Sensitive skin refers to skin that shares common symptoms such as irritation, redness, itch, and rashes, often when it comes into contact with certain cosmetic products, clothes, or even laundry detergents. While true allergies are relatively uncommon, sensitivities to common cosmetic ingredients, especially to fragrance, is quite common. If you find that your skin reacts negatively to many skincare products, you very likely have sensitive skin.

What you need to do is clear: Find out what triggers your skin sensitivities and avoid it. In practice this can be more complicated as there are often several factors involved, and isolating it can be hard. With skincare products, you will need to do some experimenting until you find the product that works for you. A good start is by selecting products that are designed for sensitive skin that we recommend. There is no guarantee that your skin will not react, but it should be less likely to. Once you find the product that works well, stick to it. You should take the same approach with anything that contacts your skin; common culprits are clothing, laundry detergents, and fabric softeners.

People with sensitive skin can face serious challenges whenever they choose any products that contact their skin, from skincare products to perfume to laundry detergent. Dermatologists look at the ingredient lists for common irritants, and concentrations of them in cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreen products when recommending them for people with sensitive skin. As a general rule, fragrance free products are often recommended, as many fragrances contain ingredients that trigger reactions in people with sensitive skin.