Gentle skincare isn’t just for people with sensitive skin—even if your skin type can handle an abrasive facial cleanser, it may do more harm than good in the long run. A gentle daily skincare routine doesn’t require high-tech tools for spa-worthy at-home facials. It’s just about finding a routine that’s kind and leaves you without irritated skin.

To that end, here’s the perfect gentle skincare routine for people with sensitive skin.

Benefits of Gentle Skincare

As our air quality has changed, dermatologists and environmental scientists have teamed up to study the way our skin is affected. Frontiers of Environmental Science published research proving that environmental air pollutants and increased exposure to UV radiation on a daily basis can cause premature aging¹.

With this extra harshness in the air, we are left with less supple and more irritated skin, making a gentle skincare routine that much more important. However, gentle skincare doesn’t mean you have to give up using powerful and effective products—you just have to be more mindful of how you treat your sensitive skin and what ingredients you use.

Protection Against Environmental Pollution

These are some measures to protect against environmental pollution recommended by Lenox Hill dermatologist Doris Day²:

Double cleansing – What’s better than cleansing once? Cleansing twice. The first pass should be for makeup removal; the second pass should involve a non-irritating cleanser of your choice.

Niacinamide – Also known as Vitamin B3, this ingredient has been known to reduce the damage caused by urban dust, cigarette smoke, and more, while strengthening the skin barrier that protects from UV damage.

UV protection – Between the strong UV rays outside and the Blue Light emitted from screens like phones and laptops, the benefits of sunscreen application every day is critical to avoid premature aging and hyperpigmentation.

Antioxidants – Vitamins A, B, C, and D helps prevent environmental damage.

Adaptogens – Ingredients like CoQ10, Resveratrol, ashwagandha, and ginseng help reduce the effects of stress on the body.

How do you take advantage of all these measures in one routine?

5-Step Gentle Skincare Routine

With our current environment, establishing a gentle skincare routine is a good idea for everyone. This 5-step regimen is a suitable skincare routine for sensitive skin and gentle enough for everyday use.

#1 Do a Double Cleanse

The traditional method of double cleansing uses an oil-based cleanser first to remove makeup or impurities from the skin’s surface. The Clean Jelly Oil Cleanser is great for the first pass—it can help makeup (including waterproof makeup) and residue from environmental pollutants melt away.

In the second wash, try Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Gel for a soothing cleanse. All fragrances are 100% natural and come from ingredients like oranges.

#2 Brighten and Tone with Chemical Exfoliants

If you have sensitive skin, you understand why the exfoliation stage to the skincare routine makes people nervous. That’s because exfoliating got a bad rap as a process of aggressively sloughing off skin with a large particle cleanser scrub—but there’s another way.

Learn how to exfoliate skin in a gentle way using chemical exfoliants. Chemical exfoliants slough away dead skin cells without the abrasive impact caused by some physical exfoliants. The winner of the Best in Black Beauty Award, Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic exfoliates using an AHA/BHA blend. It can act as both an exfoliator and a toner, making it the perfect gentle follow-up to double-cleansing.

#3 Soothe with Serums and Masks

Immediately after your skin has been exfoliated and cleansed, you can then use serums or masks to soothe the skin. The Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask can help to calm and soothe the skin with just 30 minutes of use*. On the other hand, the Evercalm Anti-Redness Serum can be quickly applied to help provide some gentle irritation relief. This is thanks to the calming effects of milk protein, seaweed extract, and arnica extract.

#4 Fortify with Moisturizer

From locking in moisture at night and creating an extra barrier between your skin, makeup, and environmental pollutants during the day, restoring your skin’s hydration is a must.

Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream may be your new favorite go-to daily moisturizer thanks to our Global Protection Complex blend of powerful antioxidants, free radical scavengers, and restorative seed oils.

For nighttime hydration and nourishment, Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm is formulated with lipids from natural oils and nutrient-rich plant extracts, making it a rich moisturizer that can help replenish your skin while you sleep—staying gentle on sensitive skin the whole time.

#5 Protect with SPF

Nighttime gentle skincare routines end with step #4, but in the morning SPF protection is crucial. Gentle skin can be more susceptible to sunburn and UV damage, making it not just recommended, but crucial for the skincare routine.

For a silicone-free, try Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 Mattifying Face Sunscreen. Thanks to the broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection and a boost of antioxidants, you can wear a strong line of defense against free radicals and sun damage, all while staying shine-free.

Stay Gentle with REN

When you have sensitive skin, you know how your skincare routine can affect the rest of your day. At REN Skincare, our mission is to ensure every person can find the products they need to optimize their daily routines. Best of all? Our products are gentle to the planet as well!

If you’re ready for products that match your skin type, then come and experience gentle, with REN Skincare.


Sources:

1. ResearchGate. Air Pollution and the skin.

2. HCP Live. The Impact of Pollution on The Skin.

About the Author

Camille Poggi is a doctor in Pharmacy (PharmD.) and is passionate about skincare and how the skin works in general. She specializes in the cosmetic industry and worked for renowned companies in France like L’Oréal and Chanel before moving to London. After being a training manager for 4 years, Camille is at ease with explaining how products work in the skin and how to adapt her speech according to the audience.

She joined REN in January 2020 as International Training Manager and moved to the Research & Development team earlier this year to be the new Scientific Education Manager. A tailored-made role where she assesses and leads all technical communication and ensures scientific compliance is always met. She’s also involved in new product development from the earliest stages. Finding a way to create sustainable skincare products and making sure the message is properly delivered and understood is definitely a big challenge but also her favourite part working for REN.