Got Sensitive Skin?

I’m sometimes amused by women who tell me that they have  “sensitive” skin—like it’s a badge of honor, proof-positive of their femininity. The classic symptoms:

• diffuse redness, irritation, especially in the T-zone
• tingling, tightening, dryness and flakiness
• reaction or discomfort to procedures or products—shaving, waxing, cosmetics
• blotchiness, swelling, edema, which sometimes can advance to rosacea

In fact, it’s a sign of weakness, and it’s sometimes caused by the use—or overuse of the wrong products, particularly moisturizers. It seems antithetical—a moisturizer was probably the first product that you used on your skin—and the one you trusted and used most frequently— but it could also be the one that harms and ages your skin the most—either accelerating skin aging, or inducing skin sensitivity.

With young and healthy skin, the cells in the dermis collect water from the food we eat and water we drink, and deliver that water to the surface of the skin. It’s a natural part of cellular nourishment and repair. That’s why it’s so important that we keep skin cells active and functioning normally. But when you apply a moisturizer to hydrate and plump the skin, the skin cells in the epidermis send a message to the cells in the dermis: slow down, we’re fat and happy up here. That causes the cells in the dermis to become lazy, go dormant, and the skin becomes drier, thinner and less elastic. At that point, the skin is compromised, and begins to lose its ability to function as a natural and protective barrier. That induces sensitivity and leads to redness, irritation, wrinkling and accelerated aging.

Crazy as it seems, moisturizers—which supposedly are calming and soothing—are frequently just the opposite. If you’re going to use a moisturizer, use one that suppresses irritation, that calms the skin, that contains some retinol to awaken dormant cells. And don’t ever use a moisturizer to the exclusion of products that activate and stimulate your skin.

Kick the moisturizer habit. Make sure that your skin is rejuvenating and repairing itself. It’s one of the best strategies for well-nourished, healthy skin.

PS For those people who are “hooked on moisturizers”, separately we can talk about the
best times and places to apply it.

Zein Obagi, MD