A Dermat’s Care Guide For Sensitive Skin

By Anupriya Jamuar 

Having sensitive skin is like dealing with a teenage kid. You try to be as careful as possible, but the results are usually unpredictable, and the kid is annoyed and doesn’t care about your efforts. But maybe, the answer lies in handling the kid differently...ahem, we mean your skin.

If you’re tired of every product making your skin red and irritated, you must change your strategy! To select the right products, you must understand the dos and don’ts of your skin type. What does it like, dislike and need?

So, we decided to help you find answers to these questions with inputs from Bollywood’s favourite dermatologist, Dr Jaishree Sharad.

How to know if you have sensitive skin? 
“Sensitive skin breaks into a rash easily. It either develops burning, redness, swelling, dryness, flakiness, or there is a lot of itching,” explains Dr Jaishree. It could also feel like a stinging sensation, which could increase with the application of products and exposure to pollution or temperature changes.

What ingredients can irritate sensitive skin? 
If you use a lot of retinoic acids, AHAs and BHAs or exfoliators very frequently, or if you use steroids on your skin or face, this can make your skin even more sensitive.

What products are best suited for sensitive skin? 
“Always use a soap-free cleanser. Use a moisturiser with hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, lactic acid and other such mild ingredients which hydrate your skin. Your products should be hypoallergenic and not contain alcohol, fragrances, parabens and phthalates,” recommends Dr Jaishree. She also advises you to use lightweight, mineral-based products.