Q: I am sensitive to all fragrances (including many essential oils). I am looking for a line of skin care products for my sensitive combination skin that are unscented. Can you help?

A: Finding the right skin care products can be daunting. But I turned to my friends at Delineation in Toronto for some suggestions for sensitive skin care brands. Here’s what they suggested!

It can be a difficult task to find products that don’t harm or irritate sensitive skin. But there area few brands out there that are fragrance free and suitable for sensitive skin. We would recommend B.Kamins, Dermalogica, or Linacare. Generally speaking none of these lines use fragrances, essential oils or colour/dye, which will not irritate or harm your sensitive skin. They could be the perfect solution to your skin care needs!

Q: I recently developed eczema on my eyelids. I have a prescription cream to control the dryness but I was wondering if you can recommend a type of eye makeup that will be good for sensitive skin.

A: When it comes to sensitive skin, you can’t be too careful what you put on your face. So I went to Christopher Young, regional education manager at Clinique, for his thoughts on this ELLE reader’s question. He says:

It’s great that you’ve already taken the step of seeing a doctor regarding your eczema and that he/she was able to prescribe something to help.

When it comes to cosmetics, you’ll want to be sure to choose a skin-care and makeup regimen that supports and not hinders your doctor’s efforts to control your eczema.

First, I would suggest that you consider all the products that come into contact with your eyes on a regular basis…both skin care and makeup. You’ll want to be sure that the cleansers, makeup removers, eye creams, shadows, mascara, etc. you use are not going to exacerbate the problem. Using eye makeup that is allergy-tested, 100 percent fragrance free and ophthalmologist-tested is extremely important as this will help to significantly reduce the chance of irritation.

Next, when it comes to makeup you’ll want to consider the formulations of the products you wear. I would suggest trying creamier formulas of eye makeup. For example, Clinique’s Touch Tint for Eyes is quite emollient so it won’t be drying to your lids, and it feels very comfortable on the eyes. When it comes to eyeliner, you’ll want to apply the same principle. Choose a liner with a smooth, creamy texture. You don’t want a product that tugs on your lid when you apply it.

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