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  • ABOUT
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Childs Farm
  • ABOUT
    • CHILDS FARM
      • Our brand
      • Our story
      • We're a B Corp™
      • FAQs
    • PRODUCTS
      • Ingredients
      • Clinical safety testing
      • Independent user trials
    • WHERE TO BUY
      • UK Retailers
      • International Retailers
  • SHOP
    • SHOP ALL
      • Bestsellers
      • Deals
      • Bundles
      • Gifting
      • Refills
      • Shop all
    • BY PRODUCT
      • Moisturisers
      • Washing & bathing
      • Hair care
      • Hand care
      • Sun & swim
      • Sleep
    • BY AGE
      • Baby
      • Toddler
      • Child
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    • BY SKIN TYPE
      • Normal skin
      • Sensitive skin
      • Dry & itchy skin
      • Eczema prone skin
    • BY RANGE
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      • Bars (new)
      • OatDerma™
      • Coco-nourish
  • WHY CHOOSE US
    • KIND TO SKIN
      • Our Happy Skin Promise
      • Our skin success stories
    • KIND TO PLANET
      • Our ESG statement
      • Our sustainability timeline
      • Responsibly sourced ingredients
      • Sustainable packaging
      • Vegan and cruelty free
      • Carbon neutral plus
      • Our sustainability ambassador
    • KIND TO PEOPLE
      • Socially responsible ingredients
      • Charities we support
  • ABOUT YOUR SKIN
    • BABIES
      • Understanding sensitive skin
    • CHILDREN
      • Understanding children's skin
      • Understanding sensitive skin
      • Understanding eczema prone skin
    • GROWN UPS
      • Understanding adult & hormonally changing skin
    • GENERAL
      • How (and why) to patch test
  • NEWS & FUN
    • BLOGS
      • Childs Farm
    • FUN
      • Cartoon
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Understanding sensitive skin

Sensitive skin is common in babies and children so it is important to understand what it is and how to look after it effectively.

Sensitive skin is an uncomfortable feeling on the skin which can vary from person to person. It could be stinging, burning, itchiness, redness or tightness or a combination of these.

These sensations can be triggered by many different factors: changing temperature, using cleansing products, and hormonal changes, often making it hard to control and predict what might cause sensitivity. 

Sensitive skin is not skin type specific, however people are more likely to have sensitive skin if they have very dry skin. This is because people with very dry skin have an impaired skin barrier.

With sensitive skin, the skin barrier is compromised and the skin cells and the lipid layer the 'bricks and mortar' of the skin  may not be arranged in an optimal structure. Uneven shapes and sizes of the cells leave larger gaps in the stratum corneum often exposing the more sensitive inner layers of the skin. These gaps make it easier not only for water to leave the skin via trans epidermal water loss (leaving skin drier too) but also makes it easier for irritants and external aggressors to enter the skin.

Normally the highly organised bricks and mortar structure of the skin means that substances cannot penetrate the barrier. When the skin barrier is impaired and leaves bigger broken gaps, it gives irritants and environmental allergens a more direct route to enter the skin and potentially damage the barrier even further. This then stimulates an inflammatory response in the skin causing the classic redness and irritated skin appearance associated with sensitive skin.

Supporting the integrity of the skin barrier is key to healthy skin- both with cleansing and moisturisation. Gently cleansing the skin will help remove any dirt and grime that could be potential irritants whilst keeping the skin moisturised and hydrated will support the normal functioning of the skin barrier.

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Childs Farm

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