Why does our skin sometimes feel tight?

Ever step out of the shower, or wash your face, and feel the tightness? Why does it happen and how can we reduce it?

According to honestyforyourskin, skin is a vital organ. It’s exactly as important as your heart or your brain.

Not many people think about skin this way because it’s (normally) so quiet and passive about what it does (high-5 for the introverts of the world)…

Skin keeps the good stuff in and the bad stuff out. Skin holds us together, skin protects our insides from UV damage, skin stops us from overheating and skin gives us important clues about what’s going on inside our bodies. It’s pretty darn awesome at doing all that stuff.

When skin feels tight, it’s a sign that your skin has become damaged or temporarily defeated by an external stressor.

The magic of how your skin works is thanks to this science factoid – water and oil don’t mix. These 2 are never going to be best pals and that’s ok, because this is one of the key reasons why your skin biology works so well.

The top layers of your skin are oil based.

Even if you have a skin type that isn’t oily or combination, the top layers of your skin are still oil based. This means skin hydration is locked in without a ‘Prison Break styleee’ map to find the exit. When there is just the right amount of this naturally protective skin oil (that also gets called the lipid barrier or sebum), skin will look healthily dewy and radiant. It’s this perfect balance of skin oil and hydration that’s the secret behind a normal skin type.

So what happens when skin feels tight, taught and sensitive?

Skin that feels tight, or squeaky has a damaged lipid barrier. What that means is your skin has been stripped of its natural oils. The ones that protect skin from dryness, sensitivity, irritation/looking like a blobby mess on the floor *winks*…

Tight skin feels pretty uncomfortable. You go from not ‘feeling’ your skin, to suddenly being completely conscious of it.

When skin is stripped of its natural oils it becomes dry, sensitive and irritated. Skin also becomes significantly less flexible, as oil is great at making things slippy, aka lubricating… and skin that can’t move well has a pesky attraction to fine lines and wrinkles.

Doctor Babor Neuro Sensitive Cellular Intensive Calming Cleanser was formulated for hypersensitive and dehydrated skin to gently cleanse with a calming and balancing effect. Intensive Calming Cleanser gently removes makeup and impurities and calms sensitivity to prepare skin for treatment and moisture. Cleanse dry skin without a feeling of tightness.

Features/Benefits:

• For very dry and hyper-sensitive skin.
• Reduces redness and inflammation.
• Reduces feeling of tightness and unpleasant itching.
• Soothes and calms.
• For the care of skin affected by neurodermatitis during symptom-free periods.

How to use:
Apply mornings and evenings to the face, neck and décolleté. Emulsify with water and rinse off thoroughly. Use for facial cleansing.

Active ingredients:

• Neuroxyl – Neutralizes sensitivity and irritation, and reduces redness.
• Microsilver – Antibacterial; Prevents breakouts and irritation.
• Gamma-Linolenic Acid – An essential fatty acid; Soothes inflammation.
• Lactate – Moisturises