Do You Have Sensitive Skin? 5 Ingredients That You Should Blacklist

If you have sensitive skin like me, then you’re always a little skeptical about products that advertise as suitable for all skin types. The reality of it is, there is not a single product out there that’s truly one size fits all (at least not the ones I’ve tried). What we sensitive skinny’s need are specific products that are catered to our beautifully delicate skin. Here are a couple of ingredients that I’ve learned to avoid through my many, many trial and errors.

Fragrances and Essential Oils

I do not touch anything that has fragrance or essential oils listed on the ingredient list. The aromatic ingredients irritated my skin to no end and I just end up getting splotchy red skin. The products may smell nice but it’s more trouble than it’s worth.

Salicylic Acid

My skin tends to be on the oily side so I looked for products that would help control the oil and acne. The solution ended up drying out my skin so much that I had to apply heavier moisturizer landing me in a vicious cycle of over dry or over oiled skin. Not to mention that it caused more breakouts in the end.

Retinol

Retinol has the effect of anti-aging and reversing sun damage but people with sensitive skin must handle it very delicately. Retinol can cause dryness and irritation and may cause extra sensitivity to sunlight. If you must use Retinol, it should be used very sparingly and in low doses to start.

Alcohol

This one might be obvious, but some products try to hide alcohol in a sea of other ingredients. Alcohol can be used as a preservative or to help the product dry or absorb faster into the skin. However, alcohol can dry out your skin and cause irritation and may cause breakouts from overproduction of oil. Ethanol, isopropyl alcohol.

So, the next time you go out and pick up a new moisturize or toner, whip out that magnifying glass and check out the list of ingredients. Life is hard enough without your sensitive skin acting up and causing more problems.