Finding Solutions for Sensory Sensitivities

By Miranda Merrell on 10/6/2024

Miranda, founded a music and performance business as an adolescent. Now, despite a late diagnosis of ADHD, PTSD, and giftedness, she thrives as she advocates for the gifted community globally, spreading joy and compassion authentically. Miranda's journey showcases the transformative power of perseverance and her commitment to inclusivity.

Finding Solutions for Sensory Sensitivities

Living with sensory sensitivity, especially as a neurodivergent person, means navigating everyday life in a world that wasn’t designed for us. When your brain works differently than the norm, so does your whole body—and you can’t just "will away" these sensitivities. Finding solutions can be tough, especially when most resources focus on selling products rather than offering real help.

What Is Sensory Sensitivity?

Sensory sensitivity involves heightened or reduced responses to things like touch, sound, smell, or light. For neurodivergent people, these sensitivities often show up in daily life—whether it’s clothing that feels too rough, lighting that’s too bright, or products with overpowering smells (this is just the tip of the iceberg—there are too many to list). It can be uncomfortable, even painful, and requires solutions that aren’t always easy to find.

Shopping

For less sensitive people, everyday shopping is simple. They can grab any soap, lotion, piece of clothing, or jewelry without worrying about harsh scents, scratchy seams, or overwhelming noises. For those of us on the more sensitive side, it’s not that easy. We often check labels for potential irritants, test fabrics for comfort, smell everything before purchasing, and avoid most mainstream products that trigger reactions like migraines or skin rashes. The process of finding what not only doesn’t harm you—but works (e.g., prevents stink, looks cute, etc.)—is a time-consuming one, filled with returning, tossing, and giving away many purchased/tried items.

What Works for Me and My Family

When I can’t find something that works, I make it myself. It’s cost-effective, appeals to my creative side, and lets me control what goes into each product. I make a lot of everyday items at home, like:

• Face wash, toner, and cleansing oils

• Lotions and deodorants

• Dish soap, laundry soap, and fabric softener

• Chapstick, multipurpose sprays, and body powder

• Foot powder, baby powder, and wound salve

• Toothpaste, mouthwash, and more

  
  

Easy DIY Solutions

Over time, I’ve picked up a few tricks:

• Hydrogen Peroxide: Use it in a spray bottle to prevent moldy stink on your shower/curtain.

• White Vinegar: It works as a natural fabric softener and de-stinks clothes when added to the bleach slot in your washer.

• Food-Grade Oils: Oils like sunflower, avocado, and grapeseed are easy to find in the food section and can be used to care for skin and hair. These are lighter and more easily absorbed options than olive or coconut. One of my favorite pampering tricks is to massage my skin and neck with a tiny bit of oil, wring hot water out of a washcloth—check the temperature to make sure it won’t scald me—and then rest it over my face and neck until it cools. Then I use the same cloth to remove excess oil, which cleanses and moisturizes my skin. Or just a drop in my hand can smooth out frizzy hairs.

• Aloe Vera Gel: Works as a great loose-hold hair gel, with essential oils as an optional addition.

• Olive Oil Spray: Perfect for diapered baby booties.

• Shopping in the Sale Area: Often, organic products end up in sale bins, previously priced obscenely high. It’s a great place to look for products to test when you don’t want to break your bank only to have to throw something out.

• Baby Products: These are also a great place to look for pre-made things that might work with sensitivities—they make truly gentle laundry soap, dish soap, lotions, shampoos, etc., that have rarely given me or my kiddos any trouble.

• Face Care Routine in the Shower: Finding face care products and a routine I can complete the shower helps with my ADHD, as I completely forget otherwise.

  
  

Oh, You Must Be a Picky, Prudish Princess

It’s not about being “extra,” “super particular,” “better than” or any of the misunderstandings that people accuse us of when they see us do things differently. It’s about making life possible. When you and your needs are different, it may take some time and way-outside-the-box problem-solving. There is no “one-size-fits-all” answer, and my hope with this post is to spark inspiration in finding what truly works for you—instead of continuing to make do.

PAMPER YOURSELF, YOU MATTER JUST BECAUSE YOU EXIST.

Also, if you’d like to try any of the homemade recipes that work for my family, feel free to email me at mandy.merrell@yahoo.com.