Feeling sensitive? You’re not alone, with the media reporting a marked rise in skin sensitivity and inflammation post-pandemic that shows no signs of letting up.

Sensitive skin is skin that is more reactive than usual, skin that is easily irritated by the elements — wind, sun, heat, or cold — or by certain topical products. Other potential triggers can include hormones, lack of sleep, and even stress, but there are some key moves you can make to hopefully alleviate your symptoms over time. And if your sensitivity continues getting worse, see your GP or a dermatologist as you could be experiencing rosacea, eczema or an unknown allergy – all of which require professional care.

Avoid taking very hot showers

Hot showers and baths can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling — similar to sunburn – in some very sensitive skin. They also can disrupt the skin’s natural balance of moisture, robbing you of the natural oils, fats, and proteins that keep your skin barrier healthy and intact. If you can, opt for shorter showers using lukewarm water at all times, and always dry your skin gently with a towel, without rubbing, to prevent the evaporation of the shower water from taking away some of the moisture as well.

Cleanse, but be gentle

The ideal kind of facial cleanser is one that maintains your skin’s natural moisture, doing its job to remove dirt, makeup and excess oil, while not drying out the skin. Look for a soap-free, fragrance-free, gentle cleanser, and be sure not to over-wash, as this can lead to dryness and irritation. Cleansing your face once in the morning and once in the evening should be enough.

Always use sunscreen

Regularly wearing facial sunscreen has been shown to actively help sensitive skin. Choose a daily moisturiser with SPF to reduce the likelihood of acute UV exposure, which could affect your skin’s overall health (even when you’re indoors). When you’re out in the sun, it’s a good idea to use a specific sunscreen (and not just a moisturiser with SPF), and be sure to wear a hat and sunglasses in the height of summer.

Moisturise

As well as helping your skin feel softer and smoother, moisturisers can improve hydration and help restore the skin’s natural moisture barrier. But make sure to look for a gentle moisturiser designed for sensitive skin that doesn’t contain unnecessary (and potentially irritating) ingredients such as colours and fragrances. Even a heavily fragranced laundry liquid can irritate sensitive skin, so look for clean formulas for your home, as well.

Our Clean Beauty Collective sensitive skin heroes:

Trilogy Very Gentle Hydra Mask

Keeping a few calming and hydrating masks on hand is essential if you have unhappy skin, and this beauty from local skincare heroes Trilogy is ideal for extra sensitive skin in need of a serious hydration boost. Yummy ingredients like maqui berry oil and nourishing sweet almond oil help to hydrate and nourish, while the brand’s own botanical complex known as SyriCalm® is there to soften and calm. We love that this mask holds NATRUE Natural Cosmetic certification, which also ensures no animal testing and no GMO, and – with sensitive types in mind – it’s fragrance-free.

BYBI Mega Mist

Sensitive skin thrives with regular spritzes from a nourishing mist, and Mega Mist is a refreshing and hydrating facial mist that is ideal for skin that’s feeling dehydrated or sensitised. Formulated with powerhouse ingredient hyaluronic acid, it leaves skin plump, dewy and bouncy, and it can be used throughout the day – even over makeup.

Trilogy Very Gentle Microbiome Oil

A happy microbiome is essential for health skin, and in the case of sensitive skin, is often very much in need of some TLC. This pure plant oil blend is designed to support a challenged and compromised skin, and is dermatologically tested, fragrance-free, and certified organic. In a nutshell, it’s 100 percent pure and natural care for sensitive, delicate skin.

Nuori Protect+ Cleansing Milk

This luxurious cleansing milk gently removes impurities and leaves sensitive skin feeling soft, soothed and rebalanced. Its ingredient deck includes bioactivated lipids extracted from sustainable shea butter that offer daily protection against environmental stress and help prevent visible signs of inflammation, while aloe vera and chamomile flower help diminish the appearance of redness and surface irritation.

Trilogy Very Gentle Calming Serum

Another natural wonder from Trilogy, this light, cool and calming serum was created to soothe and hydrate a weakened and irritated skin barrier. Maqui berry, botanical complex SyriCalm®, calendula, chamomile, and green tea are all ingredients chosen for their soothing properties, delivering immediate hydration and comfort from irritation while gently smoothing your skin’s appearance.

People4Ocean suncare solutions

We particularly love this brand’s Sunscreen SPF30, which is a broad spectrum, 100 percent natural, deeply nourishing formula with a semi-matte mineral finish. Their Vegan Sunscreen SPF50 uses wax from the candelilla plant to replace beeswax in the award-winning formula, while their two types of Zinc Stick SPF50 contain all-natural and plant-based ingredients.