Allergic Skin
Condition
Despite all necessary testing, allergic reactions are a major drawback to using cosmetics. Allergic reactions are sometimes very baffling and their cases quite unexpected. Often a reaction is not even caused by a major ingredient, it may be just an emulsifying agent, perfume, essential oil, or, herbal extract. There are so many ingredients in your average cosmetic that your reaction to one may be confusingly masked by your reaction to another and you may unwittingly sensitize yourself to obscure ingredients.
Cause
Sometimes sensitization occurs as a result of first exposure. So the second exposure is marked by the allergic reaction. Other times the allergic response doesn't show itself until the fourth, or, four hundredth exposure. The skin is quite eccentric and people don't always sensitize at the same rate.
If you suffer from any type of allergy, whether it is hay fever and/or food allergies, before purchasing any new products, please check the ingredients first and foremost. Even natural cosmetics can cause the allergic person a problem. It may be a certain essential oil, or, herb, so just because the item is natural, does not necessarily rule out the ingredient(s) or, chemicals that the body decides to reject. We strongly recommend anyone with allergies to order a sample of the product.
NEVER invest heavily in a new line without first carrying out a skin patch test over 3 to 4 days and you are happy with the results.
Additional Information
Truly allergic people tend to react to common allergens much more readily than others. The likelihood of them reacting to the common sensitizers found in both chemically formulated cosmetics AND naturally formulated cosmetics are fairly high. These people have demonstrated repeated allergies to foods, household cleaners, pollens and even to various fabrics. Even hypoallergenic products can, at times, also cause problems. Truly allergic people must make a continuous effort to avoid the worst of the common cosmetic allergens such as perfumes (which should be sprayed on clothes, not skin), bleaching creams, hair dyes, sunscreens containing para-aminobenzoic acid and depilatories.
Occasionally allergy-sensitive people have rare but annoying allergies to certain products. They may be allergic, or, become so after months, or, years of use to Brand X lipstick and be allergic to nothing else. This allergic reaction causes your lips to become puffy and red every time you use this lipstick. The allergy could be caused by the perfume in Brand X. You could switch the brand and use a new one and find out you suffer the same problem, it may therefore now be the dye that is used. It could end up that you are allergic to the same ingredient used by all lipstick manufacturers. It really is a case of trial and error until the ingredient is discovered with the help from a professional individual such as your Doctor, Dermatologist, or Integrative Doctor.
Web sites: www.allergybase.com and www.allergyuk.org
Recommended products
Daily Care: Cleanse skin with Deep Pore Foaming Cleanser, use Purify & Energise Super Bioactive in place of water when rinsing skin. Dampen a disposable cleansing pad and gently wipe skin clean. Apply Normalising Day Face.
Nightly care: Cleanse with Ultra Mild Silken Cleanser, (if removing make up) use Purify & Energise Super Bioactive in place of water when rinsing skin. Apply Skin Energising High Potency Concentrate. Feather in a light application of Normalising Day Face if required.
Weekly care: until skin is calmed and strengthened, keep your routine to a minimum using non-toxic formulas.