Why Your Sensitive Skin Care Products May Be Causing Skin Problems

Hypoallergenic products that claim to be safe for sensitive skin may not be as gentle as you think! Most of the popular sensitive skin care products available today contain skin care ingredients that can cause dermatitis and skin rashes. In addition, some natural skin care products may also provoke allergic reactions. How can you find sensitive skincare products that will not cause more skin problems?

Why are the sensitive skin care products you're using causing so many skin problems? Unfortunately, many of the products marketed as hypoallergenic still contain ingredients that are potentially harmful to those with sensitive or hypersensitive skin. The process of finding safe products for your sensitive skin can be frustrating, but there is help for finding products that are safe.

What Ingredients Are Potentially Irritating To Your Skin?

To find the least irritating products for sensitive skin, we recommend that you avoid products with the following ingredients, which according to our research can provoke skin irritation, dermatitis, rashes or other health effects.

* Artificial Fragrances - we all love skin care that smells good, but artificial fragrances are synthetically produced and are one of the most irritating allergens for your skin. Eliminating fragranced products from your morning routine may be all that is needed to stop many of the skin irritations you are experiencing.
* Preservatives with a formaldehyde base - some preservatives such as imidazolidinyl urea, DMDM hydantoin, and quaternium-15 release small amounts of formaldehyde which are potentially carcinogenic, and certainly not something you would want to apply to sensitive skin.
* Phthalates - this is a chemical used in nail polishes, hair sprays and other skincare and personal care products which can affect fetal development and male reproductive development.
* Toluene - a highly hazardous chemical solvent used in nail polishes which can cause dizziness when inhaled. Many research studies show it may be carcinogenic as well as toxic to many systems of the body and to the environment.
* TEA or DEA - these acronyms stand for Diethanolamine and Triethanolamine. They're added to skin care products such as cleansers to make them foamy, and are known skin irritants which may be toxic to the immune system. There is some concern also that these ingredients may be disruptive to the endocrine system.
* Parabens - are chemically produced preservatives used in many skin care products which research has found can cause skin, eye and lung irritation, allergies, immune system toxicity and endocrine disruption. There are more and more paraben free products that are now available for those who prefer to avoid absorbing these preservatives into their skin.
* Mineral oil - clogs pores and prevents the skin from breathing properly, which can actually make skin dryer and more irritated.
* Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - found in toothpastes, laundry detergents, facial cleansers, shampoos, and body washes, this petroleum-based synthetic ingredient can cause irritation for sensitive skin as well as canker sores. It is also known as SLS and is a popular foaming agent found in many skin products.
* Synthetic colors - artificial colors added to a skin care product will be listed as FD&C or D&C and then followed by a number. Artificially created colors are made from coal tar which is a potential carcinogen, and some also contain trace amounts of lead or arsenic which are also potentially carcinogenic.
* Salicylates - are natural anti-inflammatories that are typically found in the foods we eat like fruits and vegetables, and also found in aspirin. In today's world we are exposed to a much higher level of salicylates that in previous generations, and as a result some people are developing salicylate allergies. If you have extremely sensitive skin, consider using products that are free of salicylates to reduce your exposure to potential allergens.
* Essential oils and herbs - you would think these ingredients would be safe for sensitive skin, as they are indeed natural ingredients, but herbs and especially essential oils have potent medicinal effects or even react with medications you may be taking. Depending on your unique body chemistry, it is possible that some herbs or natural products can cause allergic reactions.
* I actually developed a huge breakout of cold sores from using a 100% natural, organic skin cream which contained an herb that I've since discovered is not one that my body responds well to. If you have hyper sensitive skin and are reacting to everything, try using botanical free products.
* Some forms of Alcohol - Isopropyl and Benzyl alcohol which are in some facial toners can cause extreme drying of the skin, and strip away the protective layers which can lead to inflammation and redness or even age spots. Stearyl and cetearyl alcohol are much safer ingredients which are waxes that are not irritating to sensitive skin.

The disturbing fact about sensitive skin care products and others on the market is that there aren't yet industry standards that tell us what is a truly safe and non-irritating hypoallergenic product.

For this reason, those of us with sensitive skin can benefit by educating ourselves about what potential effects that the ingredients in our skincare products are having on our bodies, so that we can choose truly safe sensitive skin care products.

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