Since my Sensitive Skin Secrets article, I have updated my routine and gotten even better results. These are my current sensitive skin Shaklee regimen recommendations based on continued testing, working with clients, and further research. If you have dry, sensitive, reactive, or rosacea-prone skin – this one’s for you!
Our skin changes seasonally and with age. From lifestyle factors like sun and water, to hormones that change as we get older, we may see that our skin reacts differently to products we’ve used for a long time. Whatever challenges you’re facing with your skin, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Our skin’s needs are as unique as we are. And, though I am not a doctor nor giving medical advice, I do have personal experience helping clients and myself navigate these changes which often cause sensitive skin issues.
Whether you struggle with rosacea, eczema, generally dry skin, combination skin with breakouts, or other frustrations, I’ve got recommendations for you. I hope it helps you navigate your own skin better and make you feel more empowered. And if you’d like help, I do free consults – just e-mail me Stacy@RealEverything.com
My Sensitive Skin Story
As a teen I had horrible acne and was medicated with prescription products that they don’t even let on the market anymore because of how harmful they are. And, they didn’t even work. Not a single doctor told me to work on internal healing to address external ways my body was telling me it needed help. I’ve since come a long way to being Healthy, Inside & Out.
the left is after a natural skintervention and lifestyle changes – I was excited to share this “after”
but the right is after implementing what I’ll share below
As I’ve gotten older I’ve needed to not just address aging, but also sensitive skin. I have rosacea and other more serious skin conditions that run in my family. I’ve learned through the years how to prevent flares and keep my sensitive skin calm.
Below you’ll see I had a flare after a day in the sun. The picture on the left is not sunburn, rather a flush from rosacea triggered by the sun. I was able to use the routine below and within 48 hours my skin was calm without any signs of a flare. No bumps or irritation formed with proper hydration and exfoliation.
The Science of Skin
Why hydration and exfoliation? Our skin’s epidermis is made up of five layers with stratum corneum, the moisture barrier, as the outermost layer. In and of itself it consists about 20 layers of specialized skin cells and keratin that are continuously renewing and exist to protect your insides. Eyelids are thinner, while layers such as your hands and heels are thicker.
learn more on my Science of Skin article HERE
Think of your skin like bricks and mortar. The bricks are mostly made up of keratin, a protein also found in hair and nails. The mortar is made out of lipids that float into the space between the bricks. Together, it forms the skin’s protective barrier.
The stratum corneum is slightly acidic with a pH of ~ 4-5.5 (aka the acid mantle). This helps form an effective, waterproof barrier to the outside world, preventing epidermal water loss (drying out) and pathogens like bacteria and toxins from getting in. Which is how blemishes and beyond are formed.
Things go awry when our skin is affected by environmental toxins, too much or too little sun or water, chemicals and ingredients that may not be ideal for our personal needs, wearing clothes or sleeping on pillows with materials that potentially irritate, wash away the natural protective oils without resetting accordingly.
There are lots of things we can do to support our skin’s needs, and I’m addressing some of them below. Please keep in mind that this is not comprehensive. You may do everything right and still need a dermatologist’s help, and that is not a personal failure! And, it’s good to come to a compassionate understanding of what your body, including your skin, needs.
When we know how to properly nourish, it can help us have better health, inside and out. For example, foods rich in Vitamin E have been clinically shown to reduce symptoms from dry skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema (rosacea is also a dry skin condition).
Yes, many skincare items have Vitamin E, but you can also prioritize foods naturally high in Vitamin E:
- Plant oils, such as olive, sunflower, safflower, avocado, palm, and soybean oil
- Nuts and seeds, such as sunflower seeds, almonds, peanuts, and butters of each
- Greens, such as beet greens, collard greens, spinach
- Pumpkin
- Red bell pepper
- Asparagus
- Mango
- Avocado
read more: Vitamin E is a Skin Superfood
Six things your skin needs
When it comes to prioritizing how to “take care” of your skin, we start with a four-step skin care routine that covers the specific needs each of us have. As part of that routine, we need to ensure we are including:
- Hydration
- Good gut health
- Safe sun exposure
- Exfoliation
- pH reset after washing
- Facial oils
Hydration: water is your friend
One of the easiest changes you can make: water! Both to stay hydrated to help dry skin and the temperature you use to wash. Hot water can be overly drying for those with a damaged skin barrier.
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to use lukewarm water on our skin (not much hotter than our body temperature). This allows us to get clean without over drying or stripping too many of your skin’s natural oils, which are essential to protecting you – inside & out. Seriously!
Our skin acts as a barrier to the outside world, but it is not impenetrable! Protecting the moisture barrier (a.ka. the lipid barrier a.k.a. the acid mantle) is THE MOST IMPORTANT step in skincare, it truly is the key to healthy skin.
Good gut health: because the gut-skin axis is a real thing
Your gut health directly affects your skin. There is something called the gut-skin axis and often our skin is speaking to us about something amiss internally. One of the best ways to support your gut health is adding in probiotics.
If you don’t already take a probiotic, I I highly recommend figuring out a plan. Whether it’s eating more naturally fermented foods, adding this to your drinks, or adding a supplement (this is the one I take as part of a personalized plan), there are many options.
read more: Impact of gut microbiome on skin health: gut-skin axis observed through the lenses of therapeutics and skin diseases (PMC9311318)
SPF: safe sun exposure
I love a mineral-based sunscreen which contains Zinc and is anti-inflammatory, perfect for those of us with sensitive skin AND because you are exposed to sunlight daily, whether you think about it or not. The sun is actually really fantastic for our health, in limited quantities. With safe exposure it can help regulate our circadian rhythm as well as increase our body’s Vitamin D, an essential vitamin that impacts our overall wellness.
With sun exposure we need protection. A mineral-based sunscreen also protects you from aging blue light rays, so it’s a win-win-win. I recommend the Shaklee YOUTH Activating BB Cream or YOUTH Age Defense Mineral Moisturizer SPF 30. I’ll explain more below, but I combine it with a facial oil as my “protect” step. You want SPF to be the last step in your skincare because it will create a physical barrier to protect against harmful UV rays.
Exfoliation is for everyone!
Following up on exfoliation: It is really important no matter your skin type! If your makeup cakes, flakes, or doesn’t sit well or if you have dry, combo, or oily skinor if you have milia, rosacea… essentially EVERYONE needs to exfoliate. It removes the dead skin cells that clog pores, improves circulation, encourages cell turnover and allows for better absorption of skincare.
Removing the dry, dead skin with exfoliation will help new cells form when you sleep. There are two options:
Physical Exfoliantion
Physical exfoliants exfoliate the skin by using texture. Whether it’s something like the Pomifera Restore: Facial Exfoliant (a favorite of mine which uses vitamin e-rich walnut and pomifera oil but not to be used on flare or irritated skin) or my beloved Microfiber cloth (which I believe truly was the Thneeds the Lorax was written about, but more eco-friendly)
For your body try the Shaklee Reveal Body Exfoliant (especially great because it has good lipids as the base and smells divine) and I’m obsessed with the Pomifera Coffee Body Bar.
Chemical Exfoliation
I love to find products that use plant acids to help gently slough away dull, dry, dead skin.
Did you know the retinol-family is really just vitamin A? So for example, for years I avoided retinol because EWG had a red warning label. But updated science now has many vitamin A products with a green safety rating (some even EWG Verified). How?
Well, I read studies showing that fruit and vegetable concentrations, like carrot, deliver the same percentage of vitamin A as some retinyl or retinols. Which means, that clean reti-natural product you could be using really is cheating with their own fruit and vegetable concotions. For example, I used a “safer” chemical overnight resurfacing peel for years not realizing it was effective because of vitamin A.
So what do I use now that science has been updated and I want effective, gentle chemical exfoliation?
- I wash with the Shaklee YOUTH Luminous Gel Oil Cleanser
it has the benefits of a lipid to hydrate first and remove makeup effectively while also gently exfoliating with fermented algae. - Then at night I alternate using either the Shaklee YOUTH Perfecting Skin Toner (EWG Verified vitamin A) or the Activating Serum (contains less than 0.1% retinol).
Adding in the Activating Serum in the last few months has been incredible for my skin health. The texture of my skin is improving, as is the redness which has reduced significantly.
Prep Skin to balancing the pH
As I mentioned earlier, your skin has an acidic level to “kill bad bacteria.” So when we cleanse it away, we need to put it back. Despite this being critical for skin health, it is the most commonly skipped step. *tsk tsk* Let me tell you why it’s my favorite! Prep balances acidity, allowing your skin flora to thrive, sweeps impurities away, helps better absorb your skincare, can even skin tone, reduce pore size, etc.
Think about it this way: Your skin is like a sponge. Cream on a brittle dry sponge won’t absorb. But if you wet the sponge, the cream will sink in. Similarly, large pores are commonly a dry skin issue, like dry earth with cracks. Reducing moisture exacerbates it, but proper levels let good in and keep bad out, with no cracks or divots.
Some of my favorite Prep step products that work well for sensitive skin are:
While the first 2 listed are hydrating, restorative anti-inflammatory options – the last both balances pH and exfoliates. I find my sensitive skin likes it best just at night and I use the Milk Skin in the morning. I am a bit obsessed with prep step, seeing my skin responds really well to it, I also use a spray before hand and under my arms (which are also prone to irritation) both AM and PM.
Oils are your secret weapon, even for oily skin
I’m going to let you in on a little secret… facial oils are the secret to just about everything.
The good: as I mentioned above, our skin needs lipids. They’re a big ol’ drink for your skin. Our skin naturally produces oil (sebum), but as we age or have inflammation our oil and collagen production can decrease – which causes dry skin symptoms. Lack of oil in the skin can lead to dry patches/flaky skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and breakouts (yes, acne from being too dry).
The bad: the wrong type of oils on the wrong person can be occlusive. For example, coconut oil doesn’t add nutrient value to the skin and is pore clogging as it builds-up over time.
The right oils also help to tackle specific skin concerns (reduce your own oil production, fight breakouts, plump from lost hydration, brighten and reduce redness or irritation.
My three favorite facial oils right now are:
- Pomifera Rose: Anti-Aging Serum and Complete Moisturizer best for if you’re in a flare or are super sensitive
- Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C & Turmeric Face Oil best for maintenance with skin glow benefits
- Odacité Acne Serum Concentrate Facial Oil for Pimples I add 1-2 drops to my moisturizer when I’m hormonal and dab on to blemishes when I notice them, this stuff is so incredible 9 times out of 10 it goes away without ever surfacing.
Lipids aren’t just for your face
An Omega 3 supplement (I love these Gellys) will help internally improve your skin barrier, too. And while you can put these oils anywhere – your face, cuticles, hands, heels, etc.
LIPIDS WORK!
Our skin needs a four-step process
There’s a lot to process and do, I get it. Skincare routines can feel overwhelming. Let me simplify it for you. We accomplish all our skin goals in a 4 steps routine:
- wash (and exfoliate),
- prep (tone the pH), then
- treat specific needs, and
- protect the moisture barrier with SPF and lipids.
Are you currently doing all of those?
Most of us are not doing all four steps on face and body, you’re not alone! But, if your skin is experiencing issues it is almost always because the layers of your skin are disrupted. So focus on helping your epidermis shed with exfoliation, then rebalancing the pH of the acid mantle, and protecting with lipids. This applies to dryness on the body too.
What products you use is dependent on your skin’s specific needs. I’m happy to help curate a routine that’s right for you or a loved one. Here’s the routine that many clients have told me has helped their skin immensely.
Put it all together: Sensitive Skin Shaklee Regimen
I use this regimen, which includes a ~20% discount and free (magical) peptide wand with the bundle.
AM
Wash: YOUTH Luminous Gel Oil Cleanser
Prep: Tir Tir Milk Skin Rice Toner
Treat: YOUTH Face & Neck Wand* on my forehead and neck followed by the YOUTH Super C Serum all over
Protect: Pomifera Rose or CEO GLOW facial oil added to either YOUTH Activating BB Cream or Age Defense Mineral Moisturizer for SPF
PM
Wash: same
Prep: YOUTH Perfecting Skin Toner every other day Tir Tir Milk Skin Rice Toner
Treat: YOUTH Moisture Activating Serum (after Perfecting Skin Toner) every other day YOUTH Activating Serum** (after Rice Toner)
Protect: YOUTH Advanced Renewal Night Cream-Light +Pomifera Rose or CEO GLOW facial oil
And every week or so I add the Pomifera Restore: Facial Exfoliant to my routine, avoiding my sensitive cheek areas.
*not necessary but I want to improve my skin overall, including signs of aging and it’s included in my regimen so why not!
**this is a more intensive formula, so don’t use it during a flare on your skin, but once you’ve healed the major issues this has had the biggest impact to improve my overall skin quality
So what else do I love?
The brand I’m finding to have the most clinically-backed clean ingredients is Shaklee. If you haven’t heard of them, prepare to meet the coolest brand you’ve never heard of. Like New Balance, they’ve been around doing it right for a long time and are in their glow-up montage of the world discovering them.
read more: Meet Shaklee: the coolest brand you’ve never heard of
The product options you have in the YOUTH line from a single brand (I get it, I like an easy button solution, too) are:
- Luminous Gel Oil Cleanser
- Radiance C+E*
- Super C Serum
- Activating Serum*
- Moisture Activating Serum
- Ageless Duo* (Sculpting Wand for Face & Neck with Smoothing Wand for Eyes)
- Activating BB Cream
- Age Defense Mineral Moisturizer SPF 30
- Luminous Gel Oil Cleanser
- Perfecting Skin Toner*
- Restoring Eye Treatment
- Advanced Renewal Night Cream-Light
*note: these have active ingredients which may be intense, slowly introduce just everyother day
Let’s Keep in Touch
I’d love to help you figure out what’s right for you! I offer free consults, just e-mail Stacy@RealEverything.com.
Ready to shop? Choose Stacy Toth HERE so I can send a thank you!
Learn more, listen to these podcasts
Never want to miss a post, sale, or deal? Join my Healthy Inside & Out e-mail list for more info on non-toxic living and safer skincare!
Want more info on our Real Life? Healthy recipes, parenting tips, and general lifestyle stuff goes out in our Real Everything newsletter, join here.
