1. The product 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.
2. 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 like being allergic to cats, a fact of life for some, but not the fault of the cat.
3. 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.
4. 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 exfoliants at the same time, followed by a Vitamin C product, a prescription retinoid, and maybe even 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, 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.
Regardless of what is causing the negative reaction, it's important 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. When skin reacts negatively to skincare products, the first step is to become a skincare detective.
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.
Be a Skincare Detective
First, be certain the products you used don't have problematic ingredients that are known to cause irritation. Using well-formulated products doesn't mean a reaction won't occur, but it definitely reduces the risk!
(You can scroll down to the bottom to see a list of ingredients you should avoid.)
Next, be certain the products are a good match for your skin type. Oil-absorbing ingredients will be problematic on dry skin, while emollient, thick moisturizers may be a problem for someone with oily skin or combination skin with oily areas. (Your skincare provider should have an assessment available to you to determine what your skin's specific needs are. Here is an example.)
In situations where highly reactive skin is a primary concern, be cautious about products with active ingredients; don't use too many of them or use all of them at the same time. You may need to ease into using the products in combination.
After investigating the ingredients and the types of products being used, consider the combination and frequency of the products you're applying. Although sunscreen, skin lighteners with hydroquinone, AHA or BHA exfoliants, anti-acne treatments, and anti-aging products with ingredients like retinol can all have remarkable benefits, they can also cause reactions for some, especially when used together in a single skin-care routine.
In such a scenario, a starting point would be to change the sunscreen to one that contains only mineral active ingredients, which are are very gentle.
Another test would be to reduce the frequency of use. So, rather than using every product in your routine twice per day, alternate them, apply one in the morning and the other in the evening.
It can also be helpful to alternate days. For example, instead of using a retinol-based product or an anti-acne treatment every day, try applying it every other day and see how your skin reacts. If reducing the frequency doesn't improve matters, then stop using the most suspect product(s) and see how your skin reacts. Keep a notebook handy so you can record how your skin progresses. Note the pros and cons, and what you did differently.
While active ingredients or problematic ingredients are typical causes of skin reactions, even basic skincare products like cleansers, toners, or moisturizers can trigger negative skin reactions.
In such cases, it usually starts when you introduce a new product into an existing skincare routine or when you begin using a new group of products. If the reaction is mild, it might be helpful to stop using one of the products and see what happens. If that doesn't help, stop using another one of the new products and see what happens after a day or two. If that doesn't resolve the problem, you may need to consult your doctor and/or go back to the previous routine that didn't cause your skin to react.
What Isn't Causing the Problem
Some people think silicone ingredients (examples would be cyclopentasiloxane or dimethicone) in skin-care products can cause allergic reactions or breakouts, but that's a misperception. Silicones are a group of uniquely soothing, gentle ingredients that reduce inflammation and have exceptional moisturizing properties.
Silicones are actually used in burn units around the world because of their unique benefits and their non-sensitizing properties. It's true that people can be sensitive to silicone ingredients just like many other benign cosmetic ingredients, but a true silicone allergy is rare and they are not pore-clogging ingredients.
Many people think their skin is going through an adjustment or "purging" period when a negative skin reaction occurs after using a new product—especially when the reaction is breakouts. Although skin can break out for a short period of time after using a new product, this response isn't typical. What is more typical is that the breakouts would have occurred anyway—especially if a new product was started at the same time as a woman's menstrual cycle or stressful time.
If the breakouts persist for more than a week or two, stop using the new product or products and see if the situation improves.
So, What Should You Do?
Having a negative reaction to a new skincare product doesn't mean the product is badly formulated. Of course, there are badly formulated skincare products that can cause all sorts of reactions, but frequently the bumps, redness, and other symptoms are due to a personal reaction to an ingredient or a combination of ingredients.
What you need to remember is to think like a detective so you can—as quickly as possible—determine what is causing the reaction. This is tricky because it's not always as easy as pointing the finger at the new product you just started using. It may be the product, or it may be how that new product interacts with other products you're using. Think of how adding one ingredient to a recipe can completely change its taste, and it's easy to understand how adding a new product to an existing skincare routine may cause trouble (or be very helpful) for your skin.
Above all, even though these reactions can be distressing, don't panic or stop using everything. Armed with the information above, you have everything you need to take control of these reactions and quickly get your skin back on track!
