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SENSITIVE SKIN ON THE RISE

Dermatologists have been warning for years about an "epidemic of sensitive skin." This was supposedly caused, among other things, by the globally increasing consumption of skincare and excessive use of skincare products, including those that are not exactly gentle on the skin barrier. According to Statista from March 2019, the global skincare market was projected to grow from 99.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2012 to almost 190 billion U.S. dollars in 2025.

Germany is among Europe's largest sales markets for beauty and personal care products.

Whether this trend is due to the increasing importance of appearance in interpersonal contact, especially in professional life, we will set aside for now. The fact is that more and more people are complaining about sensitive skin.

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Dermatologists have been warning for years about an "epidemic of sensitive skin." The global increase in skincare consumption and excessive product use can lead to sensitive skin.

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We at VENYA want to counteract the trend of using more and more care products and increasingly potent active ingredients in a skincare routine. And because we consider the topic of sensitive skin to be very important, we will address it in two journal articles.

In this part, you will learn what sensitive skin is, how it is measured, and how sensitive skin differs from allergic skin.

In the upcoming part, we will share many tips on how to prevent sensitive skin or reduce its sensitivity through a good skincare routine.


What is sensitive skin?

For a long time, specialized literature paid little attention to sensitive skin. Complaints were categorized as psycho-somatic, subjective sensations, and affected individuals were advised to use products "for sensitive skin."

Meanwhile, the topic is being taken more seriously by dermatological expert committees. Sensitive skin is defined as the occurrence of unpleasant sensations such as:

  • Burning
  • Pain
  • Itching
  • Tightness
  • Tingling

The symptoms are often accompanied by skin redness.

Sensitive skin is also referred to as hyperreactive skin. These sensations, triggered by physical, thermal, or chemical stimuli, do not occur in non-sensitive skin.

Hyperreactivity typically occurs within an hour of contact with the triggering substances. It can last from a few minutes to hours.

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Sensitive skin manifests as unpleasant sensations like burning, itching, and tightness. Hyperreactive skin can react sensitively to physical, thermal, or chemical stimuli.

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Is sensitive skin unhealthy skin?

Sensitive skin is not classified as unhealthy skin. Unlike skin diseases such as acne, rosacea, or neurodermatitis, hyperreactive skin is rarely accompanied by inflammatory, chronic, or immunological processes.

Can sensitive skin be measured?

But if sensitive skin is not "unhealthy," how can the sensitive processes, which are largely subjective, be measured?

Due to the rather difficult measurement of sensitive skin, no international standards for a clinical approach have been developed so far.

A common measurement consists of two parts: first, a questionnaire in which the subjective sensations of the respondents are recorded. Second, objective biophysical and histological data collection. These include, for example, the moisture level of the stratum corneum, the extent of skin redness, transepidermal water loss, the pH value of the skin surface, and the amount of ceramides in the outermost skin layer.

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Measuring sensitive skin involves subjective sensations reported by individuals, as well as objective biophysical and histological measurements like moisture levels, skin redness, transepidermal water loss, pH, and ceramide levels.

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Sensitive skin versus allergic skin

Often, reddened skin after applying a skincare product is referred to as an "allergic reaction." However, this is much less common than an irritation.

So, what is the difference between skin irritation and skin allergy?

In the case of irritation to an ingredient, the immune system is not mobilized. As soon as the irritant is removed, the irritation subsides. Irritation in the form of skin redness, stinging, or tingling occurs immediately after applying an ingredient – specifically on the skin areas that are particularly sensitive.

In the case of a skin allergy, on the other hand, an immunologically induced reaction is underway. The skin activates defense cells, which in turn cause skin inflammation. An allergy is preceded by a sensitization phase; this means that the skin does not immediately react to an ingredient with eczema, but only after repeated contact with it. The allergic reaction then occurs precisely on the skin areas that have been treated with the skin allergen.

While irritation is reduced after strengthening the skin barrier, an allergy to an ingredient accompanies affected individuals lifelong.

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There's a distinction between skin irritation and skin allergies. Skin irritation happens immediately upon exposure to an irritant, whereas allergic reactions are immunologically driven and involve a sensitization phase.

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Causes of sensitive skin

Finally, we want to address the important question of the causes or triggers of sensitive skin. This comes at the end of the first part to initiate a transition to the second part. Because the use of too many, and especially skin barrier-unfriendly, skincare products is one of the most important causes for the development of sensitive skin.

Other factors that can damage the skin barrier and thus trigger sensitive skin reactions include UV light, free radicals, very cold temperatures or rapid temperature changes, hormonal changes, and last but not least, stress and wind, as well as an unbalanced diet.

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Using harsh skincare products, UV light, free radicals, extreme temperatures, hormonal changes, stress, and an unbalanced diet can damage the skin barrier and lead to sensitive skin.

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In addition to the aforementioned triggers for sensitive skin, research has been discussing two other potential causes for skin hyperreactivity for several years:

  • Firstly, highly reactive skin is often said to have altered microvasculature (a specific form of blood vessels).
  • Secondly, the role of the nervous system is highlighted (changes in the functioning of nerve endings).

So you see that among the causes of sensitive skin, you find aspects that are difficult to change, as well as those that we can definitely influence – and it is precisely this group that we will discuss in the second part.

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In our next article, we'll provide valuable tips on how to prevent sensitive skin or reduce its sensitivity through a good skincare routine.

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Sources for Further Reading

STATISTA, Size of the global skin care market from 2012 to 2025, March 2019

Cosmetic Europe, Cosmetics and Personal Care Industry Overview, Market Performance 2021

Richters, R./Falcone, D. et al. (2015): What Is Sensitive Skin? A Systematic Literature

Review of Objective Measurements, in: Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, (28) 75-83

Chan, Kam/Tim, Michael (2018): Clinical Review on Sensitive Skin: History, Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and Management, in: Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research 09(04)

Chen, W./Dai, R./Li L. (2020): The prevalence of self‐declared sensitive skin: a systematic review and meta‐analysis, in: European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, Epub Jan. 2020

Wang, X./Liu, Y. et al. (2020): A predictive model for differential diagnosis between rosacea and sensitive skin: a cross-sectional study, in: Chinese Medical Journal, 133(17)2132-2134

Skotnicki, Sandy/Shulgan, Christopher (2018): Beyond Soap. The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow, Penguin Canada

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