The beneficial effects of cosmetics on the skin are widely known and valued, less is said about their adverse sensitizing properties. Meanwhile, many cosmetics and personal hygiene products, or more precisely some of their ingredients are strong allergens capable of causing allergic contact dermatitis (or irritation), phototoxic or photoallergic changes. This happens all the more strongly and more often when our skin is hypersensitive!
How to recognize that our skin is hypersensitive?
First of all, you need to look at your skin very carefully, because this health problem is common. Doctors noticed that many people have sensitive skin, i.e. having an increased ability to feel stimuli, increased immunological reactivity, weakened lipid-acid and skin protection. Signs of hypersensitivity are: long-lasting, not for a specific reason / or chronically recurrent / itching of the skin; burning the skin and its increased tension.
Whetherhypersensitive scan it naturally be susceptible to allergy?
Yes! For example, substances that most people tolerate well on the skin, such as lactic acid, cause an oversensitive feeling of unbearable burning in people with skin. These people appear more often than others with allergic contact dermatitis.
What is more than is the risk of stronger than average immunological reactivity?
It was noted that high immunological reactivity threatens the so-called polyvalent allergy (also called multiple-dose). This means that the cause of contact eczema on the skin may be not only cosmetic, but also volatile allergen (inhalation allergy) or food (food allergy). In contrast, contact allergen - for example, a cosmetic can cause symptoms in the airways or food.
How do you check if your skin is hypersensitive to the cosmetic?
In the case of people with hypersensitive skin, we can make the initial testing of cosmetics - for the selection of the so-called neutral, non-sensitizing. We apply a sample of each preparation to a tissue paper about 2 cm2 and glue it with a special hypoallergenic adhesive tape to the temple for 5 consecutive nights. We test first: mascara, mascara, eyebrow pencil, eye shadow, foundation, other coloring cosmetics. In a similar way, at least for the next 5 nights should be tested all dermatological drugs bought without a prescription in a pharmacy and care products left on the skin longer - ointments, masks, tonics, etc.
People with hypersensitive skin require the supervision of an allergist doctor
The method of initial testing does not solve all problems of people with hypersensitive skin - so they should be under the constant supervision of an allergologist. However, in the case of sensitization, this is the only safe way to restore skin care with cosmetics and protection, using personal hygiene (soaps, shampoos, shaving foam and after shave, toothpaste, deodorants, etc.).
Do skin hypersensitivity cause disease?
Yes. Diseases that may cause hypersensitivity to the skin include: already known allergic contact dermatitis, atopic dermatitis, acne comedones, eczematous dermatitis, contact dermatitis, irritation, papule acne or comedone acne, rosacea, and perioral dermatitis.
Oversensitive skin - how are the causes of hypersensitivity diagnosed?
First, leave any topical cosmetics, make-up remedies, colognes, perfumes, deodorants and non-prescription skincare and skin care products for at least 2 weeks.Only soaps containing hypoallergenic synthetic detergents should be used during this period. Avoid cosmetics and hygiene products that contain substances such as: benzoyl peroxide, tretinoin, glycolic acid, essential oils, alcohols and other products that dry out or irritate the skin. In practice, this means avoiding many popular cosmetics and hygiene products, except hypoallergenic agents indicated by an allergist.
Should you modify the way you dress and your lifestyle?
It is deliberate to investigate the causes of allergy and hypersensitivity, and the doctor will decide later. This means that during the period of the doctor's examination of the causes of hypersensitivity it is beneficial to stop sports, intense recreation and other activities threatening with repeated skin abrasions that can cause contact eczema irritation. It is also good to wear loose and soft clothing, so as not to cause skin irritation through tight. A rough dress, which can also cause contact eczema and make it impossible to determine what cosmetic causes sensitization.
Simple preventive rules for people with hypersensitive skin:
♦ try to use cosmetics in the form of powder, instead of ointments, gels, lotions and liquids;
♦ use water-washable preparations that are less allergenic;
♦ use only black mascara and pencil for eyebrows and eyelids, use light eye shadows,
♦ choose a loose foundation for the face, and if the liquid is the best based on silicone oil, which rarely sensitizes;
♦ the fewer ingredients in the cosmetic - the less allergenic and safe to use;
avoid anti-UV agents containing so-called PABA esters, para-aminobenzoic acid and methoxycinnamates;
♦ avoid preparations that do not have the full chemical composition of the ingredients on the packaging;
♦ discard unused cosmetics every 3 months and replace them with new ones.
Ed. Edward Ozga - Michalski
Consultation by prof. dr hab. Andrzej Danysz