The Best Skin Soothing Cream for Sensitive Skin
When it comes to skincare, choosing a natural cream that is safe and healthy for your skin is important. It’s even more important, however, when dealing with sensitive skin. Unfortunately, many creams in the market are made with artificial fragrance and contain harmful chemicals and ingredients. Not only are the toxins used in the manufacturing bad for your skin, but they can also have a negative effect on our planet. In this post, we’ll go over the importance of choosing a natural cream and give you some tips on how to know whether a cream is truly good for your skin. Read on!
What is Clean Beauty?
Clean beauty is all about natural products. It’s a celebration of healthy ingredients that work in harmony with your skin instead of against it. This means you will get a natural, healthy glow with less clogged pores, less irritation, and less sensitivity. When you shop for clean beauty products, you will know exactly what you’re putting onto your skin for your body to absorb because clean beauty values transparency. That means absolutely no mystery ingredients and no questionable manufacturing processes. That’s right: you will know exactly how the product was processed and the effect that this process had on our planet.
By choosing clean beauty, you are choosing to put the safety and health of your skin and our planet first. You are choosing to hold companies accountable for their safety regulations, sustainable practices, and ethical standards behind their production process. By refraining from using harmful chemicals and toxins, there is less waste and pollution finding their way back into our ecosystems. A clean beauty skin care line does not test on animals and ensures that all beauty products are GMO-free.
In this day and age, we are very lucky that more and more skincare lines are embracing the benefits and recognizing the importance of clean beauty for our skin. That being said, words like ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ are often tossed around when describing creams, moisturizers, and other beauty products. This is in an attempt to appear better and healthier than they really are. Because of this, we cannot emphasize the importance of doing your research and educating yourself on whether a cream or moisturizer is truly clean. In the quest of saving our planet, we are all responsible for the choices we make which gives us the incredible power to make a difference in what we choose to shop for.
Caring for Sensitive Skin
Caring for sensitive skin requires extra effort and attention. You may be dealing with aggravated eczema symptoms, psoriasis flare ups, or perhaps skin that is incredibly dry and itchy. Uncomfortable, irritating, and perhaps even painful, sensitive skin deserves a dose of tender loving care more than ever. Being the body’s largest organ, our skin deserves to be nourished with healthy and safe ingredients that will help it thrive. We like to say that if you can’t pronounce the name of the ingredient, it probably isn’t good for your skin.
What to Look for in a Moisturizer
Not all moisturizers are created equal. That’s why it can be difficult to find a moisturizer that works for your sensitive skin. It’s also worth noting that what works for you at a particular given time, may not be as effective later on as your condition changes. We classify moisturizers into the following categories: creams, ointments, and lotions. These types differ based on the amount of oil and water that they contain. If you find a moisturizer feels greasy to the touch, this means that it contains more oil and will therefore be better at hydrating dry skin.
In terms of ingredients, shea butter, glycerin, and lanolin are also sensitive skin friendly. We love them because they provide a boost of moisture without stripping the skin of its natural protective oils. Instead, they help draw moisture from the air to your skin. In addition, you should look for a moisturizer that contains SPF. A moisturizer that contains SPF will protect your skin from harmful UV rays when subjected to the sun. With SPF, you can rest assured that your skin is protected while also receiving the nourishing qualities it needs.
In addition, a fragrance-free product is best for sensitive skin. That’s because fragrance, whether natural or synthetic, is a common irritating ingredient for all skin types. Accepting that fragrance can be harmful is often difficult because we are drawn to their appealing aroma for a reason. But the truth is, what makes our noses happy cannot be said for our skin. Unless it is a natural fragrance or an essential oil, it is best to avoid any moisturizers that contain fragrance. Stick with fragrance-free moisturizers and watch your skin thrive.
Finally, bear in mind that a moisturizer that works for someone else may not necessarily work for you. The beauty of our skin is that it is uniquely ours. This means it may take some trial and error to find the soothing cream that is perfect for you.
The Importance of Reading Labels
Sadly, many products out there contain cheap fillers, toxic chemicals and mystery ingredients that are not only harmful for your skin but also harmful for the earth. This can make it challenging to find a cream or moisturizer that won’t ignite a negative reaction. You may try a product only to find that you’re now dealing with an itchy rash, irritation, or other signs of a bad flare up. While of course everybody is unique and may react differently to certain ingredients, there are some ways to minimize the likelihood of a bad reaction. One such way is to read labels on skin care products carefully. If you see that a cream, moisturizer or another skincare product contains ingredients like parabens, phthalates, petrolatum, p-phenylenediamine (PPD) and artificial fragrances, stay clear! When you expose your skin to these harmful ingredients, you are increasing the risk of irritating your sensitive skin, exacerbating eczema or psoriasis symptoms, or developing an allergic reaction. In addition, some of these toxic chemicals can also interfere with hormone functions and potentially lead to cancer or other diseases. So although reading labels takes a little bit more time, it’s definitely worth the extra effort. Your sensitive skin and our planet will thank you!
Benefits of Manuka Honey for Sensitive Skin
Native to New Zealand, manuka honey is a powerful natural substance that is produced by bees who pollinate the manuka bush. Compared to regular forms of honey, manuka honey contains 1,000x more methylglyoxal. It is the abundance of this unique compound that gives manuka honey its powerful antibacterial properties and supreme anti-inflammatory properties that make it so effective at treating dermal problems like eczema and psoriasis. Its antibacterial properties also make it highly effective at treating and preventing acne.
Honey provides no shortage of health benefits to the skin. In fact, humans have been using honey to treat an assortment of issues such as healing wounds, soothing sore throats, and treating digestive issues for centuries. To this day, we continue to reap the benefits of this sweet (and sticky!) substance for sensitive skin.
First of all, honey is extremely moisturizing. This quality helps it boost the complexion by giving the skin a radiant glow. Thanks to the fact that it is rich in antioxidants, honey also offers anti-aging benefits by preventing or reducing the appearance of wrinkles. For those who suffer from dry skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, honey’s ability to maintain moisture helps it provide much-needed itch-relief. As itchiness can lead to repetitive scratching which can cause the skin to crack or bleed, honey’s wound healing abilities can help soothe the sore and reduce the risk of infection.
While you can apply raw honey directly to the skin, this can often get messy and sticky. That’s why we prefer to enjoy the benefits of honey when used in a skin calming cream.
The Best Skin Soothing Cream
Our Organic Manuka Skin Soothing Cream is a dream for sensitive skin. It contains just six ingredients including organic olive oil, organic beeswax, filtered water, grape seed oil, organic Active 16+ New Zealand manuka honey, and manuka oil extract. All of the ingredients are 100% natural and were handpicked by a mother searching for something to heal her own son’s eczema. When dealing with sensitive skin, less really is more.
This calming cream EWG Skin Deep 1 Rated and doctor approved. Thanks to its pure and wholesome ingredients, it’s suitable to use anywhere on the body from head to toe. That includes delicate areas like the eyelids and lips. This nourishing oil-based balm is effective on adults and also safe for kids. In fact, kids love its sweet honey fragrance and gentle formula that is non-burning and non-stinging. Nut-free, gluten-free, and GMO-free, it’s truly perfect for psoriasis, rosacea, eczema diaper rash, burns, acne, cuts or scrapes, or sensitive skin in general.
As always, whenever you try out a new product, don’t forget to do a small patch test first to make sure your skin does not react negatively. Even though this cream contains natural and organic-certified ingredients, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Tips for Dealing with Sensitive Skin
Dealing with sensitive skin is not easy, but thankfully, there are some simple lifestyle changes you make in order to better manage irritation. Here are some of our favourite tips and tricks for dealing with sensitive skin:
When showering, we suggest taking shorter showers and using lukewarm water instead of hot. This is because hot water has a tendency to exacerbate aggravating symptoms by further drying out the skin. We also recommend washing with natural products like fragrance-free soaps and body wash. Be gentle with your skin and avoid any harsh rubbing or scrubbing. When you are finished washing, be sure to pat dry with a towel instead of rubbing.
You should apply a soothing cream to sensitive or dry areas as often as you need to. We recommend at least twice a day (morning and night). It’s also a good idea to replenish your skin’s moisture after every shower or bath to combat the drying effects of water.
Clothing can also be an irritant for sensitive skin. We recommend avoiding common fabric culprits such as nylon, spandex, wool, and polyester. When washing your clothes, we suggest using a fragrance-free laundry detergent. You can also switch to skin-friendly clothing such as our Remedywear™ garments that are made from eco-friendly TENCEL and embedded with anti-inflammatory zinc. Here are some of our favorites:
Remedywear™ Long Sleeve Shirt for Adults - soft and breathable treatment for sensitive skin on the chest, arms, back, and stomach.
Remedywear™ Pants for Adults - perfect for protecting itchy skin from scratching and soothing sensitive skin on legs from eczema or psoriasis.
Remedywear™ Bra - provides lasting comfort and soothing support without the use of latex, nylon, or nickel.
Remedywear™ Long Pants for Kids - features moisture-wicking sweat control and latex-free elastane.
Remedywear™ Long Sleeve Shirt for Kids - works wonders as a protective layer beneath regular clothing or for wearing alone as pajamas.
