Calm Down

By: Katharine Griffiths
Created on 09th November 2009

Almost half of us suffer from sensitive skin but the next development in cosmeceuticals promises to deal with this condition. Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetics Magazine investigates

Sensitive skin can be the bane of your life and it has been discovered that approximately 40 per cent of the population claim to have sensitive skin: feelings of discomfort, tightness, burning and intolerance to certain types of products. And this figure is constantly increasing. What exactly causes sensitive skin?

The onslaught our skin suffers on a daily basis results in it becoming weak so it no longer fulfils its barrier function and reacts excessively to the slightest stimuli. In the short term, there are sensations of discomfort which are gradually felt more and more frequently and redness and flushed skin are also characteristics of this condition. In the long term, the destructured skin loses its radiance, its firmness and its smoothness and takes on the appearance of prematurely aged skin.

Sensitive skin is healthy but ‘touchy' skin reacts more quickly and more intensely to external factors, such as temperature changes, heat, cold or the sun, or the use of cosmetic products or various drugs.

This hyperactivity is expressed both in changes in the appearance of the skin and also in physical sensations (discomfort, warmth, redness and even burning, itching and stinging) which are often temporary but flare-ups can last for several days.

Sensitive skin is characterized by a low tolerance threshold, but lifestyle factors can also play a significant role including alcohol consumption and smoking, stress, fatigue or strong emotional states.

While sensitive skin is very widespread and clearly due to multiple factors, it is not inevitable. A new development in cosmeceutical skincare - Neurocosmetics from Ericson Laboratoire - is capable of reducing the response of our nervous system.

The new Derma-Calm skincare line claims to act directly on the interactions between the skin and the nervous system to lower the level of skin stress by means of dual performance: an ‘anti-stress' effect and an ‘anti-pain' effect. This is the first soothing cosmeceutic product to offer the most intolerant of skin the very latest advances in cosmetology research. The tolerance threshold is raised, skin is less reactive to the various stimuli and pain and feelings of discomfort are reduced.

Sensitive skin can be classified into three different types:

GROUP 1 = WEAK BARRIER FUNCTION
Impaired barrier function provoking significant water loss and abnormal skin flaking

GROUP 2 = INFLAMMATION
The presence of inflammation without impairment of the barrier function

GROUP 3 = NEUROSENSITIVITY
Normal barrier function without inflammation but with an exaggerated response of the cutaneous nerve fibres.

CS&AM