For people with very sensitive skin, what's your routine?

[onwardsandupwards22]

I find when I cleanse / moisturise twice daily, my skin starts to break out but if I don't moisturise daily or cleanse only once a day then it's much clearer. I've read Caroline Hirons book and she talks about ALWAYS doing these steps so I'm finding it hard to cut them out / reduce them.

My skin type is dehydrated, sensitive and combination

If you have any products that work really well I would appreciate recommendations!

If your skin is fine by doing less, then do less. (caroline hirons needs to sell herself so she has to say something).

But if your skin is dry or dull if you don't wash and moisturise it, then check out products recommended by the eczema society. I think superdrug's vitamin E line is good, a lot of people find Simple good, also Moo Goo, La Roche Posay (I'm allergic to that one), I think Clinique is good (but some people don't). Look on the boots and superdrug websites and you'll see a few options, check out the reviews, but it is trial and error.

My skin sounds similar to yours, I used to get terrible break outs and rosacea until I realised that looking after my skin barrier made the biggest difference, sealing in as much moisture as I could. My morning routine is

CeraVe Hydrating cleanser
Spray with Simple toner (sounds like it's rubbish but it's actually got a couple of decent ingredients and is cheap as chips!)
Apply Nivea Soothing moisturiser straight away while my skin is still damp
Nivea BB cream (honestly, a few years ago everything I used cost a fortune but I've realised some of the cheaper, more basic stuff is just fine for my skin)
Pat Dr Jart Colour correcting over the top

Although saying all that, if doing less is making your skin better then perhaps that's the best route!

@Luredbyapomegranate

If your skin is fine by doing less, then do less. (caroline hirons needs to sell herself so she has to say something).

But if your skin is dry or dull if you don't wash and moisturise it, then check out products recommended by the eczema society. I think superdrug's vitamin E line is good, a lot of people find Simple good, also Moo Goo, La Roche Posay (I'm allergic to that one), I think Clinique is good (but some people don't). Look on the boots and superdrug websites and you'll see a few options, check out the reviews, but it is trial and error.

Thanks. I do best with body shop aloe range but not daily

I'm using neutrogena hydra boost cleanser which is good too

My skin is not dry, it's combination but it's dehydrated and often gets red when I use products so clearly some sensitivity. Things that don't agree break me out in spots but even things that seem fine (those mentioned above) need to be used irregularly

I'm going to try cerave next. I tried avene and my skin doesn't love it either

The la Rosce posay hydrating spray seems to be ok!

Never heard of dr jart colour so will check that out

I don't think I've ever tried Nivea but will look out! Does the simple toner come in a spray bottle? I tried the full simple range some years ago and my skin didn't love it

La Roche Posay Toleraine range is good for sensitive skin.
I've also used Eucerin Urea day cream and their urea body wash as a cleanser.
Chevk out whether you have peri oral dermatitis though - that was what broke out my skin around my nose and month. Rozex gel from the GP helps with that.

@onwardsandupwards22

Never heard of dr jart colour so will check that out

I don't think I've ever tried Nivea but will look out! Does the simple toner come in a spray bottle? I tried the full simple range some years ago and my skin didn't love it

The Dr Jart one is called Cicapair Colour Correcting Treatment, the whole range is nice but this one is my favourite product.

The simple toner just comes in a bottle, i decant it into a spray bottle but you could just as easily pour a bit on your hand and pat it on your face.

Sorry meant to say too, I probably wouldn't use a Simple face wash or anything as they might be simple but some of the things aren't particularly gentle! I also like the oil make up removing cleanser too though.

Cetaphil. Get the face wash and the face/body moisturiser. Try to be as gentle as you can with washing.

Check out the specialist skincare bit of boots basically. Avoid simple. Why do you use toner?

Hirons, and others like her, need to sell themselves and make money so like to push all sorts onto women. I ignore the lot of them to be honest.

I find serums work better for my skin than moisturiser. I use a gentle face wash and moisturise every 2-3days, depending on condition. I'll use a serum daily to every other day depending on condition. Bare Minerals Skin Longevity Serum and Liz Earle SuperSkin Serum are good.

The best thing for my skin is not to wash it too often with products, turn the temperature down jn the shower and avoid using my hairdryer on hot near my face. Too much heat seems to affect my skin.

Use Cetaphil which is formulated for sensitive skin. I buy the cleanser and moisturiser from Amazon.

I don't cleanse twice a day, would be too drying for me. In the morning only thing you really need is Spf.

I like the Inky List Oat Milk Cleanser and the La Roche Posay toleriane cream

Yes this is all I use then a cc cream with spf in the day.

Ignore people who say you need loads of steps.

There's a dermatologist, Sandy Skotnicki, who talks about washing your skin less and using fewer products. Her approach may be worth checking out for your skin.

Body shop vit e cleanser morning and evening, take off with plain water, then Nivea Q10 day cream and in evening a serum with Q10 night cream over the top. Skin much improved over a couple of months (and I get a reaction from Clinique so sensitive)!

Using as few products and ingredients as possible works best for me.

Morning: Very light rub with warm water and flannel - no product.
Moisturise with wheatgerm or avocado oil.
Sunscreen for sensitive skin - I used to use Ultrasun Face but couldn't buy it last time so I'm trying a Nivea one instead which seems ok.

Evening: Cleanse with almond oil and flannel. Moisturise with wheatgerm/avocado oil.

Giving up on foundation helped loads.

Hyaluronic acid straight after a shower onto wet skin has been a game changer for my sensitive/break out prone skin. As someone said earlier I think it protects the skin barrier.
There are various £5 ish serums in Boots, the Inkey List one is good.

Only cleanse once a day with a cleansing balm/gentle cleanser. Don’t double cleanse. Check your cleanser removes makeup.
Hyalauronic acid serum and oil free moisturiser in the morning; Clinique intense 75 hr cream at night. A gentle glycolic acid 3 times a week.
I have to use fragrance free, oil free, no ceramides or I get irritation and pimples.

I don’t have super sensitive skin but used to find that my cheeks always looked red after cleansing but don’t since I switched to an oil cleanser (previously used balms or cream cleansers). I use the DHC one and it is so lovely and gentle. I can now double cleanse without getting irritated skin for the first time!

Bioderma Sensibio micellar water was a game changer for my sensitive skin, the pink one you can get it on amazon. I use it in the evenings before bed. Also if you're having issues with spots and redness it might be rosacea, a couple of applications of Soolantra cream resolved that for me.

90+% of what I use on my face is either La Roche-Posay or Avenue. It's taken trial and error to work out the best bits for me from each range but both make my skin SO much happier than anything else. It was a game changer to find brands who's starting point is that everything is designed for sensitive skin

My skin has always been mildly sensitive, sometimes more so. When it’s bad, I skip cleansing in the morning, just splash with water then moisturise. I always cleanse in the evening to make sure I remove spf/make up/dirt. I don’t wear much make up, and use a tubing mascara so it only needs warm water. Then I use the inkey list fulvic acid foaming cleanser, which removes everything else. Any other foaming cleanser I’ve ever used feels harsh and leaves my skin dry, tight and squeaky. But this one is so gentle. Another cleansing combo I like like is Almond oil (supermarket) followed by Good Skin hot cloth cleanser. I like cerave moisturiser.

I use Simple face wash and then use Cetraban emollient for dry skin .
I'm 51 and fairly wrinkle and blemish free I think .
Tried some nice products over the years but just end up with red dry flakey skin 😬

I soak in the bath and I find my face sweats clean as I bathe. I also find adding a dash of unscented oil (baby oil type) and the end after I've washed my hair helps deposit a gentle moisturising layer on the skin.

If I use products, scrubs, face masks, perfumed moisturiser I'm a spotty red mess.

I've done my method for years. Less seems to be more.

I have very sensitive combination skin that can get irritated and inflamed with breakouts if I'm not careful. Anything remotely harsh sets me off. My exact routine right now is:

Morning
Warm water splashed on my face when I shower
Green People scent-free facial sunscreen (summer)

Evening
Evolve Kalahari Dream Cleansing Oil (designed to calm redness)
Lemon balm and witch hazel toner
Handmade Naturals face cleansing lotion for normal and dry skin (super light so works well as a moisturiser for my combination skin)

Maybe once a week, I'll use Evolve's Radiant Glow Face Mask. I only use a thin layer and it lasts me ages. I don't use makeup every day which also seems to help.