What is Sensitive or Hyper-Sensitive Skin?
Sensitive skin is extremely reactive and easily irritated. One in ten adults (and over 50% of Pai customers) suffer from skin sensitivity.
All Pai products are suitable for sensitive and even hyper-sensitive skin types.
Please visit our Sensitive Skin Care category for a list of products suitable for very sensitive skin or contact us for advice.
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What causes sensitive skin?
Unfortunately there is no single cause which can make it hard to manage.
Common triggers are:
- Allergies
- Chemicals in toiletries: synthetic preservatives and fragrances.
- Diet: certain additives in processed foods can stimulate the body's inflammatory pathways.
- Stress
- Medication
- Environmental factors: extreme heat/cold, pollution and airborne allergens such as pollen
- Hormone fluctuations: many women develop skin hyper-sensitivity after coming off the contraceptive pill or during/after pregnancy
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Which chemicals should you avoid?
Only use natural products that contain no chemical ingredients or alcohol.
Always read the label and look out for:
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: a detergent found in most shampoos and body/face washes. It is not only an irritant but also weakens the skin's natural barriers making it thinner and more penetrable.
- Propylene Glycol: this chemical is used as a hydraullic fluid and industrial antifreeze so it's not surprising that our skin can react badly to it.
- Paraben preservatives: methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl.
- Formaldehyde-based preservatives:
imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate
- Artificial fragrances: often referenced on ingredient lists as "Parfum".
- Alcohol: a leading trigger of skin flare-ups and rosacea
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