An Allergist & Immunologist Shares 3 Habits That Can Secretly Irritate Your Skin

According to recent surveys, 60 to 70% of women identify as having sensitive skin1—and yet searching for products that won't set your skin aflame often feels like an uphill battle. Ever slathered on the most gentle and nourishing formula you can find only to have an angry reaction days later? You're not alone.

In fact, board-certified allergist and immunologist Anjuli Mehrotra, M.D., saw so many patients with aggravated, itchy skin, even after using fragrance-free, hypoallergenic formulas—she discovered that many of these folks were actually affected by "invisible culprits" oft overlooked in the skin care space.

"My best tip for people who have sensitive skin is to read the label on each product," says Mehrotra. "Don't take marketing claims at face value and always evaluate the ingredients in your products."

For example, let's look at the term hypoallergenic: At present, there are no set definition or regulation of the term, so irritating ingredients can still sneak their way into these formulas.

In fact, "Up to 90% of personal care products labeled as 'hypoallergenic' still have major allergens!" Mehrotra declares. "Many of these formulas still contain essential oils and other potential hidden fragrances, which can be very reactive." 

It's a concept we've discussed time and again at mbg: "Synthetic" is not a dirty word. Yes, we do tend to stay away from certain synthetics in the clean beauty space, due to some skin and environmental concerns. But some all-natural ingredients carry those same concerns, too.

"It's a misnomer that reactors are only synthetic in nature," says Mehrotra. "I always tell my patients that using 'natural' products does not protect you from reactions." For instance, she says lanolin (derived from sheep's wool) and propolis (aka beeswax) are known possible reactors but very popular in natural-leaning skin care formulas.

If you have sensitive skin, chances are you know your way around a patch test. For those unfamiliar, patch testing is essentially testing a new skin care product on a small patch of skin (get it?) before slathering the confection on your entire face and risking a reaction.

Now, some people can get away with patch testing on the inside of their wrist or on the skin behind their ear—if you don't face a reaction there, it's a safe bet for your face, right? Wrong. Especially for those with sensitive skin, patch testing requires a bit more time and effort. "

The biggest mistake people make with home patch testing is not waiting long enough to see if there is a reaction," says Mehrotra. "Contact dermatitis, aka topical skin allergies, tends to cause reactions in a delayed fashion, with a reaction starting any time from the time of exposure up to a few days later." 

Skin sensitivity is a spectrum—some people even react to common, bland ingredients, so it's important to understand your personal triggers. (Mehrotra features some more educational materials and videos on the Evme site, so feel free to check out her advice there.) Even products labeled “hypoallergenic” or “fragrance-free” can still contain irritants, but that doesn’t mean you should shy away from adding new products to your routine.