"Three-quarters of my patients call their skin sensitive," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, "and treating skin too aggressively is one main reason why." Even if you're not intending to, you could be overwhelming your skin:
The average woman uses 12 different products with 168 unique ingredients every day, according to research from the Environmental Working Group in Washington D.C. All that on top of the usual stressors—pollution, hormonal changes, anxiety—and it's no wonder derms are seeing an increase in sensitive skin complaints such as breakouts, redness, rashes, and extreme dryness. Need relief? Check out these strategies for calming your complexion.
