The Skin Nerd: Be sensitive and savvy about best bargains for red skin

What to avoid and what to opt for when shopping for reactive skin on a budget

Wed, 28 Oct, 2020 - 06:00

Hi Jenn!

I have very sensitive skin - I'd love to know what ingredients to look out for when I am buying skincare. I don't mind spending if it's for something that won't irritate my skin but I'm very surprised by the expensive creams that have parfum or fragrance in the ingredients list.

What else should I be avoiding - and are there any budget moisturisers and cleansers that I should put on my shopping list? I prefer buying in a chemist or shop where I can see the product - I don't want to buy online - I'm very nervous about online shopping.

Margo, West Cork

Hi Margo,

You are not the only sensitive-skinned person who needs to avoid fragrance or parfum. Although I don’t believe that all skincare needs to be fragrance-free, it is true that for those incredibly reactive skin it’s best avoided, especially if you have reacted to fragrances in the past (that’s including essential oils, which can also be irritating for some).

Realistically, you only need to avoid what you know irritates your skin. However, at the same time, there are certain ingredients that are known irritants with regard to skin like yours, including high levels of sulphates, witch hazel, linalool and drying alcohols such as denatured alcohol (on the other hand, fatty alcohols tend to be great for sensitive or dry skins).

There are plenty of products that you can find in pharmacies and shops for sensitive skin! I talk about this cleanser a lot when it comes to budget options, but give the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser (€10, selected pharmacies) a go. It contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides to hydrate and help to soothe the skin, and it is fragrance-free and non-foaming for skin comfort.

In general, I would recommend a serum in any skincare routine. The best route would be to include a vitamin A serum formulated for sensitive skin, using the fat form of vitamin A retinyl palmitate which is better tolerated by most skins than retinol. If it fits your price range, our very own Skingredients Skin Protein is fragrance-free and comes in at €42, and it would be very beneficial long-term.

If you are budget-conscious, MooGoo Rosa Canina (Rosehip) Fruit Oil (€22.99, selected pharmacies) will help to hydrate, soothe and nourish the skin post cleansing and prior to a heavier cream and as the only ingredient is rosehip oil, there is nothing in there that will annoy your skin.

The Avène Tolerance range is amazing for sensitive skin, and a little goes a long way. The Tolerance Extreme Cream (€22, theskinnerd.com and selected pharmacies) is a rich daily moisturiser with minimal ingredients and it is fragrance-free too. It contains shea butter, which nourishes the upper layers of the skin, glycerine, a water-binding hydrator and the signature Avène thermal spring water which has natural anti-itch capabilities.

You haven’t asked about SPF, so you may have found one that you adore, but for very sensitive skin, mineral is the way forward. In terms of price, I know this is not considered budget – however, it will last you, and SPF is a worthwhile investment as it protects your skin from the external aggressors such as UVA and UVB that can cause our skin to age faster that it would. Skingredients Skin Shield SPF 50 PA+++ (€42, skingredients.com and selected pharmacies) is a mineral filter SPF that protects from UVA, UVB, pollution and HEV (blue light from screens) daily.

I want to finish off by saying I understand your nervousness surrounding online shopping but online stores like our own theskinnerd.com and skingredients.com can provide a lot of information on what is in the products, so you can have all the knowledge you need to decide if it may work for your skin at your fingertips!

Nerdie Pick