Liquid Lotion
I developed this product recently for a lovely lady in her late 70's with very sensitive skin. When I say sensitive, I mean very very sensitive.
She cannot wear any make-up, and her face is frequently 'dotted' with dry patches that are flakey, itchy, irritated, and red.
Her brief:
'it comes out of nowhere. I can't pinpoint what causes it. Anything can kick it off – a change in weather, food? (I'm never sure), exposure to sun, you name it.Finding anything she would be able to tolerate and use was – to put it mildly – a bit of a challenge.
I've tried every product for sensitive skin on the market – nothing works for me. I use plain water to wash my face and – sometimes – plain oil for moisturizer. And the oil sometimes irritates me too, but plain water is what irritates my skin the least, but my skin feels so dry.'
One Thing at a Time
After our initial briefing, I decided to approach this 'one ingredient at a time' and started by giving her some pure aloe vera in a small spray bottle. She was instructed to lightly mist the aloe vera over her face after washing, then let the skin air dry.After a few days she reported back with a thumbs up – no adverse reactions.
Another ingredient was added, and we proceeded from there until her Liquid Lotion was ready.
Less is More
When making a product for skin this sensitive, less really is more. This formula ended up with a fairly short list of ingredients, but included effective 'goodies' like panthenol, glycerine-based herbal extracts, and hydrosol – all working in synergy to help moisturize and protect.The best part? Her satisfaction! I'm pretty sure I was just as thrilled as she was at discovering how well this worked for her.
Her second order is being filled as we speak.
Do Tell
Do you know anyone with super sensitive skin? What do they do to wash and moisturize their skin?Are you interested in ordering a custom product? You can read about it right here.
Comments
Many of my face sensitivities line right up with my inside sensitivities, like many preservatives and soy-based ingredients of any kind. Many of those ingredients are also hidden in medications and supplements, so deep label reading has been key for years.
I also have to stay away from anything with Salicylic Acid, using that is like putting my face right into a campfire and leaves me with red patches for days. I'd rather have one small breakout than much bigger patches of visibly inflamed skin, thank you very much.
Love your approach with her and I'm sure she's thrilled.
But one thing I am confused about is the use of floral waters/hydrolats (the by-product of distilling essential oils). For example, I love using rose hydrosol...but some people say that I have to add in some sort of preservative if I am mixing it with other things and want it to last longer. Is this true?
Appreciate your thoughts on this.
That said: as soon as you add a rose hydrosol to other ingredients in a formula, you will need to preserve accordingly. I hope this was of some help. :)