While sensitive skin can appear anywhere on the body, it is at its most obvious on the face. It occurs when skin’s natural barrier function is compromised, causing water loss and allowing penetration of irritants. Symptoms are exacerbated by factors that facial skin is most exposed to, from the sun to some ingredients in cosmetics and cleansers.
Having a greater understanding of the causes of sensitive facial skin, and the factors that can worsen it, can help reduce its impact and lessen occurrences.
Symptoms of sensitive facial skin may be:
- Flaking, redness, rashes, swelling, scaling and roughness.
- They can be accompanied by sensations of itching, burning, tightness and prickling.
These symptoms can appear anywhere on the face. They share similarities to those presented by other skin conditions, especially symptoms associated with moisture deficiency.
Reactive hypersensitive facial skin common in women than men, and may be related to cosmetic practice and age, and goes along with an increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Symptoms occur after applying products to skin and may be experienced immediately, or be noticed hours or days later. These unpleasant sensations have been subjectively described as, among other things, stinging and burning, and can be accompanied by redness (erythema), scaling and pustules. Using products with very few, well-tolerated ingredients is key to reducing the impact of this condition.
