Applied too thickly – why too much cream is not good for sensitive skin

About every second woman would describe her skin as sensitive. Do you feel the same? You are not alone in this. Even dermatologists are worried because more and more people are complaining about sensitive skin. Studies show that this is linked to overuse of skin care products and cosmetics. Find out why this is and how to react correctly to sensitive skin. First of all: In skin care, less is not only more, but everything!

Photo by Autumn Goodman on Unsplash

Care mistake no. 1: too well intentioned

Perhaps you are now thinking: wait a minute! Doesn't my skin need a lot of care if it's sensitive? Shouldn't care products protect and soothe them just then? You're right, protection and rest are exactly what she needs at the moment. But be careful, this can quickly backfire. That's why in this article you'll learn to avoid the three biggest pitfalls when caring for sensitive skin: 1) irritating ingredients, 2) over-care and 3) choosing the wrong care products.

Cosmetics are the main triggers for sensitive skin

Studies show that hypersensitive skin is primarily promoted by cosmetics.¹ In a study by the renowned British Journal of Dermatology, over 50% of women stated that they were more sensitive or very sensitive skin.² Further studies, including those in Germany and Austria, showed that sensitive skin is increasing more and more.

☝️ By the way, the leader is Japan¹, which is interesting because the multi-layering trend comes from Japan and Korea. Up to 10 products are applied one on top of the other. The skin comes into contact with 100 or more ingredients.

Now your skin is not lifeless matter, but your largest organ. It constantly balances internal and external influences and the skin interacts with every single substance that is fed to it. At some point she will reach her limits. If it becomes too much for her, she becomes irritable.

How to recognize hypersensitive skin

Actually, you can be proud of your skin, because it has a backbone: if it gets too much, it will let you know. As uncomfortable as their cues are, they will give you a clear indication of when it's time to make a change. skin tightness, burning or itching sensations or a dry skin feeling are among the signs. Although they can appear anywhere, the face is most commonly affected, particularly the cheek and nose area.

In addition, sensitive skin reacts particularly quickly to climate changes. The cold and the lower humidity in winter bother her, as does exposure to the sun. Stress and spicy food often leave their mark.

With sensitive skin, a distinction is made between the so-called objective and subjective characteristics. With the objective, the sensitivity is visible to the naked eye, for example through pustules or reddening. This form is favored by an existing disease such as acne or neurodermatitis.

With subjectively sensitive skin, the problem is invisible from the outside, but noticeable. If you are affected, you may experience skin tightness, dryness, or itching.

How sensitive skin comes about

Even though genes play a role, skin hypersensitivity usually starts somewhere. And that is, to put it bluntly, with a perforated skin barrier.³ When this natural protective layer permeable the skin balance changes from a supple tightrope walk to an uneven trembling area.

You can imagine the skin barrier as a wall. It is made of bricks held together with mortar. The bricks are your skin cells (the corneocytes) and the mortar are your skin fats (or lipids). Just as wind and weather erode the mortar in a wall over time, the putty in your skin barrier can also leak.

How does this happen? Many creams advertise that active ingredients can be smuggled deep into the skin. For this they need auxiliary substances that make the skin barrier passable (i.e. leaky). Alcohol, for example, liquefies the layer.⁴ It is one of the ingredients (trap number 1) that are too aggressive and unsuitable for the care of sensitive skin. Emulsifiers and washing gels containing soap also attack your skin barrier. Avoid such substances in skin care.

An intact skin barrier is not only the basis for healthy skin, but also the best protection against premature skin aging and Blemishes. But once the gate is open, it works both ways. In this way, not only certain ingredients penetrate in a targeted manner, but also undesirable substances such as bacteria that cause pimples. At the same time, essential substances evaporate faster. Water, which keeps tissues looking fresh and plump, escapes, leaving dry, sagging skin.

The treatment of sensitive skin

Because nothing is as difficult for us when it comes to skin problems as waiting and drinking tea, we definitely want to do something. Apply a thick layer of lotion, massage in a few serums and, to top it off, a face mask on top, according to the motto: a lot helps a lot.

We mean well with our bitchy skin, and how does it thank us: not at all... If we apply too much cream, we stop our skin from regenerating itself (trap no. 2). Dermatologists recommend a cosmetic zero diet as a first-aid measure for irritated skin: two weeks renunciation on cosmetic products.^1,5,6 In the article The drastic cure – the emergency plan for your stressed skin you will find instructions and tips.

Even when your skin has calmed down, it pays to be discerning when it comes to skin care. If you just go back to your old skin care routine with lots of products and even more ingredients, your skin will soon feel overloaded again (Trap #3). Instead, rely on natural care products with few but high-quality ingredients to permanently reduce the stress on your skin.

Bye bye sensitive skin

Admittedly, doing without is not that easy and might be a completely new approach for you. But being brave is worth it. Promised. Give your skin time to repair its barrier and become more resilient.

We have developed a guide with very specific tips so that you can better understand why your skin reacts irritated to one thing or another and how you can calm it down again. In the first step you learn:

• What soap does to your skin
• Why you can safely do without the rich night care
• Why you shouldn't apply creams too thick
  
  

High Five!
Your Anna, founder of FIVE