A skincare routine for sensitive skin in Bangladesh
Three steps, no actives for six weeks, and a mineral sunscreen.
Is this you?
Stinging from products you used to tolerate, visible redness, and skin that reacts to changes in weather. Often this is a damaged barrier rather than a permanent skin type — which is good news, because a barrier recovers.
Morning
Cleanse
Water, or a cream cleanser
Many mornings need nothing more than water. This is not laziness; it is the treatment.
Treat
Calming, not active. For skin that reacts, the fastest progress comes from doing less.
Moisturise
A fragrance-free ceramide cream
Replaces what the barrier is short of. Read the ingredient list, not the front of the box.
Protect
A mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide), SPF 50
Sits on the surface rather than absorbing, which reactive skin often tolerates better. A tinted one avoids the white cast.
Night
Cleanse
One gentle cleanse
Never twice on a bare-faced day.
Treat
Azelaic acid 10%, once the barrier is calm
Despite the name it does not exfoliate, and it is unusually well tolerated. Introduce it only after four to six quiet weeks.
Moisturise
Consistency is the active ingredient here.
In Bangladesh
The daily swing between a humid commute and an air-conditioned room is harder on reactive skin than either condition alone. So is sweat sitting on the face. A clean face towel, changed often, does more than most products.
Common mistakes
Patch testing on the wrist
Wrist skin is not face skin. Test behind the ear or on the jaw, once a day for three days.
Starting three things at once
If something stings you will not know which. One product at a time, two weeks apart.
Common questions
Is sensitive skin permanent?
Often not. A damaged barrier behaves like sensitive skin and usually settles within four to six weeks of doing less. Genuine, lifelong sensitivity exists, but it is less common than the number of people who describe themselves that way.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Skincare products are not medicines. Speak to a dermatologist about persistent or worsening skin conditions.