Smiling red haired girl gently feeling her face

The Best Skincare Routine For Sensitive Skin

All skin can occasionally feel sensitive, but why is it that it seems to flare up just in time for that first date, job interview or big night out? It doesn't always have to be that way! With a skincare routine that’s tailor-made for sensitive skin, you’ll not only help keep skin feel calmer with some savvy TLC, you’ll be ready to fight off the first signs of sensitivity when they appear.

1. Remove your make-up the gentle way

So how do you kiss goodnight to your party eyes, without it meaning nightmares for sensitive skin? When skin is sensitive, it’s often more prone to redness and irritation, so keep friction to a minimum. A make-up remover that’s specifically designed for eyes will have just the right blend of ingredients to dissolve and lift make-up—yes, even stubborn waterproof mascara—quickly, effectively and gently, without the need to rub.

Hold your soaked cotton pad over the eye for a few moments, then simply whisk away. For extra calming benefits, choose ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties, like Pro-Vitamin B5, to help soothe your sensitive skin, while stimulating your skin’s healing processes.

Girl using a cotton pad to wipe under her eye

2. Cleanse your skin happy

We get it—you’re tempted to skip steps in your skincare routine to avoid upsetting your sensitive skin. The thing is, when dead skin cells are left on the skin’s surface, they can get trapped within the pores, which can irritate sensitive skin even more. You need to find the best cleanser for sensitive skin. Keep skin clean and pores clear with a daily face wash like Simple® Water Boost Micellar Gel Wash.

It’s packed full of micellar cleansing bubbles that gently glide over the skin’s surface, lifting impurities, as it cleanses and hydrates—making it one of our best face washes for sensitive skin. It is also infused with the plant extract (and skincare superhero!) *PENTAVITIN®, which helps repair sensitive skin, reduces skin sensitivity, and helps skin recover from your daily challenges.

Changing temperatures can aggravate sensitive skin, so rinse with warm water (rather than hot) after cleansing, and pat skin gently dry to keep skin feeling calm and happy post-cleanse.

Two tubes of Simple Water Boost Micellar Facial Wash Gel on a face cloth

3. Relieve and reduce redness

Skin sensitivity can sometimes leave us feeling a little red-faced. Sound familiar? Irritants like artificial colors, fragrances, UV rays, alcohol and stress can be especially unsettling for sensitive skin. When skin becomes irritated, blood rushes to the skin’s surface to help fight and heal inflammation—and while redness can be a little annoying, it’s actually a pretty clever way for our body to do its job.

Hold a cool washcloth to hot and bothered skin after you've cleansed and give sensitive skin a much-needed time-out. Look for ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties (we’re looking at you, Bisabolol) to help reduce redness and restore the balance to upset skin. A soothing moisturizer like Simple® Water Boost Skin Quench Sleeping Cream will also help calm irritated skin quickly.

4. Use a moisturizer made with your skin in mind

The best moisturizers for sensitive skin will keep moisture within the skin, while protecting against environmental factors like pollution, the weather and harsh chemicals, which can all make sensitivity levels soar. The best cream for sensitive skin is one that’s non-comedogenic (meaning it won’t block pores). Warm it between your palms first to help it glide over your skin. Bonus: Applying it to damp skin will help it absorb quickly, and helps seal in surface moisture, for extra hydration points!

Woman squeezing Simple moisturiser into her hand

5. Choose the best face scrub for sensitive skin

So you thought a scrub was way too tough for your sensitive skin? Nope, not so! Oil, dirt and make-up can aggravate sensitive skin, and can lead to breakouts, blackheads and inflammation, so exfoliate weekly to buff grime away.

The best face scrubs for sensitive skin are those packed with skin-loving goodness, like Pro-Vitamin B5 and Vitamin E, which soften and smooth your sensitive skin. Remember to try a patch of skin first to make sure your skin doesn't react to the scrub. Then massage the scrub gently into your skin, using small circular motions, before rinsing with warm water and patting dry.

And … RELAX

We know, FOMO is real! If you want skin that looks like it’s had its beauty sleep (even if you rolled in at 2 am), it’s time for a little TLC. Stress, city-living and life on the go can all lead to dull, tired-looking skin. Got five? Time for a do-it-yourself facial massage.

The beauty of this trick is that you can do it at any point in your routine to ramp up your product’s prowess—just take your regular cleanser, scrub, serum or face cream and work it, baby! Massage is known to boost blood flow, reduce puffiness and restore that rosy glow, making it your skincare routine’s friend-with-benefits.

A few minutes, warm, clean hands, and enough product for your fingers to glide over the skin is all you need. Work your fingertips in small, circular motions across the T-zone, temples and neck. Follow up with a scalp massage (once you've cleaned your hands, of course) for added ahh!

“Are the fifteen minutes up on your favorite Simple® Kind to Skin De-Stress Sheet Mask? Make the moment linger longer and massage the extra product into your skin—the ultimate spahh treat!”