Sensitive skin: the short list that calms things down
With sensitive skin, every extra product is another chance to react. Start minimal, add one thing at a time, wait two weeks.
Sensitive routine
Morning
- Rinse with lukewarm water
- Barrier moisturiser
- Mineral or gentle sunscreen
Evening
- Mild cleanser
- Barrier moisturiser (panthenol, ceramides)
Before adding a new product
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A useful sensitive-skin reset is deliberately boring: lukewarm water, a gentle cleanser (or just water in the morning), a plain moisturizer, and broad-spectrum SPF 30+ in the daytime. Look for a fragrance-free formula; ceramides, glycerin, and petrolatum can be sensible options, but even familiar ingredients can irritate some people. “Hypoallergenic” isn’t a guarantee.
Add only one new product at a time, and keep the rest of the routine steady for about two weeks. Patch-test first on a small area; stop if you get persistent stinging, itching, or worsening redness. Skip scrubs, exfoliating acids, retinoids, and fragranced products during the reset, then reintroduce only what you have a reason to use.
If the reaction is sudden, painful, swollen, blistering, or keeps recurring, a dermatologist should take a look rather than trying to troubleshoot it with more skincare. Which step tends to be hardest to simplify: cleanser, moisturizer, or sunscreen?