Vitamin You and Sensitive Skin

As you may know, I have easily sensitized skin. Growing up, my skin was oily and all the products I used to reduce the sebum caused severe red skin. Looking back, I don't think the products I used were "bad"; rather, they were too strong and not formulated specifically for sensitive skin. Now as an adult, my skin has become dry and easily sensitized. (I can't win can I)

One of our most common points of uncertainty is in regard to sensitive skin compatibility. Many people, like me, assume that many of today's cosmetics are made for results and efficacy rather than sensitive skin. At this point, it's become a marking point to say products are for sensitive skin. When we first started, we didn't use that in our marketing but now that it's become a huge point of interest, we can't help but use it in our branding too. 

What measures do we take to ensure sensitive skin compatibility?

When formulating new products, there is usually a hierarchy of priorities that are considered. For example, some brands prioritize organic ingredients while others prioritize scents and colors. Marketing story and brand philosophy vary and thus, every product will be different. Our top priority is ensuring that our products are safe to use on sensitive skin. 

Starting at the drawing board, we select actives that are either gentle or are the gentle derivatives of popular actives. This is why we use retinyl palmitate instead of retinol and in the next launch we use a vitamin c derivative too.

Similarly, the pH is of the final product is also important. We specifically choose materials that are compatible to be between pH 5-6. The skin is slightly acidic at 5.5 but can withstand a wide range of pH. Our Vitamin B3 Gelly Jams are a great example of how we implement this. Because niacinamide prefers a pH around 6 and our product testing shows slight basic drift, our Gelly Jams are formulated at pH 5.8. 

Furthermore, the concentration percentage of actives influence skin sensitivity too. We consider the cosmetic regulations beyond just the United States. Canada, EU, and Australian regulations give more insight into different material safety protocols. Vitamin A, for example, has different restrictions across the globe and even across different internal organizations here in the USA. The importance of these considerations are the studies that are used to determine the ingredient limits. If one nation enforces regulations based on 2001 data for 0.5%, another uses 2018 data for 0.1%, and a third has no restrictions at all, I would use 0.1% as my limit. I believe many companies here in the USA use active concentrations as a marking point rather than a safety precaution. There was one time I got a chemical burn from a product I now know would not be EU compliant because of their active concentration, but is legal here in the USA. These concerns are deeply implemented into our brand philosophy where we always use the strictest regulatory limit across nations. 

It's also important to note my own biases as someone with sensitive skin. My personal skincare triggers are also avoided in all our brand's cosmetics. We avoid using fragrances, essential oils, and certain extracts that contain allergens and irritants. I would love to use these ingredients but given my current suppliers, there are none where I would feel comfortable implementing them given their allergen sheets. I remember one night while formulating the Gelly Jams I was trying to find a nice strawberry or fruity fragrance to add. I spent hours reading through allergen sheets then decided that none of them meet my standards. If you're wondering, the Gelly Jams do have a very faint fruity fragrance, but it's from the cold-pressed oils being used and not from any added fragrance. 

What if sensitive skin is not my priority?

If you are looking for a particular product beyond what we're currently selling, I would recommend two options:

1. Create a custom product. We offer fully customizable skincare, just fill out our questionnaire with your skin type, concerns, and product idea and we'll make it for you.

2. Ask me for recommendations. I can't recommend products I've never tried but if you let me know your concerns, I'd be happy to tell you some actives that might help. 

Final thoughts on sensitive skincare

Many methods to increase active efficacy are also methods that cause skin disruption. For those with non-sensitive skin, these are not concerns. For example, using stronger humectants, exfoliating the skin beforehand, and lowering the pH of the product are excellent but for some people these can cause redness and irritation. A different example of this are the before and after photos of clients who get facial treatments done. Professionals tend to use techniques that work amazing for active efficacy but often leave a temporary sensitized redness behind.

Overall, creating skincare for sensitive skin goes against many methods used to increase a product's immediate result and efficacy. If you have sensitive skin, look for lower concentrations of actives and avoid your trigger ingredients. My favorite actives for redness are colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera, and niacinamide. Oil-based cosmetics may also boost skin compatibility too. Forgive your skin for being sensitive and always remember- you are beautiful inside and out!