I have been cursed with sensitive, pale, blotchy, red, dry skin. Many of my teenage years were dedicated to finding products that worked on my skin by helping it instead of hurting it. I am going to share my skincare routine, and what I have found to be best for my skin type. Hopefully it can guide you in the right direction, or even work for you, too!
Step 1: Find a face wash that does not dry your skin out, exfoliate, have salicylic acid, or strip you of your natural oils. For me, this doesn’t leave a whole lot of options. I don’t buy drugstore face wash for this reason (except CeraVe or Cetaphil). They end up being too harsh on my skin and leave me red, dry, and itchy. My all-time favorite face wash is Glossier’s “Milky Jelly Face Wash”. It is extremely gentle and is so milky that it will never dry your skin out. It is supposed to be put on dry skin when you have makeup on and does a fantastic job of taking off mascara. I put about two pumps of Milky Jelly on my dry face and gently massage it onto my face until I feel like my makeup is dissolving and then I wash my face with cold water. The cold water helps not irritate my skin or make it itchy or red. I do not have acne-prone skin so I don’t worry about the cold water not opening my pores.
Step 2: PAT YOUR FACE DRY. Do not violently rub a towel all over your face to get water off! This is so important! If you truly have sensitive skin, the towel material is too harsh and will irritate your skin so PAT dry don’t rub.
Step 3: Serum. I love this step. Serum gives you the perfect opportunity to play around with your skin and see what it really needs. I use vitamin C extract oil on my face every night and I wake up glowing. It makes my face soft and smooth with a certain healthy sparkle. Put it on before lotion to add moisture and to let your skin absorb it all.
Step 4: Lotion. If you wash your face and you don’t put on lotion after, you’re asking to eventually get cracked, dry skin. Lotion brands I recommend are Cetaphil and CeraVe. Every dermatologist ever recommends them, and it’s for a reason. They were designed by dermatologists directly and have different types of lotion for all skin types. I personally use the normal face lotion for people with normal to dry skin. Usually, specialized lotions make my skin bumpy and gross. The other face lotion I love is Clinique, it’s yellow and it is the perfect priming moisturizer in the morning before makeup.
Remember that everyone’s skin is different, but I hope that my process leads you in the right direction! Good luck on your hunt for sensitive-skin-friendly products!