Sales of skin care products in the United States grew by 13% in 2018, hitting $5.6 billion, while makeup sales increased only 1%, according to the NPD Group, a market research company. This is encouraging for the industry but at what expense is this having on the consumer’s actual skin, their second largest organ?

Most clients that aestheticians see today identify as having sensitive skin when, but professional aestheticians assess that most clients actually have sensitized skin.

So, what does this really mean? Consumers are single-handedly sensitizing their skin by trying new products that they are buying off social media, department stores, and new direct-to-consumer brands without the advice of the professional aesthetician. Here are a few things to remember when determining whether a client has sensitive or sensitized skin.