Do you have pimples, blackheads, and redness? It's likely that you have impure and sensitive skin! What does this mean? Your ideal face cream should be both effective in combating imperfections and gentle on the skin!

It may sound simple, but finding a cream with these characteristics might not be so easy! Why? Some of the purifying ingredients are actually poorly tolerated by more sensitive skin types and can lead to long-term redness, patches, and sensitization.
Let's see what are the best ingredients to look for in an ideal face cream for sensitive skin with imperfections!
In particular, in this article, we will deal with:

• Beauty routine for impure and sensitive skin

- Step 1: Cleansing

- Step 2: Exfoliation

- Step 3: Hydration

- Step 4: Sun Protection

• Face creams for impure and sensitive skin: all the functional ingredients

- Hyaluronic Acid

- Niacinamide

- Aloe Vera

- Rice Powder

- Shikimic Acid

- Succinic Acid

- Azelaic Acid

- Lotus Flower

- Nettle

- Lemon balm

- Burdock

- Witch Hazel

- Apricot Oil

• What are the best creams for impure and sensitive skin?

- Melissa: the keyword is lightness and hydration

- Stay Pure and Stay Matte: the new entries dedicated to impure skin

Beauty routine for impure and sensitive skin

It may be challenging to create a beauty routine that suits both impure and sensitive skin. This type of skin is more likely to suffer from blackheads and acne but it tends to react more to external agents, being more sensitive than a normal skin. For such reasons, impure and sensitive skins are more likely to get irritations, which often come out with redness, itching, and burning.

Products formulated with too strong ingredients are the number-one enemy of such type of skin, as these cosmetics may make things worse for your skin, making it even more sensitive.

It is then better to opt for delicate products that have control on sebum production, can reduce blemishes and sooth irritations. Let's see how to create a skin care routine for impure but sensitive skin.

Step 1: Cleansing

The right cleanser should be able to effectively remove impurities, like excess sebum and makeup residuals, without stripping the skin of its natural oils that play an important role in protecting and moisturizing the skin.

A good tip is to opt for formulations that contain moisturizing and soothing ingredients, like aloe vera, and purifying and rebalancing ingredients like witch hazel and nettle. Be sure to gently massage the cleanser onto your face, avoiding vigorous rubbing that could further irritate the skin. After cleansing, pat your face gently with a soft towel instead of rubbing it.

Step 2: Exfoliation

Although the skin naturally renews its skin cells, we can speed up the turnover process by using a gentle exfoliant. This step will help prevent dead skin cells, sebum, and dirt from accumulating in the pores and clogging them, which is one of the most common factors in the development of blackheads and other impurities.

There are different types of exfoliants available. Individuals with sensitive and impure skin may find the rubbing of a mechanical scrub too aggressive, especially if the grains are large, hard, or irregular. It's better to opt for a chemical peel that enhances the power of certain substances, particularly certain categories of acids, to induce the shedding of the outermost layer of the epidermis. Sensitive skin, by its very definition, struggles to tolerate overly aggressive ingredients, such as glycolic acid. 

Step 3: Hydration

We won't dwell on this topic too much here, as we will soon discuss what considerations to keep in mind when choosing a suitable face cream for impure and sensitive skin. However, it's important to note that the combination of functional ingredients in its formula is crucial.

Step 4: Sun Protection

Exposure to UV rays without adequate sun protection can not only cause long-term damage but also increase inflammation and worsen acne. For particularly sensitive skin, it is advisable to use a sunscreen that is fragrance-free and dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.

Face creams for impure and sensitive skin: all the functional ingredients

Here it follows a list of ingredients that every face cream for impure and sensitive skin should include. It is not necessary for all of them to be present in just one product, nor to be included in high precentages. It is in fact advisdable to evaluate the formula as a whole.

Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance able to retain water in the skin, providing intense hydration without clogging pores. Another characteristic that makes hyaluronic acid an exceptional ingredient is its ability to increase the permeability of connective tissue, promoting better penetration of other active ingredients used in cosmetics.
Contrary to what its name might suggest, hyaluronic acid is a gentle ingredient and is highly tolerated by all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Niacinamide

Niacinamide, which is derivative of vitamin B3, helps regulate sebum production, prevent the appearance of new blemishes, minimize enlarged pores, and refine skin texture. It is therefore an ingredient particularly suitable for impure skin that requires intensive action.
Is it gentle? Yes, if Niacinamide is pure and therefore contains a low percentage of nicotinic acid, it is also suitable for sensitive skin.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is an excellent ingredient for formulating a face cream that is suitable for sensitive skin prone to imperfections. The reason is simple: aloe vera soothes and refreshes the skin, reduces redness, and provides hydration and relief without clogging pores. Additionally, aloe vera has healing properties that can help minimize the appearance of acne scars.

Rice Powder

The first words that come to mind when thinking about rice powder are versatile and soothing! It is an ingredient with highly absorbent properties that helps control sebum production and reduce the shine often experienced by combination and oily skin.

Shikimic Acid

Recent studies on Shikimic Acid, a cosmetic active mainly extracted from star anise, have highlighted its inhibitory action against Propionibacterium Acnes, one of the main bacteria responsible for acne. It also helps prevent skin imperfections and regulate sebum production.

It acts on the skin as a gentle exfoliant – suitable for sensitive skin – promoting skin turnover without irritating the skin, resulting in a more even and radiant complexion. It helps minimize acne-related scars and is also excellent for mature skin as it lightens age-related spots and makes wrinkles less noticeable.

Succinic Acid

Still relatively unknown to many, succinic acid is a truly promising active ingredient! Like shikimic acid, it helps fight bacteria causing acne by preventing the formation of new imperfections and gently exfoliates the skin.

Moreover, succinic acid has a high regenerating power while being skin-compatible and non-photosensitizing. It gently and effectively assists in skin regeneration, making the face look radiant and toned. Finally, it helps combat free radicals thanks to its antioxidant and anti-aging properties.

Azelaic Acid

In cosmetology, azelaic acid is among the most valuable ingredients for anti-acne treatments and is also excellent for formulating face creams with purifying and anti-blemish properties. It has recognized antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties and exerts a bactericidal and bacteriostatic action against the bacteria that inhabit the superficial layers of the skin, causing the appearance of imperfections.

Azelaic acid is known for its depigmenting action, making it a good support for effectively combating skin discolorations that remain on the skin once the pimple has healed.

Lotus Flower

Considered sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism, lotus flower is used in cosmetics to regulate sebum production and reduce excessive skin shine. It contains leptin, an ingredient that regulates sebum synthesis in cells.

Therefore, the lotus flower is an ideal ingredient for formulating creams with mattifying and sebum-regulating action or anti-shine primers.

Nettle

Despite its bad reputation due to its stinging power, nettle is a highly appreciated ingredient in cosmetics because of its astringent properties that can help regulate sebum production and reduce skin oiliness. It also has a regenerative and emollient effect.

Lemon balm

Lemon balm is an aromatic herb valued for its beneficial properties for the skin. In particular, lemon balm has antimicrobial properties that can help combat bacteria responsible for acne and reduce skin inflammation. It is also excellent for soothing irritated skin, regulating sebum production, and reducing redness.

Burdock

Burdock is traditionally used in cosmetics for impure and sensitive skin due to its purifying and antibacterial properties. This plant is known to help reduce acne, eliminate impurities, and regulate sebum production. Additionally, burdock has soothing properties that can contribute to reducing inflammation and soothing irritated skin.

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel is one of those versatile ingredients that can be beneficial for both impure and sensitive skin. Its main merits? It helps regulate sebum production and has soothing and calming properties.

Apricot Oil

Extracted from apricot seeds, this oil is rich in essential nutrients such as fatty acids, vitamin E, and antioxidants, making it an ideal ally for skin health.
Impure and sensitive skin often suffer from irritations and redness. Apricot oil has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties that help calm sensitive skin and reduce inflammation. This can be particularly beneficial for acne-prone skin or those prone to easy irritation.
Contrary to what one might think, apricot oil can help regulate the skin's sebum production. This means it can be used even by those with oily or prone-to-oiliness skin. Applied to the skin, apricot oil does not clog pores but helps maintain the natural sebum balance, preventing excessive production.

What are the best creams for impure and sensitive skin?

Now that we have analysed the ingredients that nature offers us to take care of impure and sensitive skins, let's deal with facial creams. What are the best face creams to take care of such type of skin?

Going through our website's section dedicated to face creams, you can see that there are many that address impure skins. Are they suitable to sensitive skins too? Let's find it out together!  

Melissa: the keyword is lightness and hydration

Our Lemon-Balm Moisturising Face Cream is one of our best-sellers! It's a soft and light lotion that gets easily aborbed. It includes apricot oil and constitutional water of lemon balm, which is obtained by an extraction process that allows to keep all the soothing and antioxidants properties of this ingredient! 

Hyaluronic acid and rice powder are added to complete the combination of all the nourishing elements that make Lemon-Balm Face Cream the perfect cream for both impure and sensitive skins that need hydration and softness!

Stay Pure and Stay Matte: the new entries dedicated to impure skin

Our Impure Skin Line includes two new facial creams. What's the difference between them? Let's get it straight!

Stay Pure combines azelaic acid and shikimic acid aiming at purifying the skin while fighting imperfections. It contains also lotus flower, green tea, nettle, burdock, aloe, witch hazel and rice powder. 
Stay pure suits all skins with imperfections that want to take action on pimples, blackheads and enlarged pores. It also helps to minimize redness thanks to its slighlty pigmentend green hue! 

Rice powder, nettle, burdock and witch hazel are also included in Stay Matte, our mattifying and soothing face cream, which also works as a primer. It is indicated to take care of combination skins that want to keep shine at bay to look glowing and velvety!

Hyaluronic acid has plumping and hydrating effects, Vitamin E fights free radicals and Jojoba oil has a regenerating and emollient action, for a complete anti-age action.

From rice powder that fights shining effect to lotus flower that gives you the skin you have already wished for, we have explored a whole arsenal of ingredients to tackle the issues of a impure and sensitive skin!

And you, which face cream will you be tempted by? If you're not sure about your skin type, take the test to find out and choose the products that are most suitable for you! 👇