You may have inherited dry, sensitive skin or your skin might have become sensitized over time due to a decrease in estrogen. With less estrogen your skin is less protected, as it becomes thinner and drier. Choose gentle products and avoid using products which are too active for your skin. Your skin becomes sensitized when exposed to irritating ingredients like foaming cleansers, alcohol or acid exfoliants where the formulation is not buffered or is in too high a percentage (remember more is not always better). Sensitivities show themself as red, stingy, rashy, itchy or feeling extremely tight.  These can be also be triggered by environmental factors like dry arid air in winter.  What your skin needs is soothing ingredients that offer a protective barrier.  Remember that reactive skin usually does better with a simpler product regimen.  You should add products slowly and make sure your skin tolerates them well before adding additional products.

Dry, sensitive skin requires a higher concentration of barrier repair lipids and comforting botanicals that soothe and strengthen your skin. Polyphenol antioxidants reduce inflammation and are valuable both in the foods you eat and in the skincare products you use. Chamomile, licorice root and green tea are examples of ingredients with calming polyphenol antioxidants.  Shea butter forms a soothing emollient barrier to protect and repair a compromised barrier.  Soothing botanical oils (like evening primrose and borage seed oil) form a nourishing cushion of protection for your skin. The result?   Beautiful skin for life from LONGEVITY by Elizabeth Renee.