Bad skin or sensitive skin? That is the question!
I grew up with a single mom, below the poverty line. During my entire childhood and adolescence, I firmly believed I had bad skin. Rashes, dry skin, oily skin, dandruff, pimples, etc. I had it all. It wasn’t until my late 20s that I realized I didn’t have bad skin, I have bougie skin!
I react badly to a lot of detergents, dryer sheets, a majority of shampoos, conditioners, soap, and lotions, and my skin is only okay with specific shaving creams and razors. Now that I’m nearing my 40s, I have found what works for my bougie skin and I have the best skin I’ve ever had. I absolutely do not spend a ton of money either.
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Shaving
If you have sensitive skin, shaving could be your issue!
Shaving is not my friend. I have extremely dry skin on my legs, so any irritation to them makes me break out in a rash.
- My skin will only allow Venus razors. One of the most expensive disposable razors, but they don’t give me razor bumps or in-grown hair.
- I can only use 2 shaving creams. Venus shaving cream and satin skin dry skin. Anything else results in a rash.
- You would think I would have invested in waxing, sugaring, or laser hair removal, but you’d be wrong. I’m still old schooling it. I also have reactions to wax and hair removal creams, so I’m sticking with what I know is safe.
Try different brands of shaving cream and razors to see what works better for you!
Laundry
Laundry detergent is usually the biggest culprit for skin irritation.
I can only use Gain detergent. No idea why, but the others make me break out. Same with dryer sheets and scents. It has to be Gain for me.
Lotion
Sensitive skin usually needs to be moisturized daily!
My skin gets extremely dry in the summer and winter. The best lotion I use is Human + Kind Body Souffle. I’ve found a couple of others that don’t make me break out in hives, but honestly Human + Kind has been a life saver.
Body wash
Things as simple as body wash can be the culprit for sensitive skin. Try new brands to see what works.
So far Oil of Olay is one of the very few I don’t react negatively to. Dove is okay for me but leaves my skin a bit dry.
Exfoliating
Frank Body! They have an amazing line with coffee scrubs, whipped scrubs, etc. I have zero reactions, and it leaves my skin amazing. Exfoliating is key for me because of the dry skin on my legs and arms. Exfoliating and moisturizing regularly helps to correct this issue.
Hand Cream
If you have sensitive skin (mainly dry hands) the winter can be hard on them. Excessively washing them can cause issues as well.
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream is my go-to. It fixes the cracks in my skin and leaves my hands moisturized. It’s very greasy though, so use the smallest amount!
Face
Most of us have sensitive facial skin. Whether it’s acne prone or has dry patches, problematic facial skin can make us very self-conscience. Make sure you stick to a good skin care routine that includes removing your make-up every night! Depending on the severity, you may want to consider seeing a dermotologist.
I have oily facial skin and as an 80s kid who hit adolescence in the 90s, we were told to dry our skin out to prevent outbreaks. Don’t do that! Moisturize!!! Add oils!!! Your skin will stop trying to produce oil if it’s already there. You can read about my skincare for my face here.
Hair
Salon brands and this scalp massager are my best friends! Department store shampoos dry my scalp out but leave my hair oily. I used to get what I assumed was dandruff. Salon shampoo makes it so I don’t have this issue anymore. I find a lot of people believe they have dandruff when in reality they just have a dry flaky scalp from the shampoos they use. I use an oil treatment once every 2 weeks as well to try and combat my dry scalp.
If you think you have bad skin or dandruff, keep trying different products to find out what works for you. Honestly you probably just have sensitive skin (aka bougie skin) like me, and it’s easily fixable, once you know what triggers your skin’s reactions.
If you have any products you use to combat sensitive skin, leave them in the comments section as I would love to see if they’ll work for me!
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