9 At Home Remedies for Sensitive Skin
Medically Reviewed By William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS
Written By Jennifer Larson on December 6, 2022
-
Caring for Your Sensitive Skin on a Daily BasisWe all have a sensitive spot. Maybe it’s your trick knee. Maybe it’s the shoulder you injured in a high school pole-vaulting meet. Maybe it’s your sister-in-law’s ability to make you feel insecure. Or maybe it’s your skin. If you have sensitive skin, you’ll be doing yourself a big favor if you acknowledge it and take steps to care for it.
-
1. Turn down the heat.It’s tempting to turn the heat up when there’s a chill in the air outside. And it’s okay … to a point. The warm dry air produced by your heating unit can dry out your skin, which can make already sensitive skin even more dry and prone to irritation. Keep it a little cooler and consider also using a humidifier to introduce a little moisture back into the air.
-
-
2. Try a tepid shower.Ah, the joys of a long hot shower…unless you have sensitive skin, that is. A warm shower or bath of a shorter duration is less likely to dry out and irritate your skin. Try to keep it under ten minutes if you can.
-
3. Ditch the scented products.“Fragrance-free” and “hypoallergenic” should become your new mantras and guiding principles when shopping for skin care and other products that will come into contact, directly or indirectly with your skin. Scented lotion might smell lovely in the bottle, but you might find yourself coping with discomfort after you’ve applied it to your skin. And while you may love to inhale the fragrance of a particular type of laundry detergent, your skin might disagree. Deodorant soaps are also potentially irritating.
-
4. Wear gloves when cleaning.If things are already touch-and-go when soap and water are involved, you’ll need to be even more careful when handling strongly-scented cleaning products, which often contain chemicals that can be especially abrasive to sensitive skin. Purchase a pair of long rubber gloves to wear when cleaning or handling cleaning agents.
-
5. Apply moisturizer after bathing.Once you’ve rinsed away the dirt and grime and feel fresh and clean, it’s time to slather on a layer of moisturizer. Don’t wait, though; apply your moisturizer right after you dry off. Look for a fragrance-free version that doesn’t irritate your skin. You might also try using petroleum jelly in some areas, if you’re prone to dry skin but not to acne.
-
-
6. Dress appropriately for the outdoors.If you’re going to be spending some time outside, consider the weather. Is your skin especially sensitive to wind? The cold? Heat? Check the weather report and don the right kind of clothes to protect your sensitive skin. Long sleeves and a hat may be your best bet.
-
7. Watch out for latex.Some people with sensitive skin may actually have an allergy to latex. Latex allergies often develop after repeated exposure to the latex and can cause hives and itching, among other symptoms. If you suspect you might be sensitive to latex, make sure those gloves you’re donning when washing your car or scrubbing the dishes don’t contain any latex.
-
8. Use sunscreen.Wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin against the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays is always a good plan. But be sure to read sunscreen bottle labels carefully to make sure you don’t purchase something with ingredients that will irritate your sensitive skin. If you’re not sure what triggers redness or itching, try a bit of sunscreen out on a small area of skin and wait to see if you develop a reaction.
-
9. Be wary of anti-aging products.We’d all like to shave a few years off our age and look younger, right? But applying a cream that makes your skin red, itchy, scaly or worse probably won’t achieve the results you were hoping for. Many anti-aging creams use a vitamin A-derivative called retinoids that can make fine lines look smoother. The downside is that they can be very irritating. Consult a dermatologist if you’re looking for an anti-aging product but are concerned how your skin will react.
Sensitive Skin | 9 Home Remedies for Sensitive Skin