Sensitive Skin is no joke…

guest blog post by Stephanie Peters

A couple of weeks ago, I was staying at a five-star resort in the Dominican Republic. It was one of those all-inclusive resorts where you feel like a Queen, and everything was perfect:

Except, I broke out in hives. All over my body. That’s what it is like having sensitive skin – no matter where you are, even if it’s at an expensive five-star resort – the kind included in Condé Nast list of best luxury hotels – you are at risk for getting hives. Allergic reactions can happen at any moment, from anything. It could be because you decide to try a new shampoo, or accidentally sleep on a bed washed with a harsh detergent, or unfortunately in this case, it was probably due to sleeping in hotel room with mold. Though, when you have sensitive skin and experience hives or some kind of reaction, you honestly don’t know what the cause is, and everything becomes a culprit. You start to blame pillows, towels, the food you eat, the sun, the sunblock, the air… and the truth is, anything can irritate the skin. For people with sensitive skin, the world can be a dangerous place.

Sensitive skin is most commonly found in people with fair skin. There is scientific research that says a true sensitive skin condition is caused by a genetic predisposition. And there is no treatment for this condition. Only treatment for the reaction. Many people who say they have sensitive skin actually have sensitized skin, a growing condition caused by increased exposure to pollution, chemicals and stress. Our lives are more complicated and are filled with more stuff than ever before. And that stuff might be made with harsh, dangerous chemicals, or natural ingredients like peppermint, that are known irritants and can cause skin reactions. If you have true sensitive skin or sensitized skin, finding products to use, from detergents to skin care, that are not full of irritants, is hard. And if you are like me, you just avoid everything and live in a bubble. I’m kidding, but you do avoid using mainstream products, especially skin care products and makeup.

And, if you do have sensitive skin or sensitized skin, chances are you also have unhealthy skin. It’s not a criticism, it’s more of a statistic. People with sensitive skin of any kind tend to have dry, red, dull and generally unhealthy skin because their skin lacks its own collagen. And most treatments for those kinds of conditions will make matters worse.

I’ve been wandering around the planet for 30+ years with unhealthy, most of the time irritated skin, and avoiding all ways to solve the problem – because from my experience, using brands like Neutrogena, Nivea, Clean & Clear, etc. make things worse. Finding skin care products free of harsh chemicals and fragrances, and is only made with ingredients that are good for you, is hard. Now there are many brands today that claim to make their product with all natural, organic ingredients, but some of these all natural, organic ingredients (like lanolin and peppermint) are known irritants. So it’s not only about finding a brand that is organic, vegan, save-the-plant, etc., it’s finding a brand that recognizes chemicals and natural ingredients can cause skin problems, and they create a formula that takes that into consideration.