How do I know if I'm over-treating my skin?

Signs include stinging, redness, tightness, or flaking after using products that didn't previously cause a reaction, especially if you've recently added several new actives at once.

How many active ingredients should I use at once?

It's generally best to introduce one active ingredient at a time and give skin time to adjust, rather than layering multiple strong actives such as retinoids and acids together.

Should I stop all skincare if my skin is sensitised?

Not entirely. A simplified routine with gentle cleansing and barrier-supporting hydration is usually more helpful than stopping skincare altogether.

Sensitive vs Sensitised Skin: What's the Difference?

Q: What's the difference between sensitive and sensitised skin?

Sensitive skin is a long-term trait present from an early age, while sensitised skin is a temporary reactive state caused by a specific trigger such as over-exfoliation or too many actives.

Q: Can sensitised skin become normal again?

Yes, in most cases. Removing the trigger and supporting the barrier with a gentle, consistent routine typically allows sensitised skin to calm down within a few weeks.

Quick answer: Genuinely sensitive skin is a longer-term trait, often present from an early age, where skin reacts easily to a wide range of products and environmental factors. Sensitised skin, by contrast, is a temporary, reactive state usually caused by over-exfoliating, layering too many actives, or environmental stress, and it can often be calmed back down with a gentler routine focused on barrier repair and fragrance-free formulations.

What's the difference between sensitive and sensitised skin?

Barrier repair cream close-up

Sensitive skin is generally an inherent skin type or characteristic, something you've likely noticed for as long as you can remember, where skin reacts more readily to fragrance, certain ingredients, temperature changes, or new products with redness, stinging, or discomfort. It's a relatively stable, ongoing trait that shapes which products and routines work for you long-term.
Sensitised skin describes a temporary state that can affect anyone, including people who don't normally have sensitive skin, usually triggered by something specific: over-exfoliating, combining too many active ingredients (such as retinoids, acids, and vitamin C all at once), excessive sun exposure, harsh weather, or even stress and lack of sleep.

The key distinguishing feature is that sensitised skin has an identifiable recent cause and tends to improve once that cause is removed and the skin barrier is given time and support to recover. If you're unsure which applies to you, tracking when the reactivity started and what changed in your routine around that time can offer useful clues, and a consultation can help clarify what's going on if it's not obvious.

Both genuinely sensitive and sensitised skin generally respond well to a similar approach in the short term: simplifying the routine, choosing fragrance-free and minimally formulated products, and avoiding known personal triggers, though people with ongoing sensitive skin will usually need to maintain that gentler approach as their baseline going forward.

Can sensitised skin become normal again?

Yes, in most cases sensitised skin can calm back down and return to its previous, less reactive state, since it's typically a temporary response to an identifiable trigger rather than a permanent change to your skin type. Once the aggravating factor is removed — whether that's over-exfoliation, too many actives, or environmental stress — and the skin barrier is supported with a gentle, consistent routine, many people see noticeable improvement within a few weeks.

The general approach to helping sensitised skin recover mirrors barrier repair more broadly:

Pause strong actives
Cleanse gently without stripping the skin
Prioritise hydration
Use fragrance-free, minimally formulated moisturisers designed to reduce irritation while the skin settles

Reintroducing any actives should happen slowly and one at a time once skin feels calmer, rather than resuming a full routine all at once, since doing so too quickly can trigger the same sensitised state again. Patience is genuinely important here, as pushing forward with a full active routine before skin has settled tends to prolong the problem rather than resolve it. If sensitivity persists for several weeks despite a gentle, consistent routine, or keeps recurring, it may be worth exploring whether there's an underlying skin condition contributing to it. A consultation with our team, or a visit to a dermatologist, can help identify next steps if self-managed changes aren't making enough of a difference.

Not sure which one applies to you?

Whether your skin is naturally sensitive or simply sensitised from a busy summer of treatments and sun, a gentler routine can help it find its balance again. Browse our sensitive skin edit, or book a consultation to get a clearer picture of what your skin needs.

Educational content only — not medical advice. Persistent or recurring sensitivity despite a gentle routine is worth discussing with a dermatologist.