How Do I Choose the Best Cream for Sensitive Skin?

Choosing the best cream for sensitive skin can require avoiding dyes and fragrances, trying baby products, and understanding product labels. Many people are allergic to dyes and fragrances that are commonly added to creams and cosmetic products strictly for aesthetic appeal. Straying away from such products is sometimes best for sensitive skin. In addition, baby products are often formulated for a child’s sensitive skin and may work well as a cream for sensitive skin in adults. Lastly, it can be helpful to understand why the phrase dermatologist-approved might not mean much depending on your country and its laws regarding the claims a company can make on product labels.

Generally speaking, people with sensitive skin should try to avoid products with dyes, fragrances, and other largely unnecessary chemicals. When shopping for the best cream for sensitive skin, look for products labeled fragrance-free and no dyes. Not only can fragrances and dyes cause people to break out in hives, but some people cannot tolerate the smell of strong fragrances. Their eyes may begin to water, and sometimes they grow dizzy or develop headaches. By choosing not to smell like cucumber melon or summer midnight, you can curb your own skin issues and help people with sensitive noses.

When choosing a cream for sensitive skin, opt for products manufactured for babies or children. These products can sometimes be less irritating to sensitive skin. Compare the ingredients of a baby or children’s product to an adult product to make sure the product is different. Sometimes the product is essentially the same but in a different bottle and marketed toward children. Baby or children’s products can also be more expensive than adult products, but the extra expense might be worth the peace of mind you get from knowing the product will not cause an allergic reaction.

Some creams for sensitive skin are marked dermatologist recommended, but this term often means very little. In some countries, like the United States for example, this term is not tightly regulated by a government body. A company can label the product recommended by dermatologists as long as one skin doctor approves of the product. This doctor generally does not approve the product for free; in fact, he or she may have accepted a generous sum of money to either test, review, or just give a written approval about the product’s effectiveness. While many companies do have multiple dermatologists rigorously test their products, it is usually unwise to believe that so-called dermatologist-approved or recommended creams do not irritate sensitive skin.