Best face wash for sensitive skin
Post contains affiliate linksIs your skin sensitive sometimes? My skin can catch me by surprise every now and again, usually my skin is very tolerable to most ingredients and then one day I can try something new or a higher strength of something and I’m out here looking like a beetroot.
At one point or another everyone’s skin can be sensitive to different things, causing perhaps some redness or irritation. Lots of different things can cause our skin to react, from the weather, to the environment we are in and the products we use.
What is sensitive skin and how to manage it?
Sensitive skin means your skin has a tendency to be more reactive than usual. But when sensitive skin is part of your everyday life you may be frustrated trying to always work out what is irritating your skin - it’s tricky! It feels like every new product is a gamble, you might be thinking ‘will this product cause redness? will it cause my skin to be really dry?’.
Common triggers for sensitive skin reactions can include fragrance and harsh chemicals found in skincare products. Some skin conditions such as rosacea and eczema can sometimes come with sensitive skin as a symptom, making the skin more reactive to triggers.
It’s important to always patch test your skin with new products, everyone’s skin is unique and what might work for one person’s sensitive skin, may not work for another.
If you build a strategy that will protect your skin barrier whilst keeping your skin calm and hydrated, you will help treat your sensitive skin and one way to do this is by using a face wash for your skin type.
What is the best face wash for sensitive skin?
The best face washes for sensitive skin shouldn’t have too many ingredients in them, the less the better! Using products with the ingredients mentioned above may reduce the chances of your skin reacting and that’s essentially what we want!
When looking for a face wash for sensitive skin try to avoid fragrances and look for ingredients like glycerin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and chamomile, these help keep the skin calm.
 | Key Ingredients and effects |
|---|
Glycerin - attracts and retains moisture in the skin, keeps it hydrated without causing irritation
Ceramides - strengthens the skin’s protective barrier and improves tolerance to irritants
Hyaluronic acid - locks in all the moisture and suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin
Chamomile - calming and anti-inflammatory, reduces irritation and redness
With this in mind my best face wash for sensitive skin is Cetaphil’s Gentle Skin Cleanser Wash
Cetaphil
Gentle Skin Cleanser Face Wash, For Sensitive Skin
If you’re looking for any alternatives, Elemis’ Sensitive Cleansing Wash and the more wallet friendly Gentle Cleanser for Sensitive Skin by Avene are two great other options.
Building a strategy to help sensitive skin can look a little like this:
Choose gentle products - hypoallergenic, dermatologically tested and fragrance free, use mild cleansers
Patch test all new products
Moisturize regularly - helps prevent the skin from drying out
SPF - protection is key
Avoid harsh ingredients - alcohol-based products, strong exfoliants
Monitor your skin - track how your skin reacts to different products to identify patterns
Some other tips for handling your sensitive skin are; don’t over use acids - once a week is enough, in particular if your skin barrier function is not at 100%. Be wary of fragrance, not all but some can irritate your skin more than others, if your skin gets easily upset by fragrance then it is best to avoid altogether. Try to avoid using foaming formulas as they can be more alkaline in PH than your skin, which in turn upsets the balance of your skin and gives you that ‘stripped’ feeling.
Best face wash for sensitive skin conclusion
Paying attention to your skin is important when it comes to using skincare products, in particular if you know your skin can be a bit more reactive sometimes. Get to know your skin, know what ingredients work for you and what don’t. This will help when making choices with what skincare products to purchase. We can’t ‘get rid’ of our skin type but we can help improve it and having a face wash that suits your skin type, is the first step in the right direction.
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