Intolerances and allergies: causes, effects, and solutions

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Sensitive skin

It’s fine, fair, often slightly dry and tends to flush easily.
It stings, feels tight, overheats...

The sun is a well-known skin aggressor, particularly for fair skin.
The cold and the wind are also poorly tolerated.

Some dermo-cosmetic or therapeutic products contain unsuitable ingredients:

cleansing products containing irritant surfactants,
products for oily, acne-prone skin with a gentle exfoliating effect.

The skin isn’t relieved, on the contrary, it’s damaged by these unsuitable products.
Sometimes your skin reacts excessively to the slightest attack; it becomes intolerant. It stings, feels tight, turns red, flaky and itchy. In this case, you need to choose products with very few ingredients.

Sensitised or allergy-prone skin

Allergies are caused by an immunological response (to an allergen).
On the skin, this shows up as obvious clinical signs: red patches, severe itching, swelling, and oozing sometimes accompanied by intense pruritus.

If you have experienced an allergic reaction, consult your doctor immediately; they will find out what your skin is reacting to by carrying out essential allergy tests.

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OUR EXPERT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Living better with intolerant and allergy-prone skin

“ Sensitive skin ” reacts more quickly or more strongly than normal skin,
even to the same aggressor and under similar conditions. Symptoms include unpleasant sensations
(tightness, tingling, itching, etc.) and sometimes redness or dryness.

The causes are complex. The skin is an organ that performs several functions and, therefore, there are several types
of factors that can cause skin sensitivity

Even when skin is sensitive, it is possible to reduce this skin sensitivity by avoiding
poorly tolerated products and replacing them with specific products

For cleansing, preferably use dermatological bars or soap-free cleansing products, to avoid
aggravating the skin. In terms of moisturisers, favour products with minimal ingredients to limit the
risk of reaction.

There is often confusion between sensitive skin, intolerant skin, and allergy-prone skin. People who
say they are “allergic” often have very sensitive or even intolerant skin that overreacts to the
application of a number of products, local medicines or dermo-cosmetic cleansing and moisturising products.
An allergy is caused by an immunological response. It results in red patches with small
severe itching, swelling and oozing sometimes accompanied by intense pruritus.

Your doctor will advise you how to choose appropriate cleansing and skincare products. Favour
products that do not contain ingredients known to be irritant or allergens and which have a
high tolerance confirmed by clinical tests.