Sensitive skin in China: characteristics and burden

In response to the question ‘Do you have sensitive skin?’, 1598 subjetcs (40.8%) were considered as the sensitive skin. Among the subjects who reported having very sensitive skin, 47.5% were active smokers, while 40% of subjects with rather sensitive skin were smokers. 38% of respondents reported that using a cosmetic product has already resulted in unpleasant sensations, with a gradient according to the severity of sensitive skin. 42% reported that they had already purchased a product for sensitive skin. The more severe the condition, the higher the BoSS score (P < 0.0001). Measured by DLQI, variations of the QoL were less visible but a gradient of scores from 14 to 2.9 was observed in the subpopulations.

The Chinese version of the BoSS (Burden of Sensitive Skin) appears as a valuable tool to determine the severity of sensitive skin. By comparison with previous study, the declared prevalence of sensitive skin is higher. New putative triggering factors emerge from the results: tobacco, fatigue, diets and to a lesser extent jewellery.

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