Allergy-prone Sensitive Skin Care Tips

Recently, as you know, I've been hit by THE PLAGUE, I thought these tips would be helpful for those of you with sensitive skin.

Some of us may not have sensitive or allergy-prone skin but there are high chances that we've had had some reactions to cosmetics or skin care products on either our face or body. For the lucky ones, identifying the problem cosmetic or skin care and totally eliminating it would relief the irritation in a couple of days. However, the more sensitive ones would sometimes take weeks or even months to alleviate the allerdy symptoms. Here is a checklist to care for your allergy-prone sensitive skin:

• Choose makeup, moisturisers and sunscreens that are hypo-allergenic and fragrance free - This helps to minimise any harsh ingredients that may provoke your sensitive skin

• Minimise the amount of products you put on your face - The more you slather on different products, there may be some reaction between ingredients in various products, which adds more grief to your already sensitive skin

• Don't overwash your face (i.e. more than twice a day) - You would be stripping off too much protective oils from the skin that protects it from external allergen

• Don't use exfoliants - Fragrances, scrubs, washcloths, AHAs, Retin-A, Renova, benzoyl peroxide, skin lighteners, or other skin-care products with active ingredients can trigger irritation and only add to the problem.

• Use an astringent on oily areas only, but discontinue if redness occurs - This is to prevent you from having outbreaks but this step can be totally eliminated if you don't have overly greasy skin

• Use a mild, soap-free cleanser - Soap ingredients may be too harsh and further irritate your skin. Also, soap free would protect the protective natural oils on your skin

• When choosing make-up, especially foundation and blusher, buy oil-free products - Make-up that is water-based and non-comedogenic (non-pore clogging) is the best option. There are also oil-absorbing foundations that help keep oil off the face.

• Use a daily sunscreen that is not oil-based, preferably a gel, as it's less greasy - Use at least a minimum of SPF 15. Sun effects on sensitive skin can be more obvious and damaging, so you need protection from harmful UV rays

• Use a hydrocortisone cream to alleviate irritation - This is best to keep your skin from being inflammed, which makes matter worse for your sensitive skin

• If symptoms still persist, consult a dermatologist - It's best to get professional help if the irritation is still there even after 4 - 6 weeks

I hope this would be informational for all of you out there with sensitive and allergy-prone skin. I totally understand how frustrating it can be when the irritations are there. Feel free to discuss how you battle against sensitive skin with me. Hear from you real soon