Do You Have Sensitive Skin or a Damaged Moisture Barrier?
If one thing is true, it's that Canadians—beauty lovers or not—gorged on skincare over the course of the pandemic. From chemical and physical exfoliants like acids, retinol and more, to sheet masks galore, we indulged and focused on anti-aging and "fixing." But the tides have turned. Many are turning towards restorative ingredients and products over focusing purely on speeding up their skin cell turnover. Without fail, interest in "sensitive skin," "sensitized skin," and "moisture barrier"-friendly skincare approaches have skyrocketed.
So what's the difference between sensitive and sensitized skin, anyhow? To put it simply, sensitive skin is caused by genetic predisposition and can be categorized as a skin type. On the other hand, sensitized skin isn't a skin type but rather a skin condition. The symptoms of both sensitive and sensitized skin look similar, so they often get confused for one another. And to take it further, they aren't mutually exclusive—you can have both sensitive and sensitized skin.
Skin barrier is also often used interchangeably with moisture and lipid barrier. Its primary purpose is to help prevent water loss and can be disrupted by a variety of things you put on your skin, including some cleansers with aggressive surfactants, harsh or abrasive scrubs, and alcohol-based toners. It can also be disrupted by certain skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis (eczema), rosacea, and acne. Other factors such as pollution, stress and alcohol consumption can also have an effect on your barrier.
So, having sensitized skin with a damaged moisture barrier ultimately means that the outermost layer of your skin has been weakened over time. Fortunately, there are ways to nurture your sensitive skin and help it remain healthy-looking. From adopting the "less is more" lifestyle and paring down the steps in your routine to using gentle skincare products, the goal is to approach your skin as you would with any health concern—focus on restoring.
The Aveeno Calm + Restore collection is a great addition to your skincare routine for the Canadian months ahead. the three-part Calm + Restore collection with a cleanser, a serum and a gel moisturizer is formulated without fragrance, dye, parabens, phthalates, and alcohol. the range of products by the iconic brand also contains feverfew extract to further calm red and irritated skin. Levelling up their usual oat-infused offerings, the Calm + Restore collection has nourishing prebiotic oat to replenish your skin's natural moisture barrier and help you hydrate your way to happier, healthier-looking, balanced skin.
Meet the roster below:
This gentle, hydrating cleanser removes dirt and impurities while preserving the skin's natural moisture barrier. Formulated for sensitive skin, this face wash contains nourishing oat, calming feverfew, and is also hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic and dermatologist-tested.
Fortifying the moisture barrier for healthier looking skin, this face serum will leave your skin feeling soothed and hydrated with just one use. The serum is formulated with a nourishing triple oat complex with a lightweight texture that absorbs easily and is hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic.
This lightweight gel face cream formula is dermatologist tested and packed with nourishing prebiotic oat, calming feverfew, and keeps your skin moisturized for 24 hours. It's the moisturizer to soothe and hydrate sensitive and irritated skin and will help restore the skin's moisture barrier and is non-comedogenic.