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Developing a skincare routine with sensitive skin can be quite difficult. Many normally recommended products and practices can actually cause irritation, dryness, and breakouts.
Sensitive skin needs extra care. That means choosing products strategically, following a mindful routine, and having the patience to keep your skin healthy.
In this post, I’ll guide you through creating a morning and evening routine specifically for sensitive skin. You’ll find product recommendations, step-by-step directions, and plenty of information to help you understand your skin and how best to care for it.
Sensitive skincare routine for beginners
There are countless examples of skincare routines online, but much of the advice floating around does more harm than good. You can’t simply pick a routine at random and expect it to work for you.
I made that mistake for years, and I’m certain some of the bad advice I followed is exactly what was causing my breakouts and irritation. The truth is, your routine needs to be tailored to your own skin concerns.
Here’s how to build a routine for sensitive skin that actually works:
What is sensitive skin?
In the skincare world, we recognise five different skin types: normal skin, dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, and sensitive skin. If you have sensitive skin, your skin barrier is delicate and reactive. This means it can be easily irritated by products, weather, stress, and even certain dietary factors.
Along with this, you may experience flare-ups. What are they exactly? Well, flare-ups with sensitive skin usually mean stinging, burning, redness, dryness, and/or itching. Because of this, you’ll need to be selective about your products and be mindful of anything else that might trigger irritation.
Skin types are not truly medically recognised, meaning they don’t actually exist, but most people do fall into one of these five categories just to make things easier.
How to care for sensitive skin
Don’t overdo it with too many actives
One of the biggest lies we’re told in skincare is that 1+1=2. With so many active ingredients promising their own benefits, we’re led to believe that we’ll see results from any combination we choose to use.
This overly simplistic methodology is exactly why so many people struggle with their skin, even when they’re using objectively good products. You can’t just layer products on and expect to see the advertised benefits from each one.
It doesn’t work like that. Too many actives competing to do their job will only weaken the skin barrier and likely trigger a flare-up.
Always go fragrance-free – including essential oils
Fragrances are one of the most common irritating skincare ingredients, and they’re completely unnecessary. They don’t do anything for your skin but potentially cause problems.
Don’t use any fragranced products – this includes products naturally scented with essential oils. Just because it’s natural does not mean it belongs on your skin. I personally never use essential oils on my face because they’re known to cause dryness, irritation, and other issues.
There are plenty of fragrance-free products available, which is exactly what you need to build your skincare routine. Even if your skin is okay with fragrances now (natural or otherwise), continual exposure to irritants can cause spontaneous reactions. Meaning you can become sensitised to an irritant the more you get exposure to it – IMO it’s just not worth it!
Make hydration your number one priority
Sensitive skin struggles to retain moisture due to a compromised skin barrier. This can leave your skin dry and more reactive to the weather or certain products.
Make hydration the focus of your skincare routine and aim to keep your skin moisturised throughout the day. Doing so will help soothe and smooth your skin while improving its tolerance to actives and other skincare practices.
The best way to hydrate sensitive skin is to layer on one moisturising product after another. Even your cleanser can be hydrating, or you can layer a hydrating mist under a hydrating serum, then a moisturiser.
Look for skincare ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe vera, and squalane. These are some of the best options for individuals with sensitive skin.
Don’t forget about the skin barrier
The skin barrier is overlooked in most skincare routines, but particularly in those looking to target sensitive skin. I often find people only use barrier serums when their barrier is damaged, but I like to use a barrier serum twice a day! Even when my skin is fine – prevention is better than cure.
Your skin barrier is the outer layer of skin made of components like fats, amino acids, and skin cells. Together, they form a protective barrier between the elements and your more delicate skin layers.
When your barrier is compromised, things like dirt, sweat, and oil get right into your pores, which can lead to acne and irritation.
The barrier also plays a key role when applying skincare products. Stronger actives are designed to work on top of a healthy moisture barrier.
If your barrier is weak, these ingredients can reach deeper layers of skin and trigger irritation. To prevent issues, make sure your routine prioritizes barrier health.
Barrier creams and serums contain nourishing ingredients such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and aloe vera. These help strengthen your skin barrier, reduce sensitivity, and support a healthy and calm complexion.
Avoid strong or harsh ingredients for now
If you’re starting a skincare routine from scratch, it’s best to skip stronger treatments for now. You can always introduce them one at a time later to see how your skin reacts, but keeping things simple at the beginning is key.
Ingredients like retinoids, exfoliating acids, vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide (overrated anyway), and physical scrubs should be avoided initially.
Once your skin barrier is repaired and you have an effective sensitive skincare routine in place, you can consider trying these treatments.
When you get to that point, here’s how to use retinol for beginners.
Commit to wearing sunscreen everyday
Sun damage is the enemy of sensitive skin. If your skin is left exposed to UV rays during the day, you may continue to have flare-ups. SPF is essential for optimal skin health, even in poor weather.
Sunscreen protects the skin barrier, reduces inflammation, and supports overall skin health, ensuring your skincare efforts are actually effective.
Having a strong skincare routine but skipping sunscreen is like trying to fill a leaky bucket. No matter how hard you try to get things under control, you’ll always be playing catch-up.
Make sunscreen a non-negotiable part of your routine, and reapply throughout the day to keep your skin protected from dawn to dusk.
Be gentle with your application
It’s not just chemical and environmental stressors that can irritate sensitive skin — the way you apply your skincare can make things worse, too.
There’s no need to scrub cleansers aggressively into your skin or wipe away makeup with rough towels. Your products don’t need friction to work effectively.
And skip physical exfoliating scrubs altogether. They’re not very effective and can easily damage your skin. When you’re ready to start exfoliating, stick to gentler options like PHAs and mandelic acid. Retinol/retinal is not an exfoliant but it has a similar effect.
What is a good skincare routine for sensitive skin?
Morning:
- Step One: Skip morning cleansing if you prefer or use a gentle cleansing gel
- Step Two: Apply a barrier serum with centella, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide or other barrier boosting actives
- Step Three: Spot treat blemishes and dry areas if needed
- Step Four: Layer on a light moisturiser (optional, if your skin is hydrated enough with just your sunscreen then that’s okay too)
- Step Five: Cover with sunscreen with SPF 30+ minimum
Evening:
- Step One: Use a gentle, hydrating cleanser (I do love double cleansing but it’s not always essential for super sensitive skin)
- Step Two: Treat the skin using azelaic acid or niacinamide, for example. The treatment you use depends on your skin goals and concerns
- Step Three: Apply eye serum with gentle ingredients
- Step Four: Moisturise with a rich cream
- Step Five: Apply a barrier-repair balm or occlusive if necessary, or spot treat dry areas
What are the best skincare products for sensitive skin?
Dr. Sam’s Flawless Neutralising Gel
Sensitive skin can be prone to breakouts, so it’s helpful to include a preventive step in your morning skincare routine.
This neutralising gel combines gentle yet effective ingredients like azelaic acid, salicylic acid, squalane, and bakuchiol, and it’s the only spot treatment worth using in my opinion! I love how it doesn’t dry out my skin at the same time.
I particularly like bakuchiol because it’s a “plant-based alternative to retinol”. Bakuchiol has nowhere near as much research as retinoids, but it can be a great option for anyone whose skin is too sensitive for traditional retinoids.
Paula’s Choice Azelaic Acid Boost
For an evening treatment, I also recommend azelaic acid for sensitive skin. It’s anti-inflammatory and packed with antioxidants. This helps to calm the skin while gently removing dirt and bacteria from pores to prevent breakouts.
The licorice root extract and adenosine in the formula also help prevent problems. These ingredients are skin-restoring agents, soothing the skin as the azelaic acid works its magic. This version contains salicylic acid for more acne prone skin types, but I have tonnes of azelaic acid recommendations without the BHA.
Dermatica Balancing Glycerin Gel Cleanser
This cleanser is extremely gentle. I love how few ingredients it has – a good tip for skincare shopping with sensitive skin is to go with products with very few ingredients overall.
The clarifying agents themselves are gentle and fragrance-free. Because of this, it cleanses the skin and removes excess oils and impurities – without stripping or causing irritation.
Aveeno Calm+Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser
Here’s another non-foaming, fragrance-free cleanser that’s perfect for sensitive skin. Its key ingredients, feverfew and oat extract, are well known for their calming and hydrating properties.
Additional ingredients like glycerin and sodium hyaluronate help draw moisture into the skin, keeping it soft and hydrated.
The entire formula is hypoallergenic, too. Meaning it gently cleanses, removes, and purifies dirt, sweat, bacteria, and build-up while nourishing the skin, and is unlikely to cause issues. The term ‘hypoallergenic’ though actually means a low chance of issues, not zero.
Purito Centella Serum (aka Wonder Releaf Centella Serum)
As I said, barrier serum is essential to your skincare routine for sensitive skin. This one is a favorite of mine.
It contains high concentrations of centella asiatica, which is known for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. It’s an excellent product for calming irritated skin and supporting a weakened skin barrier.
Ceramides and peptides help reinforce the skin’s barrier, while ingredients like panthenol and sodium hyaluronate hydrate and lock in moisture. Some people do have reactions to centella unfortunately, just like anyone can to any other plant! Always patch test new products.
Dermatica Daily Soothing Centella Gel Moisturiser
This lovely, lightweight moisturiser is a great addition to your morning routine.
Of course, it’s incredibly hydrating, but it also includes barrier-supporting ingredients like centella and niacinamide, which is why it’s one of my go-tos.
Even better, It’s fragrance-free (including essential oils), oil-free, and pH-neutral, making it ideal for sensitive or acne-prone skin.
Simple Repairing Rich Cream
For your evening skincare routine, followers often ask me to recommend a richer moisturiser. I like this one for sensitive skin because it supports skin health in multiple ways.
Glycerin and panthenol draw in moisture to hydrate the skin, while ceramides and centella strengthen the skin barrier to lock it all in.
Finally, vitamin E helps nourish and protect your skin. That way, when you wake up, it feels hydrated, refreshed, and irritation-free.
SOS SPF 50 Sun Cream
For your daily sunscreen, choose a lightweight, fragrance-free option, like SOS SPF50 Sun Cream. I like that it doubles as a moisturiser, helping you layer up on hydrating ingredients.
The formula is effective but very gentle, making it unlikely to cause irritation or breakouts for most skin types.
Be sure to reapply every few hours to maintain protection and prevent sensitivity or sun damage.
Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Bakuchiol Eye Cream
A lot of people ask me, “Is eye cream necessary or overhyped?” It’s definitely a useful product, but it’s not necessarily essential to your daily skincare routine.
That said, if you experience eye dryness, bags, discolouration, or any other under eye problems, there’s nothing wrong with using an eye cream on sensitive skin.
It’s just another hydrating ingredient that’ll help soothe irritation and keep your skin moisturised. Fine lines and eye bags generally look better if they’re hydrated, and makeup will always go on smoother.
This eye cream is a good choice for sensitive skin because it doesn’t include strong anti-ageing ingredients like retinol. It contains bakuchiol, which people tend to be less sensitive to.
Bakuchiol still helps encourage cell turnover and youthful-looking skin without the risk of irritation. However, don’t expect as big anti-ageing improvements like you would with a retinoid. This eye cream can help with both hydration than fine lines and wrinkles.
Sensitive skincare routines shouldn’t be complicated
Caring for sensitive skin is not about combining as many beneficial products as possible. It’s about patience, consistency, and choosing products intentionally for your needs.
A mindful routine, gentle ingredients, and daily protection can transform how your skin feels and responds. Over time, these small, thoughtful steps pay off in calm, resilient, and healthy skin.
If you found this helpful, check out these posts next:
- Best Skin Barrier Products for Clog Prone Skin
- Best Korean skincare products for acne
- Non pore clogging sunscreen (or as close as you can get to it!)
- The best oil cleansers for acne prone skin
