What exactly is sensitive skin?
When we talk about sensitive skin, we're not referring to a skin type (normal, dry, combination, or oily) but rather to a "condition." Sensitive skin is fragile and intolerant. It is easily irritated by external elements—such as cold, wind, sun, and even certain cosmetic products—or by internal factors like stress and anxiety. It reacts excessively: it's reactive skin with a low tolerance threshold.
Why do we have sensitive skin?
With age, hormonal changes and the lifestyle we adopt (or endure) (city life and pollution, stress, smoking, good or bad diet, hard water…) the composition of the hydrolipidic film of our skin varies.
The hydrolipidic film is our skin's protective barrier, preserving its firmness, elasticity, and above all, its comfort. It maintains optimal hydration levels in the superficial layer of our epidermis. It also maintains an acidic pH of 5.5, which prevents the penetration of microorganisms harmful to the skin and keeps the skin microbiota, its natural ecosystem, healthy.
It is composed of an aqueous phase, meaning liquid: sweat and water. And an oily phase, made up of sebum. The balance between these two phases is essential for the hydrolipidic film to function properly.
In sensitive skin, this balance is disrupted, leaving it fragile and vulnerable to changes in temperature, humidity, pollen, or certain products. It is also overexposed to bacteria. In reaction, feeling threatened, sensitized skin sends signals that manifest as tingling, redness, or a burning sensation.
Differentiating between sensitive skin, rosacea, and allergies
In order to properly target your skincare routine, it is important to differentiate between three skin problems that can occasionally present fairly similar symptoms.
SENSITIVE SKIN
This is intolerant skin that overreacts to factors that do not normally irritate healthy skin (cold or heat, wind, sun, pollen, stress and anxiety, or certain cosmetic products). It presents with temporary redness, which is permanent in the case of couperose and rosacea.
COUPEROSE
It also causes permanent redness on the skin and presents as small dilated blood vessels on the face (most often on the sides of the nose, cheeks, and cheekbones). This redness can worsen with alcohol and coffee consumption, smoking, or a diet that is too spicy. Couperose is generally the first stage of rosacea, which, in addition to permanent redness, can cause acne.
SKIN ALLERGY
Here, the skin still shows redness and itching, but this is due to an allergic reaction (pollen, pet dander, detergent, antibiotic treatment, etc.). When faced with an allergen, the immune system triggers an alarm system, which can lead to the appearance of rashes or swelling.
