Irritating Culprits
Irritating culprits
What irritates your skin? It may be you. I’ve met women who have become so frustrated with beauty products that irritate their skin that they don’t use anything at all. Sound familiar? Finding the right skin care products for sensitive skin can seem like the impossible dream.
Products promising increased brightness, I mean, luminosity (new adwords keep popping up to show the superiority of each new product) often contain ingredients that actually irritate your skin, causing the redness they claim to eradicate. Petroleum based ingredients, preservatives called “parabens”, artificial fragrances and sulfate cleansers are the most common culprits.
Petroleum products: If it makes your car run you don’t want to put it on your skin. Petroleum products clog pores and interfere with skin’s natural moisture balance actually drying skin with long term use. Dryness in itself can be a cause of redness and irritation. Choose moisturizers, anti aging products and body butters rich in natural emollients instead. Avocado or Mango Butters are two natural substitutes which not only restore skin’s natural moisture barrier, but are rich in antioxidants and fatty acids as well. My favorite for dry skin is BEST Body Butter .
Parabens (ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben) you can find listed in microscopic lettering on the back of most skin care and personal care products. Used as preservatives, they are under scrutiny because some studies seem to indicate a link to breast cancer. I say “if in doubt, leave it out.”
Sulfates (sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl/laureth sulfate) are the cleansers found in most shampoos, soaps and facial cleansers. SLS ingredients are cost effective but harsher than what skin and hair really needs. They strip natural oils and can be comodogenic (clogs pores). Harsh cleansers can overstimulate oil production. Your skin and hair may take a few days to adjust if you switch to a natural source, milder cleanser but you will be rewarded with soft skin and shinier, naturally healthy hair.
Fragrances and dyes are the number one cause of allergic reactions to skin care products, face moisturizers and anti aging products. The word “fragrance” on the label is a catch all and just means that the product contains artificial or natural ingredients unknown to you. Even if the product claims “natural” fragrance, beware. The word “natural” is an advertising claim that is unregulated. Read the label ingredients to see if a product labeled natural skin care is truly rich in natural ingredients.
