Best Cleansers for Sensitive, Reactive Skin 

Sensitive skin is very delicate to deal with, anything could react to their skin and cause skin irritation and inflammation. A reactive skin gets easily triggered by environmental factors, skincare ingredients and other stressors. This often creates a dilemma for them to use any product on their face. 

It takes a lot of effort and thinking while choosing a simple skincare product like a face cleanser. The skin barrier of sensitive skin is already compromised and using the wrong kind of cleanser could make their skin excessively dry, tight and cause redness. It could also cause acne flare ups. 

So sensitive, reactive people always need to be extra cautious and mindful while selecting their face cleanser. A cleanser is mostly meant for serving the purpose of clearing the dirt, oil and other impurities from the face. 

Using a traditional cleanser could strip the moisture barrier and damage the sensitive skin even more because it contains harsh surfactants. So it is advised to switch to a better alternative which is specially formulated to be suitable for sensitive skin. Incorporating barrier repair ingredients and mild cleansing agents in face cleansers could be ideal for sensitive and reactive skin.

Understanding sensitive, reactive skin

The skin has a protective shield which is basically the stratum corneum of the skin. This thin layer of the skin is held together by ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol. It helps in keeping the moisture locked into the skin. 

In sensitive skin this barrier layer is compromised and nerve endings beneath the skin get exposed. This makes the skin easily affected by any changes like skincare, environmental stressors, climatic changes could trigger the sensory nerves and result in inflammation, redness or itching. 

Also the compromised skin barrier causes increased transepidermal loss of water which makes the skin appear dry and damaged. External toxins can enter the skin and cause problems as the barrier layer is damaged. It reacts to any triggering substance and shows visible signs of irritation.

Why can’t harsh cleansers be used?

Harsh cleansers used for other skin types could be triggering for sensitive skin because their skin barrier is very delicate and reactive. These cleansers use harsh sulfate based detergents for cleansing which strips the moisture barrier. A sensitive skin can’t tolerate this and this results in excessive dryness and irritation on the face. This could even cause breakouts on the face. 

Key characteristics of a face to be considered

• A pH balanced face cleanser would not damage the skin
• Use non-comedogenic ingredients
• Avoid using harsh sulfate based products
• Opt for cream or lotion based face wash
• Consider gentle cleansing face washes
• Non fragrant products are ideal
• Opt for skin repairing ingredients 

Ideal ingredients for a sensitive skin

Ingredients to avoid

• Avoid harsh surfactants that strip the barrier layer completely
• Avoid fragrant ingredients that could cause skin irritation and redness
• Avoid drying alcohols that could make skin tight and increase TEWL
• Avoid synthetic colorants
• Avoid harsh preservatives and parabens

How to gently cleanse sensitive skin?

In order to protect sensitive skin use face wash properly and gently.

• Wash your hands properly first then wash your face
• Use water to wash your face at suitable temperature, it should not be very hot
• Take the face wash in hands
• Gently apply it to the face
• Massage face wash on face in circular motion (do not rub harshly)
• Massage for about a minute
• Rinse face wash with lukewarm water
• Pat dry using soft towel
• Apply a lightweight, skin soothing moisturizer after that
• Apply SPF during the day time to protect from UV triggers

Tips for better skin protection

• Use face wash twice a day not more than that
• Do not rub products harshly on the face
• Always use suitable skincare products
• Consult dermatologist before using active skin treatments
• Always choose SPF that is suitable for sensitive skin
• Do not several layer skincare products without consultation

Wrapping up

Sensitive skin often bears the burden of selecting skincare products, it is very complex to find the right skincare regimen for their skin. A skin friendly face wash for sensitive skin should be formulated with supporting barrier repair and cleansing ingredients. It must be able to repair the damaged barrier and not cause any skin irritation.