This was a requested episode from one of our listeners, who was interested to know the causes of sensitive skin and whether sensitivity is only caused by a broken skin barrier? If there are different causes of sensitivity, should people treat sensitive skin differently based on the cause?
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Today, we’re taking a look at the best Korean skincare for sensitive skin. We’ll explore the root causes of skin sensitivity, plus some of the best K-Beauty ingredients to care for it. 
WHY DOES SKIN BECOME SENSITIVE?Skin can become sensitive thanks to a variety of external environmental factors. This includes things like pollution, sun exposure and artificial heating. More problematically, sometimes skin even becomes sensitive as a result of the use of incorrect or harsh skincare products or incompatible ingredients. This can erode the skin’s barrier and open it up to bacteria and other aggravations.
External factors can result in skin becoming dry, red, uneven and make it look older, with larger pores.
HOW TO AVOID SENSITIVE SKIN:
Avoid ingredients that don’t agree with your skinI don’t like fear-mongering in skincare and I certainly don’t agree with a blanket ban on all types of ingredients that some influencers and bloggers like to push. 
The truth is that nearly all common ingredients in skincare products are fine for the vast majority of people. They wouldn’t be in the products if they were toxic or harmful because very few companies are in the business of courting lawsuits and product recalls. 
That’s not to say that some ingredients don’t agree with some people, but blanket ruling out entire categories of ingredients in skincare products is akin to extreme diet culture in my books. For most people, all things in moderation is the recipe for healthy skin. 
Some ingredients that can be problematic for some skin types include:

Dyes
Fragrances
Parabens
Alcohols
Preservatives
Sulfates
Phthalates and
Acids
Coconut oil
Lanolin
Essential oils
Isopropyl palmitate

Make sure you always patch test any new skincare products you buy so that you can eliminate any that don’t agree with you.
Using a product or ingredients that’s not right for your skin can result in painful breakouts, bumps and clogged pores that can take weeks to clear. 
Don’t use water that’s too hotI know how tempting it is to jump into a hot shower or bath. But if you’re trying to aggravate your skin, this is a good way to go about it. When cleansing your face especially, it’s best to stick to lukewarm water and don’t towel-dry off too aggressively.
Avoid over-exfoliationWe’ve previously covered the dangers of over-exfoliating skin, but it bares repeating: Overdoing it with your scrubs and acids can result in everything from:

excessive dryness
irritation
redness
breakouts; and even
a burning sensation on the skin.

The reason is that exfoliation targets the outer layer of the skin. Once this layer is compromised, the skin is unable to perform its barrier function as healthy skin cells are disrupted.
Don’t leave the house without sunscreenHopefully this goes without saying, but you should never leave the house without sunscreen.
That is unless you fancy anything from sun spots and skin discolorations, to red veins, blotchiness, premature wrinkles, skin sensitivity and even the risk of skin cancer.
SENSITIVE-SKIN FRIENDLY K-BEAUTY INGREDIENTSIf you’re looking for Korean skincare ingredients that work for most sensitive skin types try: 
Allantoin – extracted from the comfrey plants, this ingredient stimulates skin cell regeneration to heal and protect sensitive skin while also softening and soothing.
Burdock root – this is a plant extract t