Product Sensitivity & Skin Reactions
 There
are two main types of skin reactions: irritant and allergic.
An irritant reaction to a product is the most common. Everyone will
experience a contact irritant reaction at some point in their life. Those
with dry, sensitive skins are most vulnerable, and usually occur where the skin
is thinnest, such as in the finger webs or eyelids. Irritant reactions
usually present with scaling or redness, and are sometimes associated with an
itch following the repeated use of a product. The problem usually clears
quite rapidly after discontinuing use of the irritating product. Severe or
acute irritant reactions occur rarely. These serious reactions occur most
commonly with hairdressing procedures using alkaline or caustic substances, such
as perms and relaxers.
Can permanent damage be caused from an adverse reaction to a
cosmetic? With the exception of chemical burns from caustics used in hair
relaxers, the answer is no. Following an inflammatory reaction, the skin
may be more sensitive for a limited period.1
A slight stinging of the skin immediately following the use of a product may be
caused by the effects of certain cosmetic ingredients, such as glycolics.
The stinging effect is trivial and of no medical consequence, but is an
important cause of cosmetic intolerance, especially in those with sensitive
skin. At Saphoros, we give full warnings on products containing these
ingredients.
Allergic reactions are less common than irritant reactions. They occur
in people who are allergic to a specific ingredient or ingredients in a product.
Symptoms can include redness, swelling, itching, and hive-like breakouts.
The time it takes for symptoms of both irritant and allergic reactions to
appear varies. Some may appear in as little as a few minutes to a few
hours, but sometimes it may take days or weeks of continued exposure for a
symptom to appear. True allergic reactions can take 7 to 10 days to
appear. Sometimes, a person can develop an allergic sensitivity to a
product after years of use.2
Whenever trying a new skin care regimen, we tend to use all of the products at
once. This isn't a very good idea! Always test your products
out one at a time for a few applications to make sure you aren't having a skin
reaction to one of them. If you use them all at once and have a reaction,
you won't know which one caused it. The best way to test your products out
is to use on a small area on the inside of your arm.
Sources:
1 "Cosmetics." British Association of Dermatologists. http://www.bad.org.uk/public/skin/cosmetics/
2 "Allergies: Allergies and Cosmetics." WebMD. WebMD
Medical Reference in collaboration with The Cleveland Clinic. http://www.webmd.com/content/article/61/67470
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