I recently bought Simple refreshing gel wash thinking it would be ideal as it claimed to contain no harsh chemicals. I only used it twice and it left a filmy residue behind which made my face so red and it felt like it was hot and burning. It also broke me out in patches of big inflamed red pimples. I have never had such a bad reaction to a face wash before.
Does anyone know which ingredient could have been the culprit? I want to make sure never to come into contact with it again. Here is the list of ingredients:
Aqua, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl, Methylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Pantolactone, Citric Acid.
Thanks
Not sure I'm allowed to do this but yeah, according to Paula's Choice http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/sensitive-skin/_/skin-irritation-your-worst-enemy
16 minutes ago, hopingforamiracle said:Not sure I'm allowed to do this but yeah, according to Paula's Choice http://www.paulaschoice.com/expert-advice/sensitive-skin/_/skin-irritation-your-worst-enemy
Paulas Choice says literally everything is an irritant, even ones proven to be calming. Idk, id look at more sources. Most of their stuff ive used either caused irritation (the calming toner, facewash, and some other toner) or did nothing (bha products, aha worked a little but the acne.org one is just as good if not better). I know im just one example, but id deffinetly read more on the internet. But im curious too, i couls totally be wrong haha.
On a side note, are you allergic to citrus? Could be from citric acid
I haven't had much luck with Paula's Choice so far either but there are so many raving reviews I thought I'm probably just really really unlucky.
I'm not allergic to citrus but I did once try lemon juice as a topical to lighten scars (which it did) but it also made other areas of made face extremely red and sensitive and I got loads of small whiteheads too.
28 minutes ago, hopingforamiracle said:I haven't had much luck with Paula's Choice so far either but there are so many raving reviews I thought I'm probably just really really unlucky.
I'm not allergic to citrus but I did once try lemon juice as a topical to lighten scars (which it did) but it also made other areas of made face extremely red and sensitive and I got loads of small whiteheads too.
Maybe the citric is too much for you?
On 24/04/2016 at 6:53 AM, Chloe123 said:Maybe your skin is super sensitive. witch hazel can be irritating, however it is good for oily skin.
It was the Simple Refreshing Gel Wash that broke me out and that doesn't contain witch hazel but it does contain citric acid, which another poster thought could be the culprit. I don't think it was though since I've looked at my other skincare products and some do contain citric acid and yet they haven't broken me out. I think I've worked out what the problem was with the Simple wash. It was because it didn't wash off clean afterwards and left a film on my face. That was what was causing the irritation I think.
On 25/04/2016 at 10:29 AM, MonroeQT said:Witch Hazel is notoriously harmful for acne, since it typically contains alcohol. Thayer's sells alcohol-free witch hazel though, and it is AMAZING for your skin.
Thanks for the suggestion. Is all alcohol aggravating for acne then? In any product?
Yes. Especially if your skin is even a little sensitive. If you don't feel like purchasing a new toner, you could also make a homemade green tea toner. Brew a cup of green tea, putthe tea in a spritzer bottle after it cools, and use like a toner. It is very calming for skin as well.
In some cases, plant-based alcohols, such as cetyl alcohol can be ok for skin;Definitely stay away from man-madealcohol though.
On 27/04/2016 at 10:11 PM, MonroeQT said:Yes. Especially if your skin is even a little sensitive. If you don't feel like purchasing a new toner, you could also make a homemade green tea toner. Brew a cup of green tea, putthe tea in a spritzer bottle after it cools, and use like a toner. It is very calming for skin as well.
In some cases, plant-based alcohols, such as cetyl alcohol can be ok for skin;Definitely stay away from man-madealcohol though.
What would you count as a man made alcohol? What if a product contains just "alcohol"? Would that be man made? I'm thinking of Diana Yvonne's salicylic acid. It contains "alcohol".
Pretty much any ingredient will show up as a potential allergen if you search around on the internet....so it's hard to isolate a cause in a typical long list of ingredients...you might have to keep paying attention to the ingredients lists of products and stick with good old trial and error. Most companies recommend that you test their product on a small patch of skin (perhaps on your forearm) before proceeding to use it and this can be a good way of finding out if it's going to cause you any problems before you put it all over your face.
On 5/5/2016 at 4:51 PM, hopingforamiracle said:On 1/5/2016 at 6:54 AM, MonroeQT said:I wouldn't use it on MY skin. It's the second ingredient, which means it contains a fairly high amount. Yes, that's man-made.
Ok. Thanks for the heads up.
Maybe you should just stop using face wash and use wipes instead, or just try with cold water? I use exuviance gentle cleanser with no problems at all, but it seems like you have very sensitive skin, so try wipes. For instance
On 05/05/2016 at 10:34 PM, Jazzguy said:In the Simple product you have cocoamidopropyl betaine which is a common foaming agent...rare but some people react to it...check any other shampoos/body wash/foaming soaps you use and see if you have used that ingredient before without any issue...
I will have to check that out.
On 05/05/2016 at 10:51 PM, Jazzguy said:Pretty much any ingredient will show up as a potential allergen if you search around on the internet....so it's hard to isolate a cause in a typical long list of ingredients...you might have to keep paying attention to the ingredients lists of products and stick with good old trial and error. Most companies recommend that you test their product on a small patch of skin (perhaps on your forearm) before proceeding to use it and this can be a good way of finding out if it's going to cause you any problems before you put it all over your face.
Thanks for that advice. I'd heard of patch testing before but I always thought that testing a product on any area other than my face wouldn't be a good indicator anyway since my face is super sensitive compared to anywhere else. I will have to test that one out.
13 hours ago, Alex9945 said:Maybe you should just stop using face wash and use wipes instead, or just try with cold water? I use exuviance gentle cleanser with no problems at all, but it seems like you have very sensitive skin, so try wipes. For instanceExpert Sensitive Cleansing & Toning Wipes
I've tried cleansing with just water before and it doesn't remove the oil on my face and it just leads to acne. As for wipes, I'd read somewhere they contain more chemicals and preservatives to keep their shelf life. I used to use wipes daily and tried various brands but they didn't really make much difference. I'm also quite a waste-conscious person and don't like the idea of using disposables. But thanks for the suggestion though.
Maybe not exactly what you're looking for, but I use St. Ives Green Tea Cleanser (it contains salicylic acid and warns not to use any topicals in case of drying). My skin will scream blue murder at me if I use anything harsh and this cleanser hasn't caused any negative reaction. It'll rinse off completely.
On 5/5/2016 at 4:34 PM, Jazzguy said:In the Simple product you have cocoamidopropyl betaine which is a common foaming agent...rare but some people react to it...check any other shampoos/body wash/foaming soaps you use and see if you have used that ingredient before without any issue...
My guess would also be the cocamidopropyl betaine. A lot of people who end up breaking out from their shampoos are probably also reacting to this. I definitely can't use any foaming face washes for this reason.
My suggestions for face wash is to try Sibu bar. Heres the ingredients
http://www.sibu.com/product/cleansing-face-and-body-bar/ . I've done well with this line. Or maybe a natural glycerine soap?
http://www.iherb.com/Clearly-Natural-Essentials-Pure-and-Natural-Glycerine-Soap-Unscented-4-oz-113-g/5636
Ive used just ground up oatmeal and its improved my skin along with my other routine. There are saponins in oatmeal, maybe you've noticed it can get " bubbles" when you rinse it out in the sink? It can be messy so I mostly do it in the shower.