Understanding Sensitive Skin

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We get asked a lot…do you have products for sensitive skin? Will your products be good for my sensitive skin? As simple a question this might seem to be, it’s literally impossible to predict. There are so many different medical conditions that live under the umbrella of “sensitive skin.” Some skin sensitivities are caused by contact allergies. Some by eczema, acne, rosacea or psoriasis. Others have a condition called dermatographism, when the skin reacts in hive-like bumps to simple touching. Internal conditions like anemia or hypothyroidism can also cause skin sensitivity. Certain medications can also create the side effects of skin sensitivities, dryness, peeling, etc. Food allergies are also a big culprit that cause eczema and acne. Hormonal imbalances, fatty acid imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, candida overgrowth, immune system impairment–all of these contribute to skin problems. Because there are so many individual factors that come in to play, there is not one product that will work for everyone. Not even water. (Someone with dermatographism could rub water on their skin, rub it just a little too hard and they’ll break out.)

Our first inclination when we start to experience skin issues is to think about what we can put ON our skin. Having dry flaky skin that’s peeling? Our first thought is to apply lotion. And then when that doesn’t work, we try another lotion and another lotion until maybe you find something that will somewhat manage the symptom. But, until you figure out what’s causing the eczema on the inside, you’re only covering up the symptom and not treating the problem.

Last year I had a strange problem. My lips started peeling and wouldn’t stop. Soon it developed in to a bright red ring all around my lips. It was extremely embarrassing, as here I make lip balm for a living! I learned that the condition is called cheilitis. After trying numerous things I finally visited a Naturopath. Turned out that it was caused by hormonal imbalances! I got them back in line by starting up on my flax seeds again (don’t know how or why I would have been failing to take them!) and taking some supplements that she recommended. Two weeks later my lips were back to normal, along with my hormones.

Now, it just so happened that we came out with our pomegranate kiss lip balm at about the same time that my problem started. For months I thought that I was allergic to this lip balm. But now that I’ve gotten my internal balance back in check, I can use it, and every one of our lip balms, with no issues whatsoever. It wasn’t the culprit, but, again, we always have a tendency to look to the external when it comes to skin conditions. When a skin condition pops up, we tend to think “what did I put ON my skin that caused this?  When in fact, in so many cases, the products that we’ve been applying to our skin have nothing to do with the problem or the solution. Our skin is an organ that’s kind of the great indicator of something that’s going awry inside our bodies. (Of course there are plenty of exceptions and many true contact allergies, but the point still remains that we need to look at the body as a whole, and not just at the one organ that has visual symptoms.)

Many times drugs are to blame. Accutane is one of the biggest ones. The use of accutane and similar drugs will treat acne, but later in life, it can cause skin sensitivity, especially to sunlight, where skin becomes easily burned. In fact, any drug can cause eczema, hives, or other skin eruptions. “Almost any medicine can induce skin reactions, and certain drug classes, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antibiotics and antiepileptics, have drug eruption rates approaching 1–5%” (Source.) So, if you have developed mysterious skin issues, you may want to visit with your doctor about the medications that you are taking.

Another consideration to dry, itchy, sensitive or irritated skin, is the water in your home.  Chlorinated water can cause a host of skin problems.  Hard water can also leave irritating deposits on your skin.  Simple shower head filters can make a big difference (or a whole-house filtration/softening system as well.)

Of course, everyone’s skin is different, and there are true contact allergies to substances, whether they’re synthetic chemical or an organic herb.  But always keep in mind that our skin is a reflection of what’s going on inside the body, and my suggestion is to look at internal, as well as external causes when you’re dealing with sensitive skin. 

2012-09-05 18:19:24

Source: http://bubbleandbee.blogspot.com/2012/09/understanding-sensitive-skin.html