4 soothing ingredients to look out for if you have sensitive skin

Sensitive skin can be like living with a ticking time bomb. You just never know when it's going to flare up, so look out for these ingredients to keep it calm.

Sensitive skin can be a tricky one to deal with. Usually, sensitivity goes hand in hand with all the other skin issues you can face. Most of us will be trying to deal with dry skin, oily skin, acne skin or ageing skin. If your skin is sensitive or reactive you always have to be mindful that the products you choose might flare up our skin. A flare-up can be anything from light redness to a full-on burning sensation with angry, red, lumpy skin. There are a few ingredients to look out for in products that work to soothe most sensitive skin.

Vitamin E

This is my favourite ingredient for sensitive and sensitised skin types. Vitamin E is like an actual hug for your skin. Vitamin E is full of antioxidants so it protects your skin from free radicals that attack it on a daily basis. It is also a great healer. If used overnight it will work in sync with your skin's natural processes. Our skin regenerates itself while we sleep. Vitamin E will help to strengthen the upper layers of the skin to give it added protection throughout the day. It is often used to heal scar tissue or on burns, because of its powerful healing properties.

Rose Oil

For ages, rose has been used in the care of sensitive skin. Rose water toners have lasted the test of time for a reason and it's because they really work. Rose oil and rose extract have anti-inflammatory properties. They are calming, soothing and moisturising for sensitive skin.

Cucumber

Cucumber will often be found in products intended for sensitive skin. Cucumbers contain caffeic acid and vitamin C to reduce redness, reduce puffiness and soothe the skin. It has anti-inflammatory properties so it's very soothing for already sensitised skin.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is another naturally occurring ingredient that has forever been used in the treatment of sensitive skin. You'll find Aloe Vera is always recommended after having laser treatment. It's because of the intensely refreshing feeling it provides. It's really cooling and soothing. It has anti-oxidant properties so, like vitamin E, it helps protect against the everyday nasties.

Always remember that if you have particularly sensitive or reactive skin you should be aware of ingredients that flare it up. Often, people can have an allergy to something that they don't know about. If you regularly get flare-ups, allergy testing could be beneficial. Before using any new product you should patch test it on the inside of your arm before using it.