Collection: Natural Skincare for Sensitive Skin Australia

Understanding Sensitive Skin

Sensitive skin can be influenced by many factors, including environmental conditions, over-cleansing, moisture loss, ageing, stress and changes to the skin barrier. Common signs include dryness, redness, itching, irritation and discomfort after using skincare products.

A healthy skin barrier plays an important role in helping skin retain moisture and maintain comfort. When the barrier becomes compromised, skin may become more vulnerable to dryness and irritation.

Why Olive Oil Skincare?

Vasse Virgin was founded on a sheep farm in Kojonup, Western Australia, after our second child was born in 1990 with severe skin sensitivities and allergies. Our doctors advised us not to use commercial skincare products on him. So we made our own — starting with a cold process soap using extra virgin olive oil, chamomile and lavender. It took 18 months to get the formula right. We never intended to start a business. We just needed something that actually worked.

Our children are adults now and still have sensitive skin. They still use our products. Not because it cures anything — sensitive skin doesn't work that way — but because our products are a tool in the toolkit that helps keep their skin comfortable and less reactive.

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Extra virgin olive oil is naturally rich in antioxidants and skin-conditioning fatty acids that help support moisture retention and leave skin feeling soft, nourished and comfortable.

Many products in this collection combine extra virgin olive oil with carefully selected botanical ingredients to help provide gentle cleansing and long-lasting hydration.

Ingredients Commonly Used In This Collection

Our Sensitive Skin collection features ingredients chosen for their nourishing and skin-conditioning properties, including:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Aloe Vera
• Chamomile
• Lavender
• Jojoba Oil
• Sweet Almond Oil
• Vitamin E

A Simple Sensitive Skin Routine

1. Cleanse with a gentle cleanser that helps maintain skin comfort.
2. Apply a moisturiser to support hydration and daily skin care.
3. Use a treatment oil or balm when additional nourishment is needed.

Consistency and simplicity are often the most effective approach for maintaining comfortable, healthy-looking skin.

Is olive oil good for sensitive skin?
Extra virgin olive oil contains oleic acid — a fatty acid that is also naturally present in the skin's own oils — which is why it is well tolerated by dry, reactive and sensitive skin. It helps support moisture retention without the synthetic fragrance, alcohol or harsh surfactants that commonly trigger sensitive skin reactions. For a detailed explanation of how it works and why we use it, read our guide: Is Olive Oil Good for Sensitive Skin?

What causes sensitive skin?
Sensitive skin is usually a sign that the skin barrier is not functioning as well as it should. When the barrier becomes compromised — through over-cleansing, environmental stress, ageing, hormonal changes or the wrong skincare ingredients — skin loses moisture more rapidly and becomes more reactive. The cycle tends to worsen when conventional skincare products contain ingredients that strip the barrier further. Supporting the barrier with gentle, nourishing ingredients is the most effective long-term approach.

Can natural skincare help sensitive skin?
It depends entirely on the formulation. Many products that claim to be natural still contain synthetic fragrance, preservatives or surfactants that aggravate sensitive skin. What matters is what is actually in the product and what is not. Vasse Virgin skincare was originally developed for a child with severe skin sensitivities because commercial products — including those claiming to be natural — were not suitable. Simplicity of ingredients and quality of formulation is what we focus on, not marketing claims.

Is this range suitable for mature skin?
Yes. As skin ages it produces less of its own protective oils and loses moisture more readily — which is why sensitivity and dryness often increase with age. The fatty acid profile of extra virgin olive oil makes it a practical choice for mature skin experiencing tightness, dryness and increased reactivity. Several products in this collection are used regularly by customers with mature sensitive skin.

What skincare routine is best for sensitive skin?
Simple and consistent. A gentle cleanser that does not strip the skin, a moisturiser that supports hydration, and a treatment oil or balm for additional nourishment when needed. Fewer products with better ingredients outperforms complicated multi-step routines for most sensitive skin. Our Chamomile & Lavender range — cleanser, moisturiser, treatment oil and soothing balm — was formulated specifically with this approach in mind.

Do your products cure sensitive skin?
No. Our products do not cure sensitive skin, eczema or dermatitis — and we will not claim they do. Our own children, for whom these products were originally made, still have sensitive skin as adults. What we have found over 32 years is that consistent use of the right products helps keep skin comfortable and less reactive. They are a tool in the toolkit, not a fix for a condition that does not have one.