Sensitive Skin Survival Guide

What is Causing Your Skin Problems?

It's really no fun to have sensitive skin. If you forget and put on the wrong facial cream, ouch! Your face might be red for days.

Or, worse, you might develop a whole host of allergic reactions including itching, hives, swelling and even skin peeling.

But did you ever think for a minute ...

Why Do I Have Sensitive Skin??

If you've had problem skin for a long time, perhaps you have just learned to live with it. Or maybe you have intensely hypersensitive skin and have even given up on ever finding a solution to your skin problems.

It seems that everyone else has healthy skin, or at least most people. So what causes sensitive skin??

Why is my skin always red and breaking out, while my sister, my dad and my best friend all have normal skin and can use any kind of skin care product that they want to?

Discovering the causes of your sensitive skin can help you a great deal in your daily life. You can nip any potential skin problems right at the bud, before they explode into a rash or outbreak on your face!

For most people, there is no one clear answer because there are many possible causes for sensitive skin.

Taking a Closer Look

In order to learn more about what causes your sensitive skin, you will need to become a bit of a detective! Yes, put on your thinking cap and get out your magnifying glass! :-)

Take a careful look at your daily habits, the foods you eat, the skin care products you use and the environments that you spend time in.

I highly recommend that you keep a brief Sensitive Skincare Journal for at least two weeks, which details everything that you ate, and makes note of any new activities, foods, products or places that you were exposed to.  You'll also include exactly what was happening every day with your skin.That way you can look back and put together the pieces to get an idea of what might be causing your skin problems.

You can do this exercise on your own, or with the help of your dermatologist or health practitioner. I am going to list some questions you may want to ask yourself, to help you get started!

When do I Get Skin Rashes and Outbreaks?

• When I use a new skin care product
• When I eat a particular kind of food
• When I eat a new kind of food
• When I take a particular type of medicine
• When I am exposed to perfumes, dyes or chemicals
• When I use a particular kind of laundry detergent
• When I shower with or drink chlorinated water
• When I am in certain kinds of environments or buildings
• When I am stressed out
• When I started puberty or pregnancy or menopause
• All of the above
• None of the above - fill in the blank! ____________
  

What Symptoms do I Get When my Skin Breaks Out?

• Redness
• Itching
• Peeling
• Burning sensation
• Tingling
• Swelling
• Spots
• Acne
• Flushing or blushing bright red
• All of the above
• None of the above - fill in the blank! ____________

What Seems to Help When my Skin Breaks Out?

• Eating certain foods, or NOT eating certain foods
• Using skincare remedies
• Taking medicine
• Taking herbs or nutritional supplements
• Resting more and de-stressing
• Doing a cleanse
• Stopping all skincare products
• Using less irritating skincare products
• All of the above
• None of the above - fill in the blank! ____________

What Seems to Be the Cause of My Sensitive Skin?

OK, by now if you've been paying attention to your daily habits, the foods you eat, the personal care and skin care products you use and the environments you are in, you may have a better idea of what things will trigger a skin rash or inflammation.

Here are some of the common causes of sensitive skin. Do any of these seem to fit your situation? If you're not sure, get some help from a health professional and see what you can come up with.

Allergies are a very common cause for sensitive skin. Sometimes even food allergies can trigger skin outbreaks. If you think this may be the cause of your skin problems, you may find it helpful to get allergy testing. You can read more about this at our common allergies and symptoms page.

Genetic factors also can play a role in sensitive skin. Do a lot of your family members have skin problems? Research has shown that fair skinned people tend to develop sensitive skin more often than people with darker complexions.

Poor digestion and food assimilation can play a role in developing sensitive skin. If you have difficulty digesting your food, not only are you not receiving as much nutrition as your body needs, but also the undigested food tends to create gas, bloating and inflammation in your digestive tract. This kind of inflammation can affect many other body systems including your skin.

Hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause can bring an increase in acne, skin rashes, dry skin, splotchy patches, or facial redness.

Sluggish elimination can cause skin problems, as the toxins that need to leave the body aren't able to be released through the digestive system, so they are more likely to erupt through the skin.

If you have poor digestion or sluggish elimination, but are in otherwise good health, you may want to try a homemade body cleanse to help restore your body's optimal health.

Thyroid problems have also been known to cause skin problems. I heard a statistic recently that 25% of women have a low thyroid, and I do not know the accuracy of this figure, but I know of many people who have imbalances that cause an overactive or underactive thyroid. Some symptoms of thyroid problems include

• Dry skin
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Hair loss
• Immune problems
• Depression
• Forgetfullness
• Memory problems
• Insomnia
• Weight gain or loss
• Low body temperature or heat intolerance
• Heavy or light menstrual periods
• Cold or warm hands and feet