How to care for sensitive skin — 7 tips from the studio
Redness, tightness, burning skin after cleansing — anyone with sensitive skin knows these problems all too well. The good news: with the right products and a few simple rules, sensitive skin can be lastingly calmed. Here are my 7 tips from years of practice at Kosmetikstudio Basel.
Tip 1: Less is more
The most common mistake: too many products. Those who jump on every trend — retinol, vitamin C, AHA, BHA, niacinamide, peptides — overload the skin barrier. For sensitive skin the rule is: a maximum of 4–5 products per routine. Cleanser, serum, cream, sun protection. That's enough.
Tip 2: The right cleanse — Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser
An aggressive cleanser is poison for sensitive skin. I recommend the Dermalogica UltraCalming Cleanser — a gentle gel-cream hybrid that cleanses without foaming and calms the skin instead of stressing it. Lukewarm water, not hot. 30 seconds of massage, then rinse gently.
Tip 3: Skin-identical care — SkinIdent
For especially sensitive or reactive skin, SkinIdent is my first choice. What makes it special: all ingredients are skin-identical — exactly the substances your skin produces or already knows. No fragrances, no preservatives, no emulsifiers. This minimises the risk of allergic reactions to practically zero.
"If every other cream burns on your skin, it's usually not your skin that's sensitive — it's that the products are too aggressive."
Tip 4: Take care of the skin barrier
The skin barrier is like the outermost wall of a castle. When it's intact, nothing gets in and nothing escapes (except what's meant to). With sensitive skin, this barrier is often damaged. The result: moisture evaporates faster, and irritants penetrate more easily.
The best skin barrier booster from the Dermalogica line is the UltraCalming Barrier Defense Booster. It contains ceramides, oat kernel extract and bisabolol — a combination that visibly relieves irritated skin, often after just 2–3 applications.
Tip 5: No hot water, no towel rubbing
Two common mistakes in everyday routines:
- Water that's too hot opens the blood vessels and intensifies redness — especially with a tendency towards rosacea
- Rubbing with terry towels to dry is a tiny micro-trauma alarm for your skin. Instead: gently pat dry.
Small change, big effect. The same goes for the cleansing motion — use your hands rather than a brush.
Tip 6: Sun protection — but mineral, please
With sensitive skin, chemical UV filters are often problematic (tingling, redness, allergies). The solution: mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium oxide. Dermalogica Invisible Physical Defense SPF30 is exactly that — invisible on the skin, no burning, suitable even for the most sensitive skin types.
Sun protection is particularly important for sensitive skin because UV rays further weaken the skin barrier and intensify redness.
Tip 7: A professional calming treatment at the studio
When your skin is really irritated, the best way to bring it back is a professional treatment. At Kosmetikstudio Basel I offer a Wellness Facial with hand massage or the Deluxe Facial with gentle, calming masks — no aggressive peels, no strong acids, no microcurrent needles, just pure calming and regeneration.
When you really should come in
If you've been struggling with redness, burning or tightness for weeks and don't know why — book an appointment for an individual skin analysis. Often it's small things in the routine that make the difference. In 30 minutes we identify together what your skin needs and what's harming it.
By the way, this is the most common reason my clients come to me for the first time — and usually the start of a long collaboration for healthy, calm skin.