Coreenna

From what customers have shared with us, it seems that these days, there are more and more people with sensitive skin.

I’m thinking, perhaps, this has nothing to do with genetics or the person’s inherent health condition but rather, it has more to do with our exposure to an increasingly ‘chemicalized’ or ‘radiationalized’ world. Yeah, I know words like ‘chemicalized’ and ‘radiationalized’ probably don’t exist in the dictionary….yet. But their existence is certainly felt in our lives.

Believe it or not, a sensitive skin reaction is actually a natural response of the skin to protect itself and fight off ‘foreign invaders’ that may be potentially harmful to itself and the body system. When your skin detects the presence of potentially harmful materials, it’s natural immune response will trigger off a series of chemical reactions. One of the most powerful substance released by our skin, which many of us may be familiar with, is histamine.  Histamine will then further activate other components of our immune system needed to fight off the offending foreign material.

It all sounds great but one thing we’ll experience whenever histamine is released is sensitive skin reactions ranging from redness, stinging sensation, swelling, rashes, etc. Not very pretty or comfortable in fact.

It may sound like an overgeneralization but now we could guess at the fundamental reason why more and more people are experiencing sensitive skin! With all the chemically processed foods, canned foods, fast foods, environmental pollution, increased UV radiation, radiation from computers, mobile phones, wireless, high alcohol consumption, synthetic colors, fragrances and other chemical stuff in cosmetics and personal care products, it’s no wonder larger quantities of histamine need to be released at higher frequency to fight off these harmful stuff!

Therefore, I believe if we make a few changes to our eating habits and lifestyles, sensitive skin reactions can eliminated, if not reduced.

1. Avoid eating chemically processed foods that are laden with salt, sugar, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, synthetic flavors, colors, etc. This means no soft drinks, instant noodles, canned food, bacon, sausages, potato chips, most dairy products, and the list goes on.

2. Go for organically grown fruits and veggies whenever possible. This is to avoid harmful pesticides and herbicides that are so prevalent in commercially grown fruits and veggies.

3. Keep the air in your living environment dust and pollutant free with an air purifier.

4. Use a gentle cleanser for your skin. I cannot over emphasize how important this is. Remember, your skin, being the largest organ in your body, is your 1st line of defense against any harmful bacteria or foreign materials. To perform this task efficiently, your skin is naturally equipped with a layer of acidic mantle that is made up of various lipids, amino acids, etc. We call this the skin’s natural barrier function. Whenever you use harsh cleansers or when you’re exposed to harsh detergents, this protective layer will be stripped off. That’s why your skin feels dry and taut after such exposures. So what can you do? Choose cleansers that are mild and gentle and do not contain any harsh detergents. While it’s important to wash your hands regularly to keep them clean, especially before eating or handling foods, choose a hand soap that is non-drying. Apply just a little and dilute it with water before lathering up. And when you’re handling household detergents, always wear protective gloves.

5. Don’t smoke and avoid smoky environment.

6. Minimize alcohol intake. Coz alcohol dries out the skin whether thru oral consumption or topical application. And dry skin is always more vulnerable to the environment.

7. Try to minimize your contact with chemical dyes, synthetic colors, fragrances found in many cosmetic products. These are well known allergens as they are harmful and your skin and body system know and will ‘rebel’ accordingly.