Caring For Sensitive Skin

In caring for sensitive skin, opting for natural skin care products can be beneficial. Embracing a vegan skin care routine further optimises the risk of irritation, ensuring gentle and cruelty-free solutions for your skin. Having sensitive skin can be difficult, as it is effected so easily by different factors, normally cold weather, hot weather, or food/drink we put in our bodies. It is important to be mindful of this and protect your sensitive skin as much as possible, as early in life as you can. Keeping out of the sun and staying in the shade is a good idea, but this can’t always be done, so ensure you cover up when in the direct sun. Also wearing a high SPF on your skin is preferable (50 SPF if possible). I wish I had done these things more when I was in my teens/20s, as I had many sun/holiday skin nightmares including huge pus blisters, red raw skin, and sunstroke. I used Calamine Lotion and Aloe Vera gel a lot to heal my skin.

Top Ingredients to Use for Sensitive Skin

• Calendula

• Chamomile

• Aloe vera

• Lavender

• Jojoba oil

• Squalane

My Top Skin Tips

• Use high SPF on your skin, even when its not sunny. Use it in your foundation and your sunscreen

• Use a caring light facial oil that soothes and softens skin. I use my Calming Calendula Facial Oil

• Drink lots of water throughout the day to keep your skin hydrated

• Cover up in the heat if you can

• Get plenty of sleep - at least 7 hours

• Avoid food and drink that could ‘inflame’ your skin - food with lots of sugar and salt, spicy food, caffeine, alcohol, sugary sodas

Skincare for Sensitive Skin Solutions

If you are having problems with your sensitive skin, try to work out what ingredients or products might be causing the issue and avoid them if you can.

• Use gentle, soothing, natural skin care products on your skin, containing ingredients as mentioned above

• Avoid products that are artificially fragranced, and that have alcohol and harsh detergents in

• Strengthen and repair your skin barrier by using ingredients containing GLA (gamma linolenic acid) and other essential fatty acids, ceramides and phytosterols. Avoid oils with a high content of oleic acid

Natural and Vegan Skin Care Products

Explore the realm of natural skin care to nurture and protect your sensitive skin with products tailored to its unique needs. When I was studying with the School of Natural Skincare, one of the first natural products I made was a Chamomile Toner. It was so light and refreshing on my skin, and had a lovely smell. Several of my certified products I formulated I use on my own sensitive skin to help:

• Calming Calendula Facial Oil - light, softening and soothing for your skin

• Soothing Flower Facial Balm - calms and soothes irritated skin

• Cocoa Passion Body Butter - moisturises and softens dry sensitive skin

Food to Help Your Skin

A healthy and varied diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and omega 3 fatty acids is key to keeping your skin hydrated and providing all the vitamins and minerals it needs to function healthily. Research seems to indicate that antioxidant-rich foods have a protective effect for the skin.

You can help your skin to be healthy-looking by including the following things in your diet:

• Selenium – helps protect skin from free-radicals and is found in foods like Brazil nuts, prawns, lamb, fish, turkey, sardines, and whole-wheat pasta

• Antioxidants - important for slowing and preventing free-radical damage and maintaining healthy cells. Found especially in colourful fruits and vegetables like berries, beetroot, squash, peppers, tomatoes and spinach

• Vitamin A – vital to repair skin and is found in foods such as leafy green vegetables, oranges, carrots, dairy foods and melon

• Vitamin B – is thought to support skin, hair and muscle tone, and found in nuts, seeds, dark leafy vegetables, lentils and brown rice

• Vitamin C – helps protect the skin from sun damage and repair cells. Foods such as citrus fruits, kiwis, broccoli and bell peppers

• Vitamin E – thought to be one of the most effective vitamins for sensitive skin. Vital for rescuing skin from sun damage and reducing inflammation. You can find this vitamin in vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, greens and asparagus