There is a common understanding that we need to have a separate eye cream. That the skin around the eye is so different to the rest of the face it deserves a special cream to look after it.

This need is more a marketing ploy by skin care companies to encourage us consumers to buy more products and given support by magazines who in turn are supporting their advertisers.

We are often vulnerable to the suggested necessity of using an eye cream because the area around the eyes is one of the first to show fines lines and therefore visible signs of aging. Then it is easy for us to be convinced that this area is going to need some special attention and a specific product for the eye area. The truth is we are going to experience fine lines and wrinkles in this area whether we use an eye cream or not.

Eye creams are often more expensive than and usually a whole lot smaller than the moisturiser we use on our faces. If you decipher the ingredient label however, the ingredients are usually not very different at all. Claims that eye creams are suited to the eye area because they have no ingredients that will irritate the eye are hard to understand. Why would you want to knowingly put ingredients that could be irritating on your face? Skin care products should not contain ingredients that are irritating to any part of the face.

Some claim they have no perfume and are therefore safer to use around the eye area but once again – why use a product with perfume on the face?

With any cream you are putting on the eye area, be sure to pat gently to avoid stressing the delicate skin around the eye and be careful to keep any type of product from going into the eye itself. Care in removing make up and being gentle, not rubbing at the skin around the eyes and wearing dark glasses in the sunlight to prevent squinting will be more beneficial than using an eye cream to help prevent wrinkles.

Wrinkles in the eye area will be minimised by using a good moisturiser with no harmful ingredients such as Skinsaviour natural skin care products.

Remember too, that part of the beauty of wrinkles around the eye area is we can’t get them from frowning but only from being happy and smiling.

If you talk to a number of dermatologists they will say that different people will have different reactions to different ways of cleaning their skin. What they do suggest is that the less potentialy harmful ingredients the skincare products you choose have the less likely there is to be a reaction.
Cleansers should therefore have no perfumes, no colourings, no soaps or detergents and sulphates that could potentially cause irritation to the skin. Disposable pads to clean the skin are less likely to cause a problem than a face cloth that has been used for a number of days. If you do like to use a face cloth consider regular washing and use a laundry soap such as the skinsaviour laundry soap as residual irritating ingredients from soap powder could be left on the face cloth and you could be wiping these on to your face!

When it comes to the body the same rules apply. Many soaps can be incredibly drying to the skin. Dry skin is often linked to sensitive skin so use a body soap that contains no colourings or synthetic perfumes that could irritate it.  Even if there is no obvious reddening or irritation this is often at a microscopic level and does cause damage to the skin that is accumulative over time. The body will absorb through the skin anything that we put on it some degree and can become another stressor.

You may like to try the skinsaviour range of soaps – all are designed to be suitable for sensitive skins but the skinsaviour body bars Soothe and Love My Baby are the purest and kindest for sensitive skins…

Soothe

Raw organic African shea butter to soften and moisturise, pure lavender essential oil and oatmeal to calm and soothe.

Love My Baby

The gentlest blend of raw organic Shea Butter, Sweet Almond and Olive Oil to cleanse the most delicate and sensitive of skins. Suitable for babies and pregnant mums. No fragrances, preservatives or additives.

The skin is the largest tactile organ in the body and exposed daily to an external modern environment that is pollution and chemical laden and often highly stressed. It makes sense to reduce this load by using bath products and skincare products that don’t have unnecessary ingredients such as perfumes, colours, petrochemicals, sulphates and other irritating ingredients that be readily absorbed by the skin. Although it is more difficult to control the external environment we can look at the cleaning products and skincare products we use in the home and perhaps consider more natural alternatives.

Always patch test a new product

Although it may seem to be time consuming, those with sensitive skins are advised to patch test first before using a new product on their face. For those with very sensitive skin it is very important not to skip this step. Try a new product on the inside area of your wrist for a couple days to ensure that there are no ingredients you may be sensitive to.

All products labelled hypoallergenic are not necessarily safe

Most countries including the United States and the FDA do not have federal standards to determine whether or not a manufacturer can use the term hypoallergenic on the label. Many people assume that if they see this on a label it means it is suitable for sensitive skins but this is not the case as manufacturers can use it at their discretion.

Diet can have an effect on sensitive skins

The healthier the choices you make in your daily food intake, the healthier both your skin and body will be. If you have sensitive skin that is dry and flaky as well the B Complex vitamin can be of help. You could increase your intake of wheat germ, oatmeal, fish, eggs, whole grains, almonds, liver, sunflower seeds and yeast – or take a B complex vitamin. The essential fatty acids are also important for healthy skin. If you are sensitive to a particular food you may experience skin flare-ups.

A red reaction may not always be sensitive skin

Sometimes rosacea is the cause of the flushing and reddening of the skin and not an allergy to a product and its ingredients. This is also a common hormonal reaction. It may be worth seeing your dermatologist or doctor to establish what your problem is.

Common triggers for sensitive skin

For some people the triggers may be external and come from their environment such as wind, heat, cold, pollution, airborne allergenic substances, cleaning fluids or dust mites.  Other people may have problems with ingredients in cosmetics or skincare that cause them problems. Lifestyle factors such as emotions, stress and diet can be causative factors and so can our hormone imbalances. If you have sensitive skin it is important to use soaps to bathe and a skincare regime designed to support sensitive skins – have a look at the skinsaviour range which has been formulated for sensitive skins. Finding out the cause of the problem can be a process of elimination and detective work so it pays to use products designed for sensitive skins to lessen the chances of that being a problem for you.

Sensitive skin can be outgrown

Typically a child with eczema has an approximately 90% chance of outgrowing the problem by the time they are school age and further children grow out of it by adolescence. Acne sufferers typically grow out of skin problems in their thirties but psoriasis can be a lifelong problem.  Inherited skin conditions can include psoriasis, acne, rosacea, eczema but skin sensitivities to product ingredients are not inherited.

Sensitive skin always ranks high on our polls as to what your major skin care concern is. We also receive a number of questions about sensitive skin and in the following article I would like to share with you some of my tips for living with sensitive skin.

How do I know if I have sensitive skin?

The range of effects from contact with a product or substance can range from no visible effects but the face feels uncomfortable to stinging and burning and skin bumps or pustules forming.  We often see dry skin go hand in hand with sensitive skin and sometimes this causes the nerve endings to not have a normal amount of protection for the nerve endings making a reaction to a product more likely to happen.

Sensitive skin is also more prone to redness and flushing, sometimes going down into the neck and upper chest area. You may consider visiting a dermatologist or consulting with your doctor if the symptoms are severe as sensitive skin may be related to other health issues. You may undergo patch testing on the skin to see if you are allergic to a particular substance.

What causes my sensitive skin?

The causes are so many and varied it is impossible to give one answer. Some people may find they are sensitive to one particular substance or ingredient and fine with everything else. Others may find that their sensitive skin is seemingly irritated by everything.

There are some genetic and age factors and even in between races that mean you may be more likely to have sensitive skin. Skin conditions associated with sensitive skin can be inherited but not sensitive skin itself. Some people develop sensitive skin as they age and yet others grow out of it!

There are some sensitive skin conditions that are related to a dysfunction of the immune system such as atopic dermatitis – eczema, rosacea, uticaria or a form of allergic contact dermatitis.

What should I look for in skin care products?

Although we have individual responses, people with sensitive skins should avoid cleansers with soap, detergent or colourings or perfumes. Creamy formulations are easier to work with and create less dragging and irritation on the skin.
Moisturisers should also contain no perfumes, colourings or ingredients known to irritate the skin. Choose a long lasting hydrating, creamy formula that will keep the skin well hydrated. Some people have a reaction to parabens and petrochemicals – so avoid these. Skinsaviour has been carefully formulated not to irritate sensitive skins in all their skin care products.

When you use a new product for the first time do your own patch testing. Rub a small amount of product into the underside of the wrist or behind the ear for a few days. If you are irritation free, the products should be safe to use on the face and neck area.

Razor bumps can occur on the face after shaving but also in areas where the hair removed is coarse and the area sensitive such as genital area shaving. Curly hair also tends to curl inwards as it grows and can curl back into the skin causing inflammation and can also cause pimple like bumps. These papules or pustules that form can be red and sore especially if the area becomes infected.

Pseudofolliculitis Barbae is the medical term for ingrown hairs and these can be two gifferent types -   transfollicular and extrafollicular. The transfollicular hair never leaves the hair follicle and the extrafollicular hair is a hair that has exited the follicle and reentered the skin.

Tips for Prevention:

• Keep the face or area being shaved well lubricated.
• Shave in the direction of the hair growth.
• Use a sharp blade and avoid dull blades.
• Cleanse the face first to soften the hair growth.
• Shave lightly –don’t apply too much pressure.
• Use an aftershave that has no irritating ingredients and is an effective moisturiser. Skinsaviour Cream was formulated for sensitive skins and is ideal for use after shaving.
• Avoid colognes and aftershaves on the affected area.
• Gentle exfoliation – lightly rub over with a washcloth the area after shaving to help prevent razor bumps forming. Ingrown hairs may be gently squeezed to release the hair.
• Severe chronic cases may need to let beards grow or investigate other forms of hair removal such as laser or electrolysis.
• Seek medical advice if the rash or bumps do not heal.

Dry skin can be part of a symptom picture for a number of underlying medical conditions, some of which can be quite serious. If you have dry skin that has cracked and bled, medical advice should also be sought. Some medications that you have been advised to take can have dry skin as an unwanted side effect.

Why the skin is so important?

Skin is the primary defence system of the body and is actually classified as the largest organ of the body. If the skin is damaged in any way or becomes drier and drier until cracking in the skin occurs, there is danger that microbes can enter the skin. These microbes can enter causing bacterial and fungal infections.

Untreated dry skin can lead to dermatitis – inflammation of the skin, causing itchiness, redness and swelling and again can become open to infection, especially if it is scratched due to the itchiness. So we can see it pays to look after our skin – if you are worried about your dry skin or it is making you miserable – see your doctor.

Medical Causes

• Hypothyroidism – a low thyroid condition that can cause dry skin by reducing the amount of oil produced by the body and other symptoms such as intolerance to cold and weight gain.

• Dehydration – dry skin associated with infrequent, dark urine, headaches.

• Underweight – especially if fats have been avoided in an effort to lose weight.

• Malnutrition – linked to low oil and fatty acid intake. A healthy body and healthy skin need some oils and essential fatty acids to maintain the lipid barrier and these are some of the body’s best natural moisturisers.

• Diabetes – fluctuations in glucose levels can lead to dehydration and this also will cause the skin to dry.

• Genetic Predisposition.

• Eczema and psoriasis – skin conditions that may be diagnosed.

Medications that can cause Dry Skin

There are a number of medications that can cause dry skin such as:

• High blood pressure medication – diuretic action

• Allergy treatment such as antihistamines

• Retinoids used in the treatment of acne

If you notice you develop dry skin after taking a new medication, speak to your doctor. Many cases of dry skin are easy to treat and are not a sign of more serious health conditions, but if in doubt – get it checked out.

Sensitive skin has become more common. We used to have only three types of skin defined in skincare products… normal, oily and dry. Then combination came along to cover those people whose skin was dry in some areas and oily in others or a combination of normal and oily or dry. Sensitive skin has only been recently given a whole category of skin care to itself but has also been a skin type that continues to grow.

So why has sensitive skin become so common?  We define sensitive skin as skin that reacts easily and in a negative way to a number of substances with symptoms such as redness, swelling, itching and discomfort.

Some schools of thought say that the increasing number of chemicals in our food, in the water we drink, in our food, in our household cleaners, in our homes and cars – all contribute to a chemical overload on the body. Our bodies can only process so much of these chemicals and we become more and more sensitised as time goes by.  Long term exposure can have this effect in the same way people can have a reaction to a food that they have been able to eat all their lives and then suddenly start developing worse and worse reactions each time they eat it.

Sensitive skin can run in families, you can have a genetic predisposition to having sensitive skin and may do so since early childhood.

How do we reduce this overload?

• Replace toxic cleaning products and do some research on old favourites that are non toxic such as vinegar and baking soda and how to use them.

• See if you can incorporate more foods into your diet that are grown organically where chemical sprays are not used on the plants or the soil they are grown in.

• Make sure your drinking water is as pure as it can be – invest in a filter.

• Treat your sensitive skin gently with gentle yet effective cleansers that have no soaps, detergents or sulphates like our skinsaviour cleanser.

• Wash in lukewarm water and pat dry to avoid over stimulating and irritating sensitive skin.

• Patch test all your products you use on your skin on the inside of the wrist for a few days to see whether you have any reaction.

• Use a moisturiser that has been carefully formulated for sensitive skin that is free of harmful chemicals, colourings, perfumes, all that can irritate sensitive skin.