Skin Concern: Sensitive Skin
Using the wrong skincare is the biggest cause of sensitive skin.
Why do you have sensitive skin?
You have a sensitive type because your skin’s barrier function is not performing at 100%.
Your skin has one very vital function: to act as a barrier to the environment. In fact, your skin is a vital organ. Your skin’s natural acid mantle helps stop skin-ageing pollution from penetrating your skin, defends against irritants such as pollen, and stops skin-plumping hydration from leaving your skin.
Sensitive skin symptoms
When the skin’s natural barrier function is impaired, your skin will become extremely reactive. Leave this untreated and you will notice the following symptoms:
- Increasingly reactive and sensitive skin
- Constant irritation which feels itchy, tight and taut
- Redness and inflammation
- Flaky, patchy, rough skin tone
- Dull, dry and dehydrated skin
- Persistent sting and burn sensations
If you take the right action to help rebuild your skin’s barrier function, you will help effectively reverse your sensitive skin symptoms. Your skin will cease to react to skincare. Instead, it will start to feel smooth, soft and comfortable again, looking hydrated, youthful and even.
Which choice are you going to make?
You have sensitive skin as a result of one or more of these reasons:
- Use of harsh cleansing products
- Over cleansing or over-exfoliation
- Hard water
- Excessive sun exposure
- Too long (or too hot) showering
- Swimming frequently
- Low air humidity / temperature extremes
- Stress / health issues
- Hormone changes
- Excessively dry or dehydrated skin
Which cause is the driving reason for your sensitive skin? Can you pick it out easily?
Ask yourself these questions:
Does my skin feel ultra-sensitive, tight, taut and itchy as soon as I’ve used a cleanser?
Did my sensitive skin begin when I moved house? When I started showering at the gym or away from home?
Does your skin feel most sensitive after spending time outside?
Is my skin most sensitive after showering? Do I shower for more than 5 minutes a day?
Did my skin sensitivity begin when I started swimming regularly?
Does my skin sensitivity flare up at certain times of the year?
Do my sensitive skin episodes happen when I’m very busy?
Did my sensitive skin develop when I was pregnant or went through menopause?
Did my skin first become dry, then sensitive?
Understanding the cause or causes of your sensitive skin is the first step to helping resolve it. Ignore your cause and you’ll experience sensitive skin forever more. Treat your cause now and your sensitive skin may permanently refind normal.
Don’t believe these common sensitive skin myths:
Using too many cosmetic products is the cause of your sensitive skin
Wrong. Sensitive skin is not caused by using too many cosmetic products. Instead, it is caused by following the wrong skincare routine, or no skincare at all. Use no skincare products and your sensitive skin may get worse. Use skincare which is not sensitive skin friendly, such as a cleanser that is not adjusted to your skin’s natural pH, and your skin sensitivity will likely get worse. However, use the right skincare and cosmetics and your sensitive skin can get better.
Having sensitive skin means you have an allergy
Wrong. Sensitive skin is a skin condition which can be temporary. Having an allergy is a lifelong medical condition. Skin sensitivity is caused by an unhealthy skin barrier. Skin allergies are caused by inappropriate immune responses.
How can you tell the difference? Allergic reactions usually come with rashes, swelling and breathing difficulty. They are quick and severe.
Hypoallergenic skincare is best for sensitive skin
Wrong. Sensitive skin and allergic reactions are not the same. Therefore, hypoallergenic skincare will not be the best fit for you if your skin is sensitive, but if you do not have any allergies.
Also, keep in mind that there is no standard test to make sure that a particular skincare product is hypoallergenic. The term has very different meanings, depending on the skincare company that uses it.
Bottom line: The term “hypoallergenic” does not guarantee that a skincare product is sensitive skin friendly. Instead, choose pH-balanced skincare, that is rich in skin-similar oils and lipids.
If you have sensitive skin, you shouldn’t wear makeup
Wrong. Your skin is sensitive because it has a poor barrier function. Well-chosen skincare and cosmetics can help rebuild your skin’s barrier function. Skincare does this by reconditioning, and makeup does this by forming a second protective layer.
Wear the right makeup i.e. a natural mineral makeup and you could help relieve your sensitive skin. While using the right skincare will help reverse sensitive skin, using the right makeup will help temporarily relieve symptoms.
At griffin+row, the product development journey always starts with the ingredients. We produce naturally effective skincare, free of harmful chemicals, using active ingredients such as the ones below:
If your skin is sensitive, your current skincare probably contains ingredients that aggravate the condition. How do we know? Because good skincare should be designed to soothe and calm your skin.
Ingredients that help fix sensitive skin
Anti-inflammatory and healing ingredients Ingredients chosen for their anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, balancing and healing properties, including our signature ingredient, centipeda cunninghamii, which for thousands of years has been used by Aboriginals to treat wounds, burns and inflammation. Hydrating natural moisturising factors (NMFs) Skin used to rely on self-created moisturising factors. In today’s polluted and air-conditioned environment, the skin needs a helping hand. Hydrate contains ingredients that mimic the skin’s moisture-binding natural moisturising factors, therefore increasing the effectiveness of your moisturiser.
Barrier-repairing and conditioning ingredients Ingredients that replenish your skin’s natural lipids, which are required to repair and condition the skin’s natural barrier function. Natural fragrance The fragrance in our skincare comes from natural ingredients such as fragonia, bergamot, sweet orange and rose essential oil. Nothing that will further sensitise your skin. pH-balance Cleanse has a pH-level close to what’s required by your skin. As a result, healthy lipids are not stripped from your skin, as is the case with most other soaps and cleansers on the market today.
Beware of synthetic fragrance in skincare “Fragrance” or “perfume” are generic terms used by manufacturers on cosmetic labels for ingredients that they do not want to disclose. Fragrance was voted the “Allergen of the Year” by the American Contact Dermatitis Society. Artificial fragrances can often contain up to hundreds of different chemicals, any of which can sensitise your skin and cause a reaction. It goes without saying that we at griffin+row do not use synthetic additives and the aroma of our products is derived from natural ingredients.
What do you get when you ask a PhD-qualified research scientist to develop a naturally effective skincare system?
The result is griffin+row, a synergistic blend of the purest plant extracts chosen for their antioxidant and regenerative properties. Developed from the ground up to address the visible signs of skin ageing, including dry skin and skin dehydration.
Why 28 days? – At griffin+row, we would like to give you better skin tomorrow. The reality is that there is no quick fix – transforming your skin takes time and effort, as many underlying causes need to be addressed.
Our skincare takes time to become effective, as skin cells take around 28 days to renew. Within two weeks, people will generally start to see change, but results will get even better over time. Our skincare is not a quick fix, as it supports skin’s natural functions at each level, and provides it with nutrition to slow down ageing.
Our simple 5-step skincare system
Step 1 – Cleanse
griffin+row Cleanse is pH balanced and sensitive skin friendly taking away only impurities while respecting and rebuilding your skins moisture balance. Watch the gentle gel to foam formula expand, cleanse and condition in less than a minute.
When to use: Use nightly to remove makeup and impurities.
Step 2 – Exfoliate
griffin+row Exfoliate treats your dry skin symptoms aka flaky skin. Exfoliating the right number of times a week helps dry skin fixing moisturisers absorb deeply, getting to where they need to be to help fix dry skin.
When to use: 2 x a week.
Step 3 – Hydrate
griffin+row Hydrate helps create a supple, even, comfortable skin tone free from irritation and dryness. Made from skin identical moisture factors hydration is bound and locked into your skin.
When to use: 2 x a day before applying Nourish or Enrich
Step 4 – Nourish
griffin+row Nourish Natural Skin Moisturiser restores your skin’s radiance and rebuilds its resilience. Packed with moisture locking oils and butters your dry skin barrier can be repaired, restored and returned to normal.
When to use: Morning.
Step 5 – Enrich
griffin+row Enrich deeply nourishes your dry skin to relieve its cause – a lack of skin oils. Packed with nourishing oils and butters it not only helps fix dry skin it also protects against it with potent antioxidants.
When to use: Evening.
