How to Build a Simple Skincare Routine for Sensitive Skin

At Dandle, we believe the key to success with any skincare regimen is simplicity. Why? Because consistency is important and simple is sustainable. Let’s be honest, we ladies are juggling a million and one things, and while a 6-step skincare routine sounds like a bouji thing we want to do for ourselves, the reality is, we often go to bed without even washing and moisturizing our faces. 

Today I’m talking straight to the girlies with sensitive skin: LESS IS MORE.

Why is My Skin so sensitive?

There are several factors that can contribute to sensitive skin, the most common culprit being a compromised skin barrier. A skin barrier is exactly what it sounds like, the outer-most layer of the dermis that acts as a protective barrier. This layer can become damaged due to over-exfoliation, genetics, age, or environmental factors. 

Another cause of sensitive skin is hormonal changes/fluctuation. This doesn’t have to refer to just peri-menopause or menopause. Women’s bodies are a complicated labyrinth of hormones that change DAILY in order to move through the phases of the female cycle. It’s super easy for stress, diet, or illness to effect this cycle and that can manifest in the skin. 

I had a functional doctor once tell me that the skin is, “an indicator of what’s going on inside.” Which leads me to my next, point. Sensitive skin is often a symptom of something going on in the gut. I have my own personal experience with this one. In different seasons of my life (usually stressful seasons) when I’ve been too exhausted to focus on my diet, the signs of gut inflammation and candida over-growth presented as redness and irritation in my nasolabial folds. 

Product-overuse is another common cause of sensitive skin. Too many ingredients, OVER-cleansing, or frequently changing up your skincare routine is an easy way to overwhelm the skin. 

Lastly, there are underlying conditions like eczema and rosacea. 

How does a simple skincare routine help my sensitive skin?

Maybe you’ve already put this together on your own, but simplifying your skincare routine is a great first-step in helping your sensitive skin! Picking gentle, yet effective products, that can not only addresses the over-use area, it also helps to repair your skin barrier by simultaneously giving what it needs to flourish and being gentle enough to not cause further damage. 

It also helps by being simple! A three-step routine, that can easily be combined into two-steps (more on that later), is doable, especially if you’re doing step one in the shower.

 What do you mean by simple skincare routine?

When I say simple, I mean three basic steps: cleanse, moisturize, and protect.
That's it.

You don't need a cleanser, toner, essence, serum, exfoliant, mask, eye cream, face oil, moisturizer, and three different treatments to have healthy skin.

In fact, if your skin is sensitive, adding more products can sometimes make things worse. The more products you use, the more ingredients you're exposing your skin to. And if your skin starts reacting, it can be really difficult to figure out which product is the culprit.

So let's strip it back.

Step 1: Cleanse

Your first step is, obviously, cleansing.

But if you have sensitive skin, how you cleanse matters just as much as what you cleanse with. You want to remove makeup, sunscreen, sweat, oil, and the general grossness that accumulates on your face throughout the day without leaving your skin feeling tight or stripped.

If your face feels squeaky-clean after washing, that's not necessarily a good thing.
Your skin has its own protective barrier for a reason. We don't want to wash away everything that makes your skin... well, skin.

For sensitive or easily irritated skin, I generally prefer a gentle cleanser that gets the job done, like Dandle Cleansing Cream,  without leaving you feeling like you need to immediately slather your face in moisturizer.

Step 2: Moisturize

This is where we support that skin barrier we were just talking about.

A good moisturizer for sensitive skin should help provide hydration and support the skin without overwhelming it with a laundry list of unnecessary ingredients.

This is one of the reasons I love Dandle Soothing Cream for sensitive skin.
It's designed to hydrate and soothe the skin while supporting the skin barrier, making it a great everyday moisturizer when your skin is feeling dry, irritated, reactive, or just generally unhappy.

And here's something I really want people with sensitive skin to hear:
You don't have to wait until your skin is dry to moisturize.

Moisturizer isn't just for people with flaky skin. Your skin barrier needs support whether your skin is dry, oily, combination, or sensitive.

Step 3: Protect

And finally, SPF.

Every morning.

I know, I know. You've heard it approximately 47,000 times. But there's a reason everyone keeps saying it. UV exposure can contribute to premature skin aging and can aggravate certain types of skin sensitivity and inflammation. If you're putting all this effort into taking care of your skin, daily sun protection is one of the easiest ways to protect that investment.

Look for a sunscreen that works well with your skin and that you'll actually use consistently. Because the best sunscreen is the one you'll put on your face every day.

But What About Serums?

Here's where I might differ from some of the skincare advice you'll see online.
You don't necessarily need one. I know. I just said you don't need a serum. 😂

There are absolutely situations where a targeted serum or treatment can be beneficial. But if your skin is currently irritated, reactive, or overwhelmed, I wouldn't start by throwing five new products at it.

First, get your foundation right.

Cleanse.
Moisturize.
Protect.

Give your skin some time to calm down. Then, if there's a specific concern you want to address, you can introduce a targeted product one at a time. That's the part I think gets lost on social media. Skincare isn't supposed to be a competition to see who can fit the most products into their morning routine.

What About Face Oil for Sensitive Skin?

This is another one that gets a little controversial. Some people with sensitive skin love face oils. Others don't. And that's okay.

Dandle Antioxidant Oil can be a great option when sensitive skin needs additional nourishment and support, particularly when it is feeling dry or depleted. But I wouldn't tell someone with actively irritated skin to immediately pile six new products onto their face.

Start simple.

Once your skin is comfortable with your basic routine, you can introduce an oil if you feel like your skin needs that extra layer of nourishment. And you don't need much. A few drops can go a surprisingly long way.

You can apply it after your moisturizer or, depending on your skin and the rest of your routine, mix a small amount with your moisturizer, my personal preference. 

What About Exfoliating Sensitive Skin?

Be careful.

This is one of the areas where I see people get themselves into trouble.
Exfoliation isn't inherently bad for sensitive skin. But over-exfoliation absolutely can be.
If you're already experiencing redness, burning, peeling, tightness, or irritation, adding another exfoliating product isn't necessarily the answer.

Sometimes your skin needs you to stop doing things to it.

Once your skin is healthy and comfortable again, gentle exfoliation can potentially be incorporated into your routine based on your skin's needs and tolerance. But you don't need to exfoliate every day.

Your skin is not a dirty floor that needs to be scrubbed. 😂

How Often Should You Change Your Skincare Products?

Ideally?

Not very often.

I know it's tempting. There's always a new serum, new mask, new “miracle” ingredient, and someone on TikTok telling you that the product you've been using for six months is apparently ruining your skin. But if your current routine is working, leave it alone.

Changing multiple products at once makes it nearly impossible to know what your skin likes and what it doesn't. And if you have sensitive skin, introducing products slowly is even more important.

Try one new product at a time and give your skin a chance to tell you what it thinks.

What If My Sensitive Skin Is Also Oily?

Yep. This is possible too. Sensitive skin doesn't automatically mean dry skin.
You can have oily, sensitive skin, and that requires a slightly different approach than someone with dry, sensitive skin.

This is where choosing products based on your current skin needs instead of simply buying everything labeled “for sensitive skin” becomes important.

If you're oily, congested, or acne-prone but still sensitive, Dandle Clarifying Cream may be a better fit for your everyday moisturizer.

The Simple Sensitive Skin Routine I'd Actually Recommend

If you came into Dandle and asked me, “What do I actually need?”, I'd start here:

Morning

1. Cleanse
   Use a gentle cleanser appropriate for your skin.
2. Moisturize
   Use Soothing Cream with a drop or two of antioxidant oil if your skin is sensitive, dry, or irritated. If you're more oily or acne-prone, Clarifying Cream may be a better fit.
3. SPF
   Protect your skin every morning.

Evening

1. Cleanse
   Remove makeup, sunscreen, oil, and the day's buildup.
2. Moisturize
   Keep it simple. Your skin doesn't need a 12-step routine to be healthy.
3. Optional: Antioxidant Oil
   If your skin needs additional nourishment, add a few drops of Antioxidant Oil after moisturizing.

And that's it.

Three steps. Two if you combine your cleansing routine with your shower.
Do you need more sometimes? Absolutely. Do you need more just because Instagram told you that you do? Probably not.

The Bottom Line: Less Really Can Be More

Sensitive skin can be frustrating because sometimes it feels like your skin is reacting to everything. But before you start buying another product to fix the problem, take a look at what you're already using.

• Are you exfoliating too often?
• Are you washing your face too aggressively?
• Are you constantly switching products?
• Are you using five different treatments for five different concerns?

Sometimes the best thing you can do for sensitive skin is simplify. Give your skin a chance to calm down. Build a routine you can actually stick with. And then, once you've established a healthy baseline, you can decide whether you really need to add anything else.

Cheers to making life simple! At Dandle, we don't believe skincare needs to be complicated to be effective. Simple is sustainable. And sustainable is what actually gets results.