This article includes a list of skincare products that most commonly cause irritation or allergic reactions, along with specific ingredients that might be responsible. It also covers the symptoms you should look out for, how to respond to severe reactions, and more.
Allergy vs. Irritation
Whenever people have a reaction to a skincare product, they often say that they are allergic to it. That may be true in some cases, but not all.
Red, itchy, skin irritation is called dermatitis. When you have a negative reaction to a skincare product, you may have one of the following:
Irritant contact dermatitis: The reaction occurs because an ingredient irritates the skin. Symptoms are limited to the area the product was applied, and the reaction does not involve the immune system. Allergic contact dermatitis: This is a true allergy—in other words, your immune system reacts to a product ingredient as if it is actually harmful to your body and releases proteins to help fight it.
Skincare Products That Often Cause Reactions
A number of common beauty products are known to cause allergic reactions and irritant contact dermatitis, especially:
Body soaps and gels Moisturizing creams Hair dyes Artificial nails Cologne and perfume Nail polish Lipstick Sunscreen Shampoo Henna (used for temporary tattoos) Deodorant Cleansing wipes
A single beauty product can contain hundreds of ingredients, and it only takes one to cause a problem.
If you start to notice unusual changes in your skin, make a list of all the beauty products you have used the past few days. It’s possible to suddenly develop a reaction to a product you have been using for years, so don’t just write down products that are new to you.
This information will be helpful for you and your doctor as you try to find the cause of the reaction.
Symptoms
The symptoms you experience will depend on the type of reaction you have and how sensitive you are to an ingredient.
In addition to the following symptoms experienced with exposure, long-term use of any product that contains low levels of an irritant can gradually strip away your skin’s outermost protective layer, the stratum corneum.
Over time, this can leave your skin prone to dryness, redness, and irritation.
Contact Dermatitis Symptoms
Irritant contact dermatitis typically only affects the direct area of skin that touched the allergen. It can result in:
Itchy skinA patch of reddened, raise bumpsSmall, fluid-filled blisters
It’s also possible to have mild irritant contact dermatitis without an itchy rash. For example, you may have skin that is slightly dry no matter how often you moisturize. Or, you may have a patch of rough, sandpaper-like skin that may or may not feel hot to the touch.
Your face is the most common place to develop this mild, chronic type of contact dermatitis. It’s especially likely to crop up on the eyelids, cheeks, around the corners of the nose and mouth, and the chin.
Allergic Reaction Symptoms
Allergic contact dermatitis is not as common as irritant contact dermatitis. If you are allergic to a product, you may have one or more of the following symptoms:
Itchy skinRashFlaking or peeling skinFacial swellingIrritation of the eyes, nose, and mouth
Timing of Symptoms
Neither of these reactions tend to appear the first time you use a product. You will likely start to have reactions after you have used a product one or more times.
Those reactions may not begin for 24 to 48 hours after you have been exposed.
Once you develop an allergy to a substance, you will usually have that allergy for life. You will also usually have an allergic reaction every time you use a product you are allergic to.
Likewise, once you develop irritant contact dermatitis, you will have symptoms every time the problematic product touches your skin.
Causes
There are thousands of ingredients used in skincare and cosmetic products. Although everyone’s skin is different, certain ingredients are more likely to cause reactions than others.
Fragrances are a common culprit. Even though “fragrance” is listed as a single ingredient, the ingredient can contain hundreds of different chemical components, many of which can irritate the skin.
Preservatives are often problematic as well. While they may be necessary to prevent a product from going bad, preservatives are known to cause contact dermatitis in some people.
Color dyes and pigments, known as colorants, also pose a risk. People who are allergic to colorants in their food will likely be allergic to them in their cosmetics as well.
Any colorant can cause contact dermatitis on sensitive skin, but reds and yellows tend to be the more common problems.
Other Natural Ingredients
All-natural ingredients can irritate your skin and cause allergic reactions. Essential oils are a common culprit. While they can provide skincare products with an appealing scent, they are often irritating when used in high concentrations.
Tea tree oil is the essential oil most commonly linked to dermatitis. Just a few drops can trigger an adverse reaction in some people. Others that are more likely to irritate sensitive skin are peppermint, ylang-ylang, clove, cinnamon, and cassia essential oils.
Essential oils are potent plant extracts. Even though they are usually marketed as pure, that’s not always the case.
In fact, according to one 2016 study, researchers found that most essential oils contain between 100 to 500 chemical components. In particular, they contain many terpenes, like limonene, linalool, and linayl acetate. These terpenes give plants their floral scent, but they are also linked to allergic contact dermatitis.
Lanolin is another natural ingredient that is commonly linked to skin irritation and allergic reactions. Lanolin is derived from sheep’s wool and is used in moisturizing products like body lotions and facial creams.
Diagnosis
A case of irritant contact dermatitis may be obvious enough that you don’t need a doctor to confirm it. You may be able to figure out that your skin is sensitive to a product simply by tracking what you use, where you use it, and whether or not you have a reaction in that area.
If you’re having a mild reaction and you haven’t started any new products, try removing one product from your regimen at a time to see if your skin improves. Eliminating a product that contains fragrance or colorants is a great place to start. It may take two to four weeks before you notice a difference.
Excluding preservatives may be problematic, but, over time, you may be able to identify which types of preservatives you are sensitive to and avoid them.
Pinpointing the exact ingredient that’s causing you problems may be more difficult. However, unless the reaction is severe, it might not be worth the time it may take to solve the mystery if you’ve switched to and are happy with new products.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Of course, see your healthcare provider if you can’t manage your symptoms—even if your case is not severe.
You should also see a skin specialist (dermatologist) or allergy specialist (allergist) straightaway if you experience a severe or persistent reaction. They can perform a patch test to see if you are allergic to anything.
Patch tests involve exposure to 20 to 30 common allergens. They are added to patches and applied to the skin. After 48 hours, the patches are removed to check for reactions.
The skin is monitored for up to seven days to see if any reaction develops.
Treatment
Most cases of irritant contact dermatitis will go away on their own, provided you stop using the product that is bothering your skin. You may or may not need a topical medication to ease symptoms in the meantime.
Most allergic reactions will also abate on their own, though it will take longer and medication is typically necessary. Severe reactions require intervention to prevent worsening.
Treating Contact Dermatitis
While you wait for the reaction to pass, treat the affected area gently. Avoid scrubbing and using perfumed products to prevent irritating skin further.
If the area is dry and cracked, you can apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or plain white cream moisturizers (e.g. Cerave, Vanicream).
Although it’s tough if your skin is itchy, try not to scratch the area. Give it an opportunity to heal. Your doctor can prescribe a corticosteroid cream or ointment to control the itch and help the skin heal, if needed.
Treating Allergic Reactions
If you are having a mild allergic reaction involving a small area of red, itchy skin, you can apply you can apply an over-the-counter (OTC) hydrocortisone cream to the affected area to stop the itching. For larger or more severely affected areas, a doctor may also prescribe a topical corticosteroid.
When the allergic reaction affects an extensive area of skin, your doctor may prescribe a short course of an oral corticosteroid, like prednisone. You may need to take the medication for seven to 14 days, and in some cases longer.
Although your skin symptoms may clear up after just a few days, it’s important to finish the full course prescribed to ensure the reaction has resolved.
If you have an epinephrine injector (EpiPen or Auvi-Q), use it immediately. This is true regardless of whether you are sure you are having an allergic reaction or not.
You will still need to get medical attention right away after the epinephrine injection. The effects of epinephrine wear off within 20 minutes. And since anaphylaxis can return, you will need further treatment and observation.
In addition to epinephrine, you may be given other treatments at the hospital, such as IV antihistamines. Should anaphylaxis affect your breathing, you may need oxygen, or a bronchodilator like albuterol to open your airways.
Summary
You can be allergic to skincare products, but you don’t have to be in order for them to cause itchy, red, and dry skin.
Skincare and other beauty products often contain hundreds of ingredients, many of which can slowly strip away your skin’s protective and moisturizing barriers. This causes irritant contact dermatitis. Symptoms may occur right away or take years of product use to develop.
A Word From Verywell
Unfortunately, it’s not always clear exactly what a product contains, which is why many people have turned to creating their own beauty products at home with simple ingredients—propolis, aloe vera, and so on—that they know won’t affect their skin.
If you do this, keep them in airtight containers to best preserve them, and throw them out if you notice any signs of separation, differences in texture, or changes in smell.
