The 5 Best Active Ingredients for Sensitive Skin

In light of the unprecedented pandemic, sensitive skin is becoming greater cause of concern in our society with numerous causes of sensitivity coming from pollution, stress, overly dry skin and excessive exposure to skin-damaging environmental factors. The term sensitive skin generally refers to skin that is prone to inflammation or adverse reactions. In this article, we will touch on the active ingredients that will help sensative skin.

If you are one of the unlucky one, always remember the importance of the following:

1. Soothe and calm your skin before anything else.
2. Focus on hydrating and keeping the skin moist.   
3. Apply product that aids repair and strengthening the skin barrier.

Our OEM/ODM skin care product focusing on sensitive skin. Below are the 5 best active ingredients you can put into your product.

1. Ceramides

Ceramides¹ is the main component of the stratum corneum of the epidermis layer of human skin. The stratum corneum is composed of 50% Ceramides, 25% cholesterol, and 15% free fatty acids.² An important ingredient for sensative skin, the roles of Ceramides are crucial in helping to create a strong barrier. From protecting our skin from environmental damages to preventing permeability by locking in moisture into your skin³. As such, it is able to keep your skin soft, hydrated and appearing firm and plump. In addition, ceramides exhibit anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory activities⁴ that can help reduces redness, swelling, itchiness and pain in you.

Similar with Collagen & HA, Ceramides production will deplete over time as we age. Besides, excessive cleansing, dry air and your diet may affect Ceramides level in your skin. There are now plenty of skin care products containing Ceramides. They can help reinforce your skin’s barrier and increase hydration, anti-aging, as well as fewer signs of sensitivity.

Those who interested to ODM your product with Ceramides may have a look at our unique active blend: Ecoceramide (https://tct.asia/tct-unique-active/)

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract is naturally derived from the juice containing leaves of the Aloe Vera plant. This ingredient for sensative skin is well-known for centuries for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties⁵ as it contains 75 potentially active constituents: vitamins, enzymes, minerals, sugars, lignin, saponins, salicylic acids and amino acids⁶ which explain why it can have so many benefits to our skin. 

Aloe Vera is able to help with skin healing by increasing collagen & hyaluronic acid synthesis of the skin to hold skins’ moisture, resulting in hydrated and youthful skin.  It’s ability to speed up the wound healing process enables accelerated wound contraction and increases the breaking strength of resulting scar tissue⁷. Besides, it also have antiseptic properties which inhibits fungi and bacteria growth on skin⁸.  There is a study shown that Aloe Vera has protective effect against UV and gamma radiation from the sun. It is able to help prevent UV-induced suppression of delayed type hypersensitivity⁹.

Its function is working so well that most of the product targeting sensitive skin have included it into their formula. 

3. Shea Butter

Shea butter is a fat extracted from the nut of the African Shea tree¹⁰ commonly used as an emollient in cosmetics. High concentration of fatty acids and vitamins make Shea butter an ideal cosmetic ingredient for moisturizing, nourishment, and skin soothing. It is composed of 5 essential fatty acids: Palmitic, Stearic, Oleic, Linoleic, and Arachidic. Mainly Stearic and Oleic acids are about 85 to 90%¹¹.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) suggests using products which contain Shea butter especially in ointment form helps trap moisture in the skin, heal dry skin and prevent its return. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory¹² and healing properties due to its high percentage of the unsaponifiable fraction (e.g., triterpenes, tocopherol, phenols, and sterols)¹³ which makes it a perfect ingredient for sensative skin whilst also having the ability to soften scar tissue. Using Shea butter are effective in inhibiting formation of normal and keloid fibroblasts¹⁴. In addition, there are also studies that revealed Shea Butter has UV anti-erythemic activity & anti-aging properties, which helps tissue cell regeneration, boost collagen production and softening of the skin¹⁵.

4. Tocotrienols (Vitamin E)

Tocotrienol also known as Vitamin E is a plant-derived oil from the fleshy orange-red mesocarp of the fruits of the oil palm tree Elaeis guineensis¹⁶ and it has a short tail with an unsaturated side chain with 3 double bonds. The structure of Tocotrienols ironically allows them to function in more efficient ways than Tocopherol that are commonly used in the market¹⁷. It is considered as an ingredient for sensative skin due to it’s stable and powerful antioxidants, as well as skin-soothing agents.

Tocotrienol is 40–60 times more potent as an antioxidant than Tocopherol and, when applied topically, penetrates the skin better than Tocopherol¹⁸. Due to its powerful antioxidant properties, studies shown Tocotrienol able to accelerate wound healing process¹⁹.  Tocotrienols have anti-aging properties through Increases of Telomerase Activity which results in delay or prevention of skin cellular ageing²⁰. 

Clinical trials have showed that Tocotrienols may serve as an effective anti-inflammatory compound that is safe to be applied daily to protect the skin from UV-induced inflammation²¹ and is also proven to have effective adjunctive treatment for atopic dermatitis patients²². If you have sensitive skin and wish to have whitening treatment, Tocotrienol can be considered. Tocotrienol is able to decrease melanin levels by inhibiting the oxidative reactions of tyrosinase²³ giving you a brighter and healthier skin.

5. Colloidal Oatmeal

Colloidal Oatmeal has been used for centuries as a soothing agent for treating itchy, dry, or irritated skin²⁴. Studies shows that upon applying Colloidal Oatmeal lotion, there are significant clinical improvements in skin dryness, scaling, roughness, and itch intensity²⁵. It perform a very good protective and water-holding functions due to its high concentration content of starches and beta-glucan that make it a good moisturizer. It is able to help reduce Trans-epidermal Water Loss (TEWL) which refers to the skin’s ability to retain moisture. Some of the oat Phenols are also strong ultraviolet absorbers.

Colloidal Oatmeal has Saponins which give its cleansing properties thus it can effectively cleanse away dirt without disturbing the pH of your skin²⁴. This ingredient for sensative skin is officially categorized as a skin protectant by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2003²⁶. Colloidal oatmeal has barrier repair properties that is able to strengthen and maintain skin barrier function²⁷. Besides, there is a clinical study shown that Colloidal Oat extracts exhibit direct anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities on skin due to the presence of different types of Phenols²⁴. Colloidal oatmeal is safe to use for most people, from children to adult, except those with a known oat allergy. Hence, it is a very good active to be included into the formula of sensitive skin product.