Color Me Bonita - How to ID Sensitive Skin

We asked our in house skin care expert Daniela how to tell if we have sensitive skin. Here's what she said.

Do you have sensitive skin? Quite a few people say they do. Is there any doubt? Most people report sensitivity based on experience; irritation from a product or breakouts noticed several days later.

Considering so many acne products are not made well and some sensitive skin products may not even be great for sensitivity, it’s important to distinguish “sensitive” from “sensitized”. Here are some definitions that might help you to decide.

Sensitive Skin: This (usually) thin skin gets red, burned, and itched at the drop of a hat. Reactions include welts and rashes.

Sensitized Skin: This skin has been bothered by a substance that just about anybody might react badly to. Skin that’s dried out too much, for instance, will lose its integrity and actually become broken and thin, so blood vessels and nerve endings are closer to the surface, creating sensitivity.

Acnegenic (ack-ne-ge-nic) Reaction : Distinguished from the more common term Comedogenic, meaning pore clogging. If an ingredient slightly irritates the lining of a pore, resulting in redness and swelling, while this counts as “sensitivity”, the skin doesn’t have to categorize as “sensitive”.

Reactive: I’ve seen instances where there isn’t sensitivity to any particular product, but every time the face is touched, a breakout occurs. These pores react to friction very easily.

   

If you’d like personal help in deciding what skin type you have and what products you should use, Daniela offers a free service called Eval by Email. It won’t be free for long, so you’ll want to take advantage now. Answers to her questions about your skin and current routine gets you a full analysis by email, plus a free sample packet sent to your home. Email her at skin911@daniela.com. Mention Color Me Styled and get 10% off your first order of product.