With the norm of beauty and cleaning products having become more market and to-sell orientated, it can be challenging to find products that are also considerate on being kind, gentle, and safe to the skin.
Mindful purchasing is important especially when it comes to choosing what we expose our skin to. How we can prevent our skin from allergic reactions and irritation depends on the type of products we buy as well as their ingredients. Here are some common causes of skin irritation:
- Dryness
Xerosis or eczema can be a factor to skin irritation due to the lack of moisture the skin essentially needs. Dry skin can result from harsh and stripping chemicals that can be found in some products such as SLS and SLES. When skin lacks the moisture or hydration it needs, it can become itchy, flaky, and even more sensitive which further causes irritation.
- Fragrance
The most common cause of skin irritation due to the advertising and glamor of smelling good. Fragrances in products oftentimes are either added chemicals that are not supposed to be exposed to the skin or are extremely drying. When we expose our skin to certain chemicals, our bodies identify them as foreign substances - releasing an inflammatory reaction to help fight it off. We talk more about this and scented products in our dedicated article on the beauty of using unscented products here.
- Harsh soaps
Harsh soaps are typically ones that contain ingredients that strip your skin from its natural oils. Besides being extremely drying, a soap’s ingredients can be harsh when also containing added chemicals and/or fragrances.
- Laundry detergents
Laundry detergents may be surprising as they do not go directly onto the skin for the most part however, chemicals in these products often tick and leave traces on our clothing and other fabrics that do come into contact with your skin. Most detergents often contain extremely harsh chemicals because of how they are produced to target cleaning fabric and not human skin, but what we don’t expect is that it can still be irritable when our skin comes into contact with our clothing or other fabrics.
- Diet
As you may know, certain foods such as dairy, nuts, refined sugars, and highly processed carbohydrates are known to heighten skin sensitivity and cause breakouts. Did you also know that foods packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals can help with glowy nourished skin? Certain foods such as fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats like avocados and a healthy amount of nuts and seeds can help combat dry skin and malnourished skin. Dry skin supports skin sensitivity, so keep your skin healthy and nourished.
There can be many other triggers that cause skin irritation. That is why it is important to practice mindful shopping - reading the ingredient list and trusting brands that are hypoallergenic.