind of obvious, right? That’s what it means to be sensitive.

If you can quit makeup altogether, goodie good! But if you love makeup, then find a routine that’s as minimal as it can get.

Resist the urge to hide your acne and marks with heavy foundation, and instead use super lightweight makeup that offers good-enough coverage.

My next tip will help you pick products that won’t react badly to your sensitive skin. Read on.

8. Avoid Comedogenic Products

Comedogenic products are those that have pore-clogging ingredients, and your sensitive skin does not take kindly to them.

If a product says ‘non-comedogenic’, it means it won’t clog your pores and won’t cause breakouts.

I always always look out for this label before purchasing any skincare or makeup products.

The cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreens that I’ve recommended above in this post are all non-comedogenic.

Here are some other non-comedogenic products you can try:

If you were to read the packaging of any of these products, they’d either say ‘non-comedogenic’ or ‘no pore-clogging ingredients’.

This is exactly what you want to see on a product before putting it in on your skin.

Most of the skincare troubles have disappeared since I’ve started doing this, so I highly recommend you start doing the same.

9. No Touching and Picking

You shouldn’t touch your face no matter what skin type you have, but sensitive skin is more prone to the dirt and bacteria sitting on your fingers.

Picking and touching your face means spreading bacteria onto your face.

It can trigger inflammation and delay healing.

I know it’s tempting to poke at your pimples in an attempt to feel them out, but step away from the mirror, queen, and leave your face alone.

Skincare is the only process during which your clean hands should be in contact with your face. Other than that, hands off!

10. Change Your Face Towel Every Two Days

Just like your hand can transfer bacteria onto your face, so can dirty face towels.

You must change your face towel every 2 days minimum. If that means doing your laundry more often, so be it!

Bacteria builds up fast, and sensitive skin is more prone to reacting, as we have already established.

11. Avoid Experimenting With Skincare

I know just how tempting the skincare recommendations can be. And the cute little bottles make it so hard to not buy them, yeah?

But babe, you and I have sensitive skin (which you’ve gotta be getting tired of me reminding you, I know).

So, that means, we can’t go out trying four new products every week.

Our skin needs consistency, not experiments.

Stick to the products that work best for you, and introduce any new product slowly and gently.

Patch testing can help, so be patient and try out a product on a tiny part of your face first before going all in.

Less is more here; I seriously cannot emphasize that enough.

12. Don’t Let Haircare Residue Near Your Face

Last year, I had a major forehead acne breakout. Nothing on my face, but my forehead was going haywire.

After proper research, I pinpointed the plausible cause to a new hair mask that I’d just started using.

Haircare residue from oil, shampoo, and conditioner can seep into your forehead during the shower, leading to breakouts.

This is why dermatologists tell sensitive skin types to not leave oil in your hair overnight.

So, always do your haircare before cleansing and other skincare, so that any haircare residue can be washed off.

And braid your hair before sleeping to keep your hair off your face. May seem like a small change, but it does help.

You’ll love: How To Glow Up Overnight (7-Step Beauty Routine)

13. Chill Out and Keep Stress Away

If I had to pick the biggest villain in the skincare game, it would be stress. No kidding!

Stress kicks in your fight or flight response, leading to production of adrenaline and cortisole.

When our cortisole levels jump, our skin is forced to produce more oil, which leads to skin issues like breakouts, pimples, and inflammation.

Fascinating, huh?

So, since your skin is already sensitive, it automatically becomes more prone to the bad effects of stress.

I know that managing stress is easier said than done, but it is something that can soothe your mind, body, soul, and your skin!

Take time to unwind, meditation, binge your comfort show, indulge in your hobbies, and do not worry about your appearances.

As long as you are happy, the other parts of your body will follow suite. Nothing else should matter as much as your inner health.

So, chill out, alright? You got this.

Caring For Sensitive Skin Doesn’t Have To Be Hard

Sensitive skin can be real bothersome, but with the right care and patience, you can get the glow that you crave so badly.

But I must remind you that if things flare up badly, which can happen often with sensitive skin, then please don’t play chemist. I’ve done that and regretted it so bad.

A dermatologist can get to the root of the problem way faster than TikTok can. So, consult one when you see things getting out of control.

Must read: Ultimate Guide To Skin Purging (What is it and How to deal with it)

If you have your own holy grail advice for sensitive skin, then please share them down below. We’re all in this glowy-skin journey together.

13 Skincare Tips For Sensitive Skin That Actually Help