Sensitive Skin? Avoid Irritations And Allergies

Insensitive skin, it seems that any cosmetic or perfume causes collateral damage. There comes a moment that you do not know what to do. Knowing how and why your skin reacts will be very useful to take care of it.

It is a more common problem than we might think: 62% of European women say that their skin is sensitive and reacts or is intolerant to cosmetics and even water.

However, most do not pay adequate attention because they do not really know what they need to avoid these discomforts or alleviate them. It usually occurs on the face, but it can also affect the body and the scalp.

A CUTIS WITH MORE RISKS

• The fair skin and those with atopic dermatitis or eczema do not respond well to many ingredients as they are more sensitive genetically.
• There are also healthy skins that have become brittle because of the excess sun, acne products, laser treatments, and chemical peels.
• Then, the skins are poorly maintained by the use of exfoliants with intense friction, soaps that are too strong or that have not been given hydration.

The inconveniences are not all the same

If, after using a cosmetic, discomfort appears after the second or third application(intense redness, in fl animation), there is an allergy to that particular product. On the other hand, if you notice burning or itching right away, there is the talk of cutaneous intolerance.

When a cosmetic you feel bad the symptoms that can appear are:

• Itching, redness, and burning.
• In very serious cases, there are even blisters.
• There are also cases of cosmetic or comedogenic acne: closed pores that are located on the forehead and cheeks.
• Other symptoms of allergy are swelling of eyelids and lips, which may be accompanied by redness, peeling and cracking.

WHAT CAUSES REACTIONS IN YOUR SKIN

If a product gives you problems, look carefully at the label. Your skin may not accept any of these 'controversial' ingredients:

• Preservatives, especially formalin releasers (quaternium-15, DMDM-hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea), sorbic acid and parabens.
• Paraphenylenediamine (PPD), the dye used in hair dyes.
• Perfumes, which contain potentially allergenic components such as eugenol, geraniol, limonene, and linalool.
• Essential oils, especially ylang ylang and bergamot.
• Solar filters of the chemical types such as oxybenzone and cinnamate.
• Irritant active agents such as alcohol, retinol and fruit acids in high concentration can also cause a reaction .

Bad habits that often cause problems

1. There are active ingredients that should not be mixed. Hydroxy acids (glycolic and lactic) and vitamin C combine poorly because the final pH of the mixture is so acidic that it attacks the skin. The same thing happens if you combine hydroxy acids and retinoids. So if you use for example a serum with vitamin C and then you put cream with glycolic acid, it can be harmful.
2. Superimpose several creams. Using the serum, then the moisturizer, then the day cream, the eye contour, and the photoprotector ... multiplies the chances that, faced with so much substance concentration, the skin reacts badly.
3. Misuse of cosmetics. It can cause the reaction to apply several times a day, leave them for longer than recommended, perform intense massages after application or extend them outside their area of ​​use (for example, use the hand moisturizer on the face).
4. Apply creams in poor condition. Use cosmetics opened a long time ago, with changes in the appearance of the product or that have been kept open or without their original cover.

HOW TO PREVENT SKIN REACTIVITY

If you have had an adverse reaction in the past or have delicate skin, take some basic precautions to prevent it from happening again:

• Choose hypoallergenic products, without dyes or perfumes, aimed at sensitive or reactive skin.
• Use mild cleansers for the face and body. Be careful with natural cosmetics, it can cause irritations, especially if it carries essential oils.
• Use creams with few ingredients, 8-12 maximum.
• Hydrates the skin daily, to provide lipids that give resistance to external aggressions.
• Uses dyes without PPD or henna dyes, which do not irritate the scalp.
• Use photoresists only with mineral filters.
• Respects the expiration of the products. All have an expiration date or the PAO symbol (a drawing of an open jar with a number that indicates the months it can be used once it is opened).

SOLUTIONS TO THESE DISCOMFORT

If your skin reacts badly to a cosmetic, follow the steps below to relieve the discomfort and prevent it from happening again:

1. 1. Wash the affected area immediately with plenty of water.
2. 2. To relieve itching, apply gauze soaked in thermal water.
3. 3. Avoid eating histamine-releasing foods like cured cheeses, seafood, chocolate, canned preserves and fruits such as strawberries, pineapple, and banana, as they aggravate the itching and swelling of the skin.
4. 4. Stop using the suspect cosmetic. If the symptoms are mild, they usually disappear when the use of the cosmetic is removed. If the discomfort continues, consult the dermatologist.
5. 5. Before buying a new cosmetic, make sure that your skin tolerates it well. Ask for a sample and use it at least 3 days in a row to check it. And to avoid risks, be faithful to the same product line, which uses common ingredients in all its formulas.