Hypoallergenic Skin Care

Hypoallergenic skin care products often contains hidden ingredients that unsafe or even toxic, and which can cause inflammation for sensitive skin. Learn which ingredients are most harmful and how to find safer hypoallergenic products!

Have you ever had this experience? You buy a trusted brand of hypoallergenic skincare, because your face is breaking out from the last skin care products that you used.

You try them, and within a day you have a new rash appears! Or even worse, a rash AND pimples!

It's very discouraging and frustrating. You end up spending more time returning products and tending to your poor inflamed face, rather than doing the important things in life!

The sad truth is that there are no industry standards for hypoallergenic skin care products.

Some companies market sensitive skin care products, cleansers for sensitive skin, sensitive skin shampoo, deodorants and moisturizers for sensitive skin, simply by removing the fragrances, dyes and artificial colors from their regular products.

That may work for some people, but for those of us with REALLY hyper sensitive skin, it is NOT enough!

If you have very sensitive skin, you could be reacting to many of the ingredients even in your hypoallergenic skin care products!

I took a look at some very well known brands of hypoallergenic skin care. For right now I'm not going to name any names, but these are some of the most popular products that you can find in any drugstore or supermareket.

Here is what I saw on the product label of one company's soap for sensitive skin. I was really shocked!

BHT is used as a preservative, which is considered a high hazard ingredient by cosmetics researchers. The National Library of Medicine considers BHT a known human immune system toxicant. HazMap considers it to demonstrate strong evidence of being a skin toxicant.

BHT has been linked to impaired immune functioning which causes allergies and allergic reactions, and which prevent the body from fighting disease. There are plenty of other safer preservatives to use in sensitive skin care products!

Ceteareth-20 is considered a moderate to severe health hazard by cosmetics researchers, depending on how the product is used. This ingredient is restricted for use in cosmetics and is not safe for use on injured or damaged skin.

Why then would a manufacturer include this ingredient in a skin care product for sensitive skin??

Studies show skin irritation at low doses for this ingredient, and especially around the eyes, mouth, or lips. It is also a penetration enhancer, which speeds the passage of this irritating ingredient into your bloodstream.

If this weren't bad enough, Ceteareth-20 also is of concern because of possible contamination with Ethylene Oxide and 1,4-dioxane, two known cancer causing substances.

Ethylene Oxide is used in some baby wipes and contaminates many other cosmetic product ingredients such as sodium laureth sulfate.

1,4-dioxane is even more of a concern! Read what the EWC Cosmetics Database says about this ingredient.

"The carcinogen 1,4-dioxane contaminates up to 46% of personal care products tested (OCA 2008, EWG 2008). The chemical is an unwanted byproduct of an ingredient processing method called ethoxylation used to reduce the risk of skin irritation for petroleum-based ingredients. Though 1,4-dioxane can easily be removed from products before they are sold, its widespread presence in products indicates that many manufacturers fail to take this simple step."

Propylene Glycol is another ingredient I would definitely NOT recommend that you put on your sensitive skin. It is considered a moderate hazard in skin care products because it causes irritation to skin, eyes and lungs.

Although it is practically non-toxic in food, propylene glycol has been shown to create skin irritation and sensitization in concentrations as low as 2%, even though the cosmetics industry review panel recommends that skin care products can contain up to 50%!

PEG Stearates are considered moderate to severe hazards for skin. There are many different PEG Stearates with different numbers in their formula names. These have been determined by Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments to be NOT safe for use on injured or damaged skin, and to cause skin, eye and lung irritation.

Now why would anyone who wants to help people with sensitive skin put this in a hypoallergenic skin care cream??

Sorbic Acid is considered a human skin toxicant and is linked to allergies and immune system impairment. One or more studies show skin irritation at very low doses. If this ingredient causes irritation, why put it on your sensitive skin?

Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate is used as a cleanser and is restricted for use in Japan. It is a penetration enhancer which brings the chemical through all five layers of skin into your bloodstream. It is considered a "moderate hazard", safe with limited use. If you have sensitive skin, why not use an ingredient that is completely safe?

Stearic acid is considered mild to moderate hazard depending on product use. Most often Stearic Acid refers to a fatty substance taken from the stomachs of pigs. This is another ingredient I wouldn't use for sensitive skin. Stearic acid may be derived from animals cows and sheep, and from dogs and cats euthenized in animal shelters. In addition to the obvious ethical concerns, many animal by products can be harsh and irritating.

Petrolatum is obtained from petroleum. This is considered a moderate hazard ingredient, because the manufacturing by products from petroleum production are often contaminated with cancer causing ingredients such as PAHS. That is NOT good for sensitive skin! In addition these ingredients also linger in body tissues for years after you use them, and have been found as contaminants in the environment and in wildlife.

With my poor face breaking out more and more ( which I hear is common as we get older!! ) I found myself spending WAY too much time dealing with my skin care.

I found it very difficult to find safer hypoallergenic skin care products that do not contain these kinds of potentially irritating ingredients.

Then when I looked at organic or natural skin care products, I ran into another kind of problem.

Natural skin care products tend to have safer ingredients overall, BUT they usually contain herbs and essential oils which have a whole other kind of effect on the skin.

Herbs are potent medicinal substances, and what we put on our face and body goes into our bloodstream.

These powerful substances contain many natural chemicals which affect our bodies. They can even react with other herbs, herbal teas, medications or health treatments you might be taking.

Depending on your unique body, and what kind of allergies you might be susceptible to, you could have a reaction to even the most natural and organic of products!

Another BIG challenge with organic skin care products is that natural ingredients need preservatives in order to avoid spoilage. Preservatives are not required to be listed on the product labels, as long as they are used before the ingredient is blended into the product formulation.

What I eventually realized is that I need to find a NEW kind of hypoallergenic product!

So far hypoallergenic skin care seems divided into two main choices.

One is to use most mainstream hypoallergenics which eliminate fragrances, dyes and many plant substances, BUT which use toxic and irritating preservatives and skin care product ingredients.

The other choice is to use natural, organic and health food store type of skin care products which generally try to avoid many toxic substances. I say generally because I have been quite shocked when looking at the labels of many natural skin care products which contain parabens, fragrances and other irritants!

So far both of these choices hadn't given my skin what it needs, and many of these products also did not work very well.

That's another thing ... product effectiveness is REALLY important to me. I want these things I am putting on my face to actually do something!!

I only found a new kind of hypoallergenic product when I stopped looking for it. It's amazing how life works, isn't it?

I gave up on my skin for a while, and in the meantime continued my saga to find a hypoallergenic shampoo that would put an end to my hair troubles.

Bingo! That's when I discovered Cleure . Their product line is gentle and formulated without most irritating chemicals, AND also does not include herbs and botanicals that could cause a reaction.

And even better, the products really work! You can see my Before and After pictures after using their hypoallergenic shampoo.

One other plus which I found helpful is that all the Cleure prodcuts are salicylate free products so that pregnant women and people with salicylate allergies can use them safely.

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Hypoallergenic Soaps
Sensitive Skin Sunscreen

My new Bree eBook Clear ANY Skin Problem Naturally will teach you a quick and easy way to learn about the ingredients in all of your skin care products. You can request a free copy here!