Sensitive Skin vs Sensitised Skin
Redness
Itching
Pain
Heat/burning
Swelling
Flaking
Roughness
Small pustules
Over the past decade of working in the beauty industry I cannot even begin to tell you how often I hear the phrase “my skin is just so sensitive I can’t use anything other than Cetaphil”. If I received a dollar for every time I’ve heard that phrase or equivalent I wouldn’t be here today writing this blog. I’d be lying on a beautiful beach somewhere exotic sipping on cocktails and never returning. That phrase “sensitive skin” gets thrown around a lot and more people are believing that their skin is sensitive when really, most of the time their skin is just sensitised. So let’s talk about what is sensitive skin, what is sensitised skin, and how do you even tell which one you’re lucky enough to have?
Sensitive Skin
A true sensitive skin is usually a hereditary issue. People who suffer from sensitive skin will most likely also suffer from systemic diseases and disorders such as asthma, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, hayfever, allergies, and food intolerances. When I come across clients with a true sensitive skin my first step in helping them is to ALWAYS look at their gut health, nutrition and lifestyle. My second step in helping them is to come up with a treatment plan that aims at minimising inflammation and making the skin look better for when they leave my salon. My third step in helping them is to create a home care plan as 80% of results are achieved at home.
What does gut health have anything to do with sensitive skin?
Our gut is the largest immune organ in our body and it is home to the largest colonies of microbes, with the average healthy adult carrying up to 2kgs of bacteria. This bacteria is responsible for producing hormones, vitamins, neurotransmitters, help to process food, influence gut motility and much more. 80% of our body’s immune system resides in the gut lining. Our skin is the largest neuroendocrine organ of the body and has its own separate microbiota. There is estimated to be one billion microbes living on our skin, the acid mantle. Its main role is to protect the skin from harmful microbes, reduce the build-up of pathogenic bacteria and fungus and promotes good bacteria that is beneficial to our skin health. After extensive amounts of research there is now an increasingly strong link between the neuro-immune crosstalk of our skin and gut. This bi-directional connection between the gut and the skin is seen through signs of gastrointestinal disorders and skin manifestations of systemic diseases and disorders. In our gut, brain and skin we produce a neuropeptide called Substance P which releases pro-inflammatory cytokines. This triggers the receptors on our cell membranes which is what causes systematic inflammation, linking gut dysbiosis to intestinal permeability to local skin inflammation.
With all that being said, that is why a nutritious diet (which promotes a healthy gut) is the best regulator of systemic inflammation. As part of my Skin & Wellness Consultations I will help you look over your diet and provide you with suggestions on what to eliminate and include to achieve beautiful glowing skin from within.
Sensitised Skin
Now that we’ve covered sensitive skin, let’s discuss what is sensitised skin? Sensitised skin is when your skin is temporarily suffering from sensitive skin symptoms. External triggers are usually what triggers sensitised skin and luckily these triggers can usually be controlled or eliminated by you! Once you remove or even just reduce these trigger factors and with the help of professional treatments as an added booster, then people will usually find that their skin will very quickly return to a healthier state.
Triggers that can cause temporary sensitisation in our skin
- Weather
- Air conditioning/heating
- Medication
- Incorrect use of products
- Impairing the skin barrier
- Stress
- Alcohol/smoking
- Sunburn
- Chemical irritants
- Skincare products
- Fragrances
- Sunscreen
What is happening to our skin when it is sensitised?
Imagine a dry river bed that has not seen a drop of water for months. This river bed will show signs of cracking on the surface and also crumbling between the layers underneath the surface. Any liquid that then starts to touch the river bed will seep straight through the cracks. Our skin is this river bed. When our skin is sensitised and dehydrated (lacking in water) the dryness and flakiness not only is visible on the surface, it also occurs in the epidermis (in the many layers underneath the surface where our skin cells are). This dehydration and flakiness of the skin is why our skin’s intercellular matrix can be impacted by those triggers mentioned above as there is no strong protection on the surface so anything we apply topically will seep straight through causing a sensitised reaction and there is no protection protecting our skin from different external triggers.
When our skin is sensitised the skin’s lipid content and Natural Moisturising Factors are depleted.
What are Natural Moisturising Factors? These include:
- Ceramides,
- Hyaluronic acid,
- Cholesterol,
- Fatty acids,
- Triglycerides,
- Amino acids,
- Linoleic acid
- And many many more.
These Natural Moisturising Factors all have a very important role to play in keeping our skin healthy, beautiful, glowing and preventing irritations. Luckily we can also apply these hero ingredients topically!
How can we help?
Here at Essentially You, we have many in-clinic treatments and can provide useful home care plans that can assist you in achieving beautiful and healthy skin. Our main priority as skin therapists is to calm the heat and inflammation in your skin and repair the skin’s natural barrier while helping you uncover the causes.
We have carefully designed some facials most suitable for sensitive and or sensitised skin. We guarantee your skin will look calmer, more hydrated, restored and you will float out our doors feeling deeply relax and rejuvenated. We also promise you will be able to use more interesting and exciting products other than Cetaphil and your skin will be happier and healthier than ever.
We hope to pamper you and be that SOS for your delicate skins’ needs.