Sensitive Skin? Your skin may not be the real problem…

The few years that led to my launching MYTHYN were truly a journey of thinking differently about health and beauty because I have developed highly sensitive skin.

I was having an allergic reaction to the most basic skincare products I used every day, wondering why my skin would flare up even when I was buying premium options, while others would use just any brand they liked and have no reaction at all.

I would put make up on and get red dry and puffy eyes. I would get a skin reaction after a bath with rashes or itches. My lips would become so red and painful and dry…

In fact I would get sick all the time too.

I worked in sales / account management back then, which feels like a lifetime away from my current self-employed life. I was never told to wear make up, but I already couldn’t wear heels (topic for another day ?) and often felt like the odd one out. In this environment, I honestly couldn’t imagine my client facing role without the makeup. Unspoken rule and all that.

I was left feeling that I just wasn’t “right” – something was wrong with me.

My usual fix was to put some “sensitive skin” cream over my skin, use “sensitive skin” labelled bath products to patch it up, or use cortisone cream for my eczema which never really went away.

I kept on this way for a while feeling frustrated that I couldn’t understand why even those options didn’t fully help.

And then I remember feeling angry. I was paying more more sensitive products that were outright boring to use and asking my doctor why I was having these issues and I had no answers. I was stuck.

Have you felt this way & thought it was no use, that you just have sensitive skin?

Well, fear not. Today I’m sharing one of the most important lessons I have learned. The truth is this: your skin isn’t just sensitive. Unless you’ve always had those reactions, your skin has become sensitive.

Your skin is wonderful and does so much for you each and every day. It’s the barrier that protects your wonderful insides, the you even you don’t get to see, which itself works hard at keeping you alive so you can be your best self, explore the world and be awesome.

Everything you do, eat, drink, think, say, and put on you skin affects it. It’s an entire ecosystem – a whole self-contained world with its own delicate balance.

The products you have been putting on your skin all these years may have been chipping away your skin’s healthy protective layers an your body is telling you to make a change.

The food you have been eating may not have provided your body the right balance of nutrients it needs to restore your protective barriers.

Your last illness, even a little cold, or a reaction to something you used or ate, or even a change of environment may have killed the good bacteria in your gut. You need those and unless you eat to maintain (or restore) your gut health, a lack of good bacteria could be wrecking havoc with your skin.

You may have been neglecting your self-care and mental health, increasing stress levels on a daily basis (or experiencing a spike after a traumatic event) which has disturbed your personal eco-system.

Or you may have an underlying condition, which creates an imbalance you need to be aware of in order to address it. (oh hello ? that’s me – another topic for another day too)

Self-care isn’t woo-woo and it’s not all just pretty pretty stuff either, branded out for commercial purposes. Self-care means taking the time to become self-aware and customising your lifestyle to suit your specific needs, so you can be your healthiest & happiest.

Take the time to look at your lifestyle as a whole, and learn to listen to your body and your heart. Feed your gut & listen to it too. It will feed your skin, and empower you to feel better in it too.

Until next time,

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