Skin sensitivity is your skin's ability to stay balanced when life happens. Sensitivity isn't a "type." It's a pattern that can shift with stress, weather, products and sleep. A Dutch survey of 278 women aged 20–65 found that 42% of premenopausal women and 32% of peri- and postmenopausal women reported increased skin sensitivity linked to hormonal shifts — a pattern that reinforces sensitivity as a moving state rather than a fixed trait (Falcone et al., 2017).
To understand sensitivity, Stella examines six key signals showing how resilient or reactive skin is currently and how it may respond to new products or environmental changes.
1. Hydration
Hydration affects how plump, smooth and comfortable skin appears and feels. Well-hydrated skin reflects light evenly and softens fine lines. Reduced hydration causes skin to appear dull, tight or flaky, making lines more pronounced.
2. Surface Texture
Texture indicates how skin renews itself. Smooth skin suggests steady, healthy barrier function. Rough or uneven texture emerges when skin is stressed, dehydrated, or reacting to products.
3. Redness & Inflammation
Redness is one of the clearest signs of how your skin is feeling internally. Stella's assessment examines not just redness appearance but location and daily changes, identifying your unique sensitivity patterns.
4. Surface Oil (Sebum)
Oil levels fluctuate throughout the day. Stella measures visible surface oil to understand real-world skin behaviour beyond theoretical "skin type," helping determine when to balance rather than strip.
5. Visible Capillaries
Tiny red thread-like lines on the skin's surface represent visible blood vessels. Tracking them reveals how your skin responds to heat, sun, stress and skincare intensity.
