If you’ve experienced sensitive skin, you might have a lot of questions (after all, sensitive skin can be a sensitive topic) like – What is sensitive skin? What ingredients are bad for sensitive skin? How do I take care of sensitive skin? Do face oils and sensitive skin go together?
While we can’t address the first three questions bluntly without a more thorough explanation, we can answer the last one with ease: Face oils for sensitive skin is a match made in heaven! But, to find out the answers to the other questions, along with why sensitive skin and face oils work so well together, keep reading:
What Is Sensitive Skin?
When it comes to sensitive skin, board-certified dermatologist Purvisha Patel, M.D says, “It’s not a medical diagnosis, but more of a finding or complaint.” As it can sometimes be difficult to know if you have sensitive skin or not, she gives a definition: "Sensitive skin is characterized by skin that is not able to tolerate harsh conditions, chemicals, environments, or even some diets."
Often, sensitive skin is easily irritated by topical products or the wind, sun, heat, and/or cold. Other potential triggers of sensitive skin can include hormones, lack of sleep, and even air pollution. If exposed to one of these elements, sensitive skin often begins to burn or sting, turn red, or otherwise feel super uncomfortable.
Pictured: Sensitive Skin vs. Sensitized Skin | Source: Kalahari Lifestyles
What Can Cause Sensitive Skin?
"Sensitive skin is caused by nerve endings in the top layer of skin becoming irritated," says Amy B. Lewis, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. "The irritation of nerve endings occurs when the skin's natural barrier is weakened or broken down by triggers." But, she also mentions that there's a lesser-known culprit when it comes to triggering sensitive skin: skincare.
Generally, if you suffer from sensitive skin, it’s more reactive to soaps, detergents, dyes, and fragrances in skincare products. Using products that have triggering ingredients can result in itchiness, dryness, and reddening. In fact, Dr. Lewis says that your skincare routine is probably the most telling factor in whether or not you truly have sensitive skin.
A Brief Guide to Oils in Skincare
Face oils are a hot trend right now and with good reason; they can greatly benefit all skin types (especially sensitive!). If you’re a face oil newbie, here’s the scoop: Face oils are designed to provide your skin with moisture by locking in hydration. Typically, they’re formulated with a mix of plant oils that work to soften, nourish, and balance your skin for a healthy glow.
Oils can be used in skincare in a multitude of ways. For example, oils can be emulsified into a moisturizer and/or cream. Or oils can come in their purest form as a face oil. Without any emulsifier or stabilizers, using a face oil to reap the benefits of skin-friendly oils is one of the most ancient and natural ways to nourish your skin.
WTF Does the Comedogenic Rating of Oils Mean?
If you’ve ever heard someone mention the comedogenic rating of a product and weren’t sure of its meaning, don’t worry! You’re not alone. To summarize, the comedogenic rating is a scale that shows how likely an ingredient is to clog your pores. The scale goes between 0 – 5, with 0 being non-comedogenic and 5 being severely comedogenic.
Pictured: Comedogenic Rating Meaning | Source: Simple Pure Beauty
While there’s no way to predict how comedogenic a product’s final formula is, by analyzing ingredient lists, scientists are able to estimate a rating. But, to make skincare shopping much easier, here are a few non-comedogenic oils to look for:
- Argan Oil (Rating of 0)
- Hemp Seed Oil (Rating of 0)
- Pomegranate Seed Oil (Rating of 1)
- Prickly Pear Seed Oil (Rating of 0)
- Kukui Nut Oil (Rating of 0)
- Sea Buckthorn Oil (Rating of 1)
- Black Cumin Seed Oil (Rating of 1)
- Blackberry Seed Oil (Rating of 1)
- Sacha Inchi Oil (Rating of 1)
- Blue Tansy Oil (Rating of 1)
- Rosehip Oil (Rating of 1)
Pictured: Ingredients With High Comedogenic Ratings | Source: Pinterest
Looking for Face Oils for Sensitive Skin? Blunt Skincare Has You Covered!
At Blunt Skincare, we’re huge fans of face oils as they work instantly in the purest way possible, and they allow us to avoid using comedogenic chemicals as cannabis-derived ingredients are already oil-soluble. In fact, Blunt Skincare’s face oils are suitable for even the most sensitive skin, along with being gluten-free, allergen-free, and non-comedogenic. Plus, with Moonrock, Isolate, and/or Seed in your life, your skin will always be soothed, healthy, and lookin’ flawless 24/7.
To see which of Blunt Skincare’s face oils are right for you (or to grab one of each!) click here.
References:
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2. Duarte I, Silveira JEPS, Hafner MFS, Toyota R, Pedroso DMM. Sensitive skin: review of an ascending concept. An Bras Dermatol. 2017 Jul-Aug;92(4):521-525. doi: 10.1590/abd1806-4841.201756111. PMID: 28954102; PMCID: PMC5595600.
3. Farage MA. Understanding the Sensitive Skin Subject to Achieve a More Holistic Diagnosis. Cosmetics. 2021; 8(3):81. https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics803008
4. van Amerongen CCA, Ofenloch RF, Cazzaniga S, Elsner P, Gonçalo M, Naldi L, Svensson Å, Bruze M, Schuttelaar MLA. Skin exposure to scented products used in daily life and fragrance contact allergy in the European general population - The EDEN Fragrance Study. Contact Dermatitis. 2021 Jun;84(6):385-394. doi: 10.1111/cod.13807. Epub 2021 Mar 2. PMID: 33576005; PMCID: PMC8247875.