10 Things About…Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin is a broad term ranging from easily irritated skin to conditions like eczema and rosacea. Aestheticians should be able to clearly identify sensitive skin types and diagnose a plan of action to alleviate the symptoms to provide clients with the best possible skin care results.

1. In addition to the erythema, edema, inflammation, and dryness (characteristics of dermatitis), sensitive skin also experiences a cascade of free radical activity that causes skin-destructive enzymes to form. These enzymes attack the skin’s integrity, leading to premature aging in the form of wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
2. There are many factors that can exacerbate sensitive skin. Microbes, chemicals, sun exposure, smoking, dyes, perfumes, airborne debris, and certain skin care ingredients can all make sensitive skin react.
3. Free radicals are capable of attacking the healthy cells of the body. Cell damage caused by free radicals appears to be a major contributor to aging, disease, and stressed skin. Since free radicals contain an unpaired electron, they are unstable and reach out and capture electrons from other substances in order to neutralize themselves. This initially stabilizes the free radical, but generates another in the process. A chain reaction soon begins and thousands of free radical reactions can occur within a few seconds on the primary reaction.
4. In colder months, extreme temperatures, and drastic temperature changes (cold outdoors to warm indoors) can also cause the capillaries to dilate. This can enhance the appearance of sensitive skin.
5. As heat can make the symptoms of sensitive skin more apparent, steer clear of using steam in professional facial treatments. Instead, try a cool steam machine. It will help soothe and calm the skin.
6. Sensitive skin can often look dry, flaky, and uneven, so regular exfoliation is important. However, sensitive skin can become aggravated by granular exfoliation, which can create microscopic tears on the skin, making it more susceptible to irritation and inflammation. This means no scrubs, no brushing, and absolutely no microdermabrasion! Instead, practice gentle exfoliation methods such as a hydrating mask with lactic acid or a gentle enzymatic peel, which digests dead skin cells on the surface. This will help to remove the dulling dead skin cells without causing further irritation. Exfoliation can also be a cause of sensitive skin. The thinner the skin, the more susceptible it can be to irritants. The skin is a barrier, and if it is broken down, it cannot do its job. This is why the more popular harsh exfoliation becomes, the more cases of sensitive skin are seen in treatment rooms. During each consultation, skin care professionals should ask clients how, and with what, they are exfoliating, particularly if they are using retinoids or if they have recently had a chemical peel, so that it can properly be treated.
7. Massages can have a wealth of benefits for the skin, however, skin care professionals must be careful when it comes to sensitive skin. They may notice that the sensitive skin clients can become red and irritated just from touch, so they should make sure not to over manipulate the skin. For sensitive skin types, I recommend utilizing a lymphatic massage, lightly pumping the lymph nodes.
8. It is important to go after bacteria and microbes that can irritate compromised skin. Natural antibacterial ingredients include rooibos tea extract, farnesol, ichthammol, and eucalyptus oil.
9. Aside from identifying and avoiding stimuli that provoke a sensitized skin response, skin care professionals can treat this skin condition with topical application of calming ingredients such as seaweed, olive oil, olive leaf extracts, green tea, and allantoin.
10. Free radicals and environmental factors can trigger sensitive skin flare ups, making it important to treat sensitive skin with antioxidants and provide natural protection against environmental aggressors. To protect skin against free radicals, olive oil and olive leaf extracts are both rich in vitamins A and E and provide excellent antioxidant properties. To protect skin from the sun, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are two types of natural sunscreens that act as ultraviolet filters and block ultraviolet rays. We can also optimize barrier function by boosting the skin’s own protective lipids by adding fatty acids, ceramides, linoleic acid, and phospholipids. Specific ingredients may actually instruct the cells to engage in lipid-producing activities. Examples include lecithin, evening primrose oil, tocopherol, and ascorbyl palmitate. In addition, heavy doses of antioxidants and botanicals fight off environmental assaults and help protect the skin.

Lydia Sarfati, president and founder of Repêchage, is an internationally recognized skin care expert, quoted in Vogue, In Style, Glamour, and New York Times, as well as featured on CNN, CBS, and FOX. Sarfati is the creator of the world-renowned Four Layer Facial® and has over 30 years of experience as an aesthetician, spa owner, manufacturer, and consultant. She authored Success at Your Fingertips: How to Succeed in the Skin Care Business. She has recently been appointed honorary chair of EstheticsAmerica, CIDESCO USA and is Skin Care & Spa Council Director of Intercoiffure North America.

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