Skincare for Reactive Skin

What Is Reactive Skin?

Reactive skin is hypersensitive skin that is easily triggered by a wide range of external factors, including:

• Temperature changes
• Lifestyle
• Stress
• Harsh skincare ingredients
• Aggressive skincare routine
• Environmental factors
• Hormones
• Fragrances
• Other external irritants

Some individuals may have a hard time pinpointing specific triggers, as reactive skin can be prone to any combination of external factors. When the skin experiences a state of hypersensitivity, it can overreact and begin to show physical symptoms. Reactive skin needs to be treated with gentle, sensitive care that reflects its delicate relationship to the world it’s exposed to.

The Difference Between Sensitive and Reactive Skin

Sensitive skin refers to skin with a weaker skin barrier, which can cause heightened reactions to certain external triggers. But, while sensitive skin is reactive, reactive skin is not always considered to be sensitive. 

Both sensitive skin and reactive skin flare up from exposure to external triggers. Reactive skin often responds to specific external triggers. For example, certain skincare products like those containing fragrance may cause flare ups in reactive skin. In another example, an allergic reaction to a certain ingredient can also cause a flare up. 

For reactive skin, recognizing the triggers and avoiding them can heal the skin barrier and reduce physical symptoms. Sensitive skin, on the other hand, is more chronic. It can be difficult for sensitive skin to remain fully healed due to its weaker skin barrier. 

How to Tell If You Have Reactive Skin

Reactive skin is often easy to recognize due to physical signs on the surface of the skin. If you experience redness, stinging, burning, dryness, or irritation you may have reactive skin. Symptoms can come up unexpectedly or repeatedly after exposure to the same external factors. Reactive flare ups, unlike those with sensitive skin, usually calm down once they are no longer exposed to the trigger. 

By recognizing reactive skin, you can take proactive steps to heal your skin barrier and re-balance your skin. This can also help you avoid triggers that can cause long-term damage on the surface of your skin. 

Skincare Routines

Skincare routines play a key role in rejuvenating reactive skin after exposure to triggers. These routines require delicate steps and gentler products to avoid flare-ups. 

To protect your skin from hypersensitivity, follow this gentle skincare routine:

• Avoid extreme temperatures when washing your face. Wash with lukewarm water to avoid stressing the skin during cleansing. 
• Only use gentle cleansers that are free from fragrance and harsh ingredients. 
• Lock in moisture to protect and repair the skin barrier after cleansing. 
• Always protect the skin from harsh UV light using SPF daily. 
• Patch test new skincare products to ensure your skin doesn’t react negatively to the ingredients. 
• Avoid over irritating the skin through too many skincare routine steps or overuse of products. 

Following a gentler skincare routine is the first proactive step towards beautiful, relaxed, and refreshed skin. 

Our Reactive Skin Products

Our skincare uses botanical formulas to relieve reactive skin from its triggers and repair the skin barrier. If you are looking for products to improve your skincare routine for reactive skin, we recommend these fragrance-free products:

• Fresh Awakening: our gentle cleanser for all skin types, including reactive skin, formulated with olive oil, rice bran oil, and propanediol
• Timeless Hydration: our repairing moisturizer to protect and strengthen the skin barrier after cleansing

All of our skincare products use plant-based formulas that avoid unnecessary chemicals known to irritate reactive skin. By prioritizing use of gentle products, you will remove one common cause of skin irritation in reactive and hypersensitive skin.