Having sensitive skin is tricky; sometimes it’s like a puzzle trying to figure out what will make it react poorly and what won’t. If you have sensitive skin (like me 😊) you know all too well that certain products or ingredients can end up causing redness, rashes, bumpy texture, and clusters of little breakouts. Having sensitive skin can make trying new skincare items discouraging and you can end up feeling limited to what skincare you can use for yourself.

This blog post is for everyone with sensitive and reactive skin who is wondering which skincare products would work best for their skin. I’ve compiled a list of items that work well for sensitive skin and deliver really nice results!

As an esthetician, I understand each one of us has different skin and specific skincare needs and what works for someone might not work for someone else. These are items I trust, approve of the ingredients, and have seen first-hand how they can help make improvements.

Cleansers for sensitive skin:

What is an ideal cleanser for sensitive skin? One that gets the job done but doesn’t strip away needed oils and lipids that keep your skin’s barrier strong. I love these cleansers because they do exactly that and also have added ingredients for redness reduction.

scrub me secret: Dry, bumpy, or sensitive feeling skin on your body? That could be due to using the wrong kind of body wash or soap! We want to use soaps free of fake fragrance, sulfaes, and detergents. Thats why I make plantbased soaps, to keep the skin on our bodies soft and healthy.

Vitamin C serum for sensitive skin

Some vitamin C products contain types of vitamin C that, while effective are too potent for sensitive skin types. What we want is a vitamin C serum that has a form of vitamin C that is effective for protecting our skin and delivering antioxidants but won’t make our skin red or broken out.

Retinoid options for sensitive skin

Retinoids like retinol and tretinoin are ingredients that can be hard for sensitive skin types to tolerate. We have a lot of different options when it comes to retinoid ingredients, and for sensitive skin types, we want to choose products that have low percentages of retinol or ones that contain a more gentle derivative of the ingredient. But let’s remember, not everyone needs a retinol!

scrub me secret: If you want to learn about different types of retinoids and how they all differ, read my blog post “Retinoids: Retin-A, Retinol, Tretinoin”

Products that help reduce redness

All of these items contain ingredients that work to reduce topical redness and inflammation. I find these to be great for skin types that experience a lot of redness or inflamed breakouts.

The best moisturizer for sensitive/breakout prone skin

Skin types that are sensitive also oftentimes also prone to breakouts. I find that a soothing, lightweight, hydration boosting facial lotion is great for daily use, and I’ve found the perfect one!

scrub me secret: even though I approve of essential oils in skincare products, sometimes too many essential oils in your facial moisturizer might aggravate sensitive skin. I always suggest going for an unscented (essential oil and fragrance free) moisturizer.

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