What Causes Skin Reaction to cosmetics products?

Experience has shown that using a new product or a new mix of cosmetics products can cause skin to have a negative reaction—even if the cosmetics products are well formulated. Such reactions are usually perplexing because it's hard to determine exactly what's happening and why.

Even more frustrating, it isn't always clear what to do about it, especially when you hoped the product would work as promised. You may wonder if you did something wrong, or if the product itself is faulty. There are five primary reasons why skin reacts negatively to a new cosmetic product, a new skin-care routine, or even to products you've used for months or years:

• ·         The product(s) was poorly formulated with ingredients that can irritate your skin, such as alcohol, fragrance, or fragrant plant extracts. The reaction can happen immediately or it can develop over time; sometimes, when several fragranced products are used, the skin reaches a critical tipping point and reacts strongly.

• ·         Often an allergy to a specific ingredient or combination of ingredients in the formula is to blame. This has nothing to do with the quality of a cosmetic, but rather is a personal reaction to an ingredient or a mix of ingredients. It’s not like being allergic to cats, a fact of life for some, but not the fault of the cat, nor does it mean cats are bad.

• ·         Using the wrong products for your skin type; for example, using oil-absorbing products when dry, flaky skin is the problem or using overly emollient products when oily skin and breakouts are the problem.

• ·         Using too many "active" products at one time. With anti-aging or anti-acne products, some people think that if a little is good, then more must be better. So, they use three types of exfoliates at the same time, followed by a vitamin C serum, a prescription retinoid, and then a skin-lightening product. For some, this combination may work at first, but it can quickly backfire, causing skin to become overly sensitive or reactive when it was normal before. This reaction can be even worse if you're also getting professional peels or aggressive facials.

• ·         Some people have skin that's just more reactive and sensitive to cosmetics, no matter what the ingredients. For them, the more products they use, the greater the risk of a reaction, especially if the products contain fragrance or fragrant plants.

What Kind of Reaction Are You Having?

Unfortunately, it isn't easy to tell what kind of reaction is taking place because there are many reasons skin can react negatively to cosmetics, and often the different types of reactions can have similar symptoms. For example, an irritant reaction, allergic reaction, and a reaction from using the wrong product or having ultra-sensitive skin can all look and feel the same. Now tell us this isn't a case for Sherlock Holmes!

Regardless of what is causing the negative reaction, it's critical to figure out what is causing the problem, stop doing it, and then start doing something else that benefits skin as it gets back to normal.

Although it might not seem so at the moment, the reaction itself isn't as important as figuring out what caused it in the first place and what to do instead. When skin reacts negatively to skin-care or makeup products, the first step is to become a skin-care detective. With the information below, you can learn how to determine "whodunit" on your own!

Note: If you have a severe reaction that results in welts, hives, intense redness, pain, or a burning sensation that lingers, consult your physician immediately. Next time on our blog site, we shall be looking at various skin types.