What Causes Skin Sensitivity?

Heredity: Many sensitive-skin conditions are due to a genetic defect in the skin's barrier, says Zoe Draelos, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Product Overload: Today women are using more products than ever, and in turn exposing themselves to more chemicals. Overwashing, overscrubbing, and overtreating skin destroys its protective barrier.

Allergies: A rash can be the result of allergies to common skin-care ingredients, including formaldehyde-based preservatives (such as diazolidinyl urea), lanolin, and botanical ingredients (ones that come from plants). A dermatologist can test your sensitivity to these.

Sun and Age: "Skin becomes more vulnerable after sun exposure, and it gets thinner over time," says Marianne O'Donoghue, an associate professor of dermatology at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago.

Climate: Changes in temperature and humidity can dry out skin, causing sensitivity, Kauvar says.

Stress: Emotional strain and stress can also make skin more reactive than normal.