San Francisco dermatologist Richard Glogau noticed it a few years back - the increasing procession of pink-faced patients, mostly women, coming in with varied, yet similar, conditions.

Raw skin, some too sore to touch. A cascade of tiny whiteheads. Faces that had become a checkerboard of dark and light patches. And all were self-diagnosed sensitive skin sufferers.

"I see women all the time who come in who bring in their electric brushes and bags of products," Glogau says. "Some are spending 15 minutes scrubbing their faces." Doing so can bring on "an eczema-type effect" - the medical condition characterized by itchy skin so dry it can crack and bleed. For Glogau, "that's an every-other-day event in my office."

Self-inflicted sensitive skin is on the rise, so much so that beauty counters and drug stores are awash in products that either specifically target sensitive skin or promise to be gentle and non-irritating, helping higher-end facial skin care sales reach nearly $3 billion in 2013, according to the NPD group, a market research firm.

In the Bay Area, doctors and skin care professionals trace the correlative link between complaints of sensitive skin and the hyper-exfoliation fad back to 2004, when sonic face brushes hit the market. Since then, sales of soothing face products like masks, oils and gels have proliferated. Masks and oils, in particular, have exploded, growing at least 60 percent over last year alone, from $33 million to $53 million and $17 million to $28 million, respectively.

"The market right now is seeing a bit of a swing back," says Karen Grant, NPD's global beauty industry analyst. "It's less about correction and more about being gentle - the basics, fundamental, primary skin care."

In other words, consumers want simpler skin care routines, not multi-step kits, and are investing in cleansers that heal, not products that peel.

Skin care needs also change as people age, says Glogau. The skin's tolerance and moisture wane and hormone levels fluctuate as we get older.

"It doesn't hold onto water, basically," he explains. Moisture evaporation increases with age, leaving skin thinner and drier, which makes it less forgiving with harsher exfoliants like scrubs, brushes and peels.

There are a number of ways to gently clean skin and keep your body hydrated beyond drinking more water and ditching the face scrubs. While most dermatologists still advise those suffering from sensitive skin to use a mild cleanser, such as Cetaphil, followed by a light moisturizer at night - and a sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher during the day to block A and B ultraviolet rays - others say oil-based cleansers are the way to go.

These cleansers stay away from moisture-stripping alcohols and sudsy sulfates, and instead use oil as the primary cleaning ingredient. Proponents say the oils in cleansers won't clog pores but will lift dirt off the skin and help build up the lipid barrier, which contain the skin's natural moisturizers.

"It's about achieving balance," says Hillary Peterson, CEO of Marie Veronique Organics, a Mill Valley skin care line that was among the first to capitalize on emu oil, which comes from the fat of the flightless bird (the oil is used in cough syrup and to treat athlete's foot ). "First you want to balance the ecosystem and look at what may have upset the balance in the first place."

Andrew Scoular, a longtime San Francisco aesthetician and owner of Blue Turtle Spa, agrees. He says that consumers may equate more bubbling action with better skin, but it's really just the opposite.

"What's the use of using all these things that make your skin irritated and red, and then you got to pile a whole stack of makeup on top to cover up the fact even though you don't have any wrinkles, you've got red, irritated skin underneath?" Scoular says. "It just doesn't make sense."

Scoular, who created his own line with a chemist called Sensitive Skin Care Clinic that launched earlier this year, just added an enzyme gel and extreme sensitive skin cleanser. His line uses mild lavender with sea whip and licorice to soothe and yucca and glycerin to clean.

Marie Veronique Organics also launched a new skin care line earlier this year, Pacific, that features a cleanser with green tea oil, which is used to treat acne.

"If you screw up your skin, you screw it up for a long time," Scoular warns. "The skin has a certain physiology, and if we treat it properly and keep it balanced, it will be strong and do what it is supposed to do."

Oils for your face

Chia seed and kiwi seed

Antiaging and helps prevent inflammation. High in omega-3 fatty acids.

Broccoli seed and papaya seed

Moisturizing. Potent sources of vitamin E, an antiaging antioxidant that smoothes and hydrates skin by reducing epidermal moisture loss and protects cell membranes.


Fights wrinkle formation and reduces visible signs of UV aging.

Blackberry seed

For damaged skin repair. High in natural vitamin C as well as several types of vitamin E and lutein (a carotenoid vitamin in the same class as beta-carotene and vitamin A).

Watermelon seed

Mature skin repair and detox. Highly nourishing, high absorption, rich in essential fatty acids that restore skin's elasticity.

- Hillary Peterson, CEO of Marie Veronique Organics; Chronicle research

Michelle Devera is a San Francisco Chronicle writer. E-mail: Twitter: @michelledevera