Problems for people with sensitive skin include redness, blotchiness, swelling, rashes, dry skin, tightness and general skin irritation. Sensitive skin can be a problem for those with different skin types, including those with oily skin.

Here's 5 things that you should be doing for optimum sensitive skin care.

1. Have an allergy test. There are various allergies that cause skin problems and it always pays to see if you can work out a specific skin problem. If you can determine exactly what is causing the problem it may, (or may not), be possible to do something about it.

2. Avoid big name skin care products. The big brand name skin care products are littered with ingredients that can cause those with sensitive skin types to have problems. Unfortunately the FDA doesn't really regulate the ingredients put into skin care products and many of them contain ingredients that are suspected or known to cause cancer and other conditions, including causing skin problems.

It's ironic that many brands of anti aging and skin care products actually create skin problems, and other health problems. Your skin doesn't like artificial chemicals, and many people will find the result is skin reactions of various types.

One example for you to think about. There is a range of common chemicals caused parabens that are used widely in big brand name skin care products as preservatives. Parabens are listed in the cosmetic database as dangerous, two in particular as a high hazard of at least 7 or 8 on a scale of 1 - 10.

Parabens could themselves be causing skin problems, and this is just one example. There are many many ingredients like this used in skin care products that may be causing otherwise healthy skin to become sensitive.

3. And it's exactly the same with cosmetics. Here's an example. Recent tests showed lead in over 50% of the big brand name lipsticks including some brands that you may well be using now. Avoid big brand cosmetics.

And an allergy test may well establish that you have an allergy to one or more of the ingredients in your cosmetics or skin care and anti aging products.

For those requiring high quality sensitive skin care avoiding big brand cosmetics and skin care may well, of itself, be sufficient to reverse their skin problems.

4. Use low irritant detergents when washing your clothes and other household items. Laundry detergents can also cause skin problems, for those with sensitive skin and also for those with normal healthy skin. For example if you wash your pillow cases and sheets in a laundry detergent that itself has allergens or skin irritants then spend 8 hours with your face lying on that pillow case that itself can cause problems.

And avoid anything, including detergents, with fragrances. This includes cosmetics and skin care products. Fragrances, unfortunately, also have their problems. Fragrances are chemicals and can cause skin problems just like some of the other nasty, (and unregulated) ingredients in big name skin care and cosmetic products.

5. Find some natural cosmetics and skin care and anti aging products to use.

There are excellent natural cosmetics and skin care products available. They are made by small niche companies that are not household names. These companies have a commitment to making high quality skin care and anti aging products and cosmetics that are perfect for optimum sensitive skin care. Usually they are highly price competitive because these companies don't spend up big on TV advertising.

And usually the products will do what they say they will, contrary to those big brand name products that you see on the shelves of your department stores, which should be avoided.

Their products are made with naturally occurring plant ingredients known to be safe and non allergenic, and these companies have as much commitment to safety as the quality of their products. And their skin care products for sensitive skin are perfect for those with skin issues.

For people with sensitive skin good skin health is a serious issue. Apart from the unsightliness of the redness and dryness, the irritation and itching can drive you mad. Sensitive skin care is a big issue for those people.

So if you experience serious skin problems there's 5 things you can do to start reversing the problem. Do all these things and you may well find that the skin problems you are having just disappear. It isn't guaranteed of course, but that's the best place to start for optimum sensitive skin care.