Have you ever purchased a product and your skin just flared up? Just about when you were ready to throw it in the trash, you realize that you also changed your laundry detergent and tried that creamy pasta dish at the new hip restaurant down the street. You did have a stomach all day afterwards. Now, you aren’t so sure it actually was the product, but you’re terrified to try it again and experience those unwanted bumps and rashes all over again!!
So how do you know if a product doesn’t agree with you? Firstly, it’s important to know all the variables involved. In controlled studies, ingredients or products are isolated to provide accurate cause and effect. Very rarely in life do we have such a situation. We are always eating something new, or perhaps under more stress than usual, maybe we haven’t been drinking enough water, or haven’t cleaned our makeup brushes in a month. Unless cause and effect are without question, I always retest a product twice if I am suspicious of it. I give my skin a chance to recover (approximately 3-7 days) then I reintroduce the product while keeping all other variables as consistent as possible, while ensuring my diet is clean and am drinking ample amounts of water. The only true way to know is to make sure you isolate the product in question.. In the event your skin tends to be extremely sensitive, be sure to introduce only one new product at a time. The best time to check for reactions is first thing in the morning or after wearing all day.
Signs of an Adverse Reaction
1. You have an immediate burning sensation. This isn’t always bad. Some products that have very active ingredients such as peels, exfoliants and even Vitamin C can sting initially and then die down. This sensation should die down after your skin acclimates to the product, typically after a few weeks. Know your ingredient list and possible side effects. If you have been using a product for over a year and your skin stings every time you apply it, you may try reducing the frequency of usage to every other night or even 2x week to allow your skin to get used to it.
2. You get a rash. This is typically the most common skin reactions. Interestingly, rashes can also be a symptom of digestive issues, candida, fungal infection or skin detox. Using cortisone to ease the symptoms can help reduce inflammation fast. Be sure to discontinue after a week if the rash persists. If you suspect there could be an internal component, try taking activated charcoal on an empty stomach upon rising and before bed and digestive enzymes with and between meals.
3. Clogged Pores. Some ingredients such as mineral oil, dimethicone and mica are known in the cosmetic industry to clog pores. Looking for products that are non-comedogenic should help! When your skin is reacting to an ingredient, clogging happens fairly quickly. Once again. however, newly appearing pimples don’t always mean you are allergic. Some ingredients such as salicylic acid and retinol can cause the pores to purge, so you may experience an influx of whiteheads initially, that tend to cycle through more quickly than usual breakouts. This is because the active ingredient is working to eliminate the infection and cellular debris. Sometimes it is able to dissolve it while others need to come up. This is why deep pore cleansing facials are so important!! Use your intuition to decipher which is occurring. If you previously had very underground pimples and now you have more surface pimples.. that’s a good thing. It means your skin is pushing up and out the infected and clogged pores.
4.You’re skin gets drier and drier after each use. Even if you have acne, the goal isn’t to have a tight and dry face. No! We want to have a balanced, supple complexion and show stopping glow! This process takes time if you are dealing with extreme acne but eventually we want all skin types to be healthy and glowy which means a healthy lipid barrier. If you’re skin is drying out and stays that way. You may need to rethink this product, maybe dilute it or use it less often.
So before you toss out your suspect product, be sure to isolate it and reintroduce it to a small section of your face before determining it is the culprit! This will save you time, money and actually help improve the health of your skin. It’s so important to monitor our skin each day to understand how different things affect it’s hydration levels, coloring and even texture!