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Bad reaction to moisturizers - personal question
Above 50% (or more) of the moisturizers which are in the market cause me a unpleasant burning sensation for some seconds after applying them on my face (specially above lips and near the nose).
I’m totally sure it’s not due common ingredients related to irritation, like fragrance, alcohol or parabens because I can use many products with high concentration of them without any problem. On the other hand, many products specially made for sensitive skin - “free of X, Y, Z…”- cause that unpleasant burning sensation on my skin.Some examples of moisturizers that don’t irritate my skin at all, even if it’s super sensitive due cold, acne drugs etc:Water Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Triethylhexanoin, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Trehalose, Peg-5 Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Isostearic Acid, Behenic Acid, Alcohol, Carbomer, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Betaine, Fragrance, Silica, Potassium Hydroxide, Glycyl Glycine, Sodium Metabisulfite, Disodium Edta, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Witch Hazel Leaf Extract, Lamium Album Flower Extract, Citrus Junos Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Zingiber Aromaticus Extract, Benzoic Acid.WATER, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRATE, ACETYL GLUTAMIC ACID, ARGININE, CITRUS AURANTIUM DULCIS (ORANGE) OIL, GLYCINE, THEANINE, SODIUM HYALURONATE, HYDROXYPROLINE, PROLINE, LYSINE HCL, SOLUBLE COLLAGEN, DISODIUM EDTA, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, CARRAGEENAN, CARBOMER, GLYCERIN, CHOLESTEROL, DIMETHICONE, CETYL PALMITATE, DIPENTAERYTHRITYL HEXAHYDROXYSTEARATE/HEXASTEARATE/HEXAROSINATE, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM CHLORIDE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, PHENOXYETHANOL.Some examples of moisturizers that burn my skin a lot (although just for few seconds):Aqua/ Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii / Shea Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Peg-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Peg-20 Stearate, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyltauramide/ Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyltaurate, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium Edta, Xanthan Gum, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum / Fragrance (Code F.I.L. B49733/3)Aqua, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Paraffinum Liquidum, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cera Microcristallina, Simmondsia Chinensis, Butyrospermum Parkii, Chrysanthemum Parthenium, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Allantoin, Ginkgo Biloba, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Sodium Acrylate/ Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 80, Isohexadecane, Pentylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Paraffin, Caprylyl Glycol, p-Anisic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide,Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, CI 77891.It’s the same for other emulsions, like milky cleansers and hair conditioners (sometimes I use them to shave). But I can’t identify the ingredients that cause that sensation. My guess is some emulsifier (or more than one)… Any guess? Does anyone have similar problems? -
14 Replies
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More one question: is this kind of reaction common for cetyl alcohol?
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You can do a knockout experiment for skin reactions, too.
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The only commonality seems to be that the two that do burn your skin both contain some kind of parfum/fragrance and the two that do not burn your skin don’t have any specific parfum/fragrance listed.
That would be my first guess … that perhaps you have sensitivity to certain fragrance ingredients. -
Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool, these few are in LOI of the first product and they are part of a fragrance generally. So I doubt if the first product is fragrance free.The second LOI has orange oil which imparts its own smell to the product and hence they skipped the fragrance in it, PROBABLY.So just to support @Bobzchemist view I would definitely prefer a knockout experiment to check though it’s gonna be a lengthy one given the lengths of LOI.
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Yeah, fragrance is the most likely culprit.
The fact that you can use one product that contains fragrance and not get a reaction doesn’t really tell you much. Every fragrance is made up of different combinations of chemicals. You have no way of knowing what chemicals are in your fragrance so the ones you don’t react to just don’t have the chemical in them that causes the reaction.You are most likely sensitive to some certain compound that is used in some fragrances but not in others. -
I agree that one of the fragrance ingredients is most likely the culprit. However, the two moisturizers that cause a reaction both contain shea butter (Butyrospermum Parkii. This might be causing the effects you are experiencing.
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The easiest knockout experiment is: Don’t buy moisturizers that irritate your skin.
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@MarkBroussard Thats a wonderful idea and its like knocking out the product
which is precisely nipping the problem in the bud. -
I don’t think fragrance is the culprit because even many fragrance free emulsions cause the same problem. Here is an example of fragrance free product that burns my skin like a hell (it’s a milky cleanser):
Water, cetearyl isononanoate, PEG-8, glyceryl polymethacrylate, propylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, C10-30 alkyl acrylates crosspolymer, tromethamine, propylparaben.
Interestingly, I’m not alone. Usually when I have that kind of reaction I often find someone in cosmetic forums (like Makeupalley) reporting similar reaction.I’m wondering if depending of how a product is emulsified it couldn’t temporarily damage the skin’s barrier and cause this kind of reaction on truly sensitive skin.I’ve heard that many products are patch tested, but not pass to sting tests. Since it isn’t an allergy, but just a very ephemeral discomfort (lasts about 10 seconds), patch tests aren’t useful to foresee this kind of reaction.Seems that developing cosmetics for sensitive skin can be much more complex than just do not put parabens, fragrance, alcohol…@MarkBroussard: yes, but sometimes you want (or need if you work in this industry) to try new things… -
@pma:
May I ask what brands are you purchasing and referring to in your posts? Frankly, none of the product LOI’s you have listed look like very good moisturizers to me, but that’s just my opinion.Are you a formulation chemist? If so, then perhaps you have found a market niche still that has a need … a very gentle, non-stinging moisturizer for sensitive skin.If it’s not alcohols or fragrances … well, knockout experiments on the products you have listed would take forever since there aren’t many commonalities between the ingredients in the products that cause the burning sensation.Question: You mentioned that you sometimes use these products to shave. Do you experience the burning sensation when you apply the moisturizers after you shave? Or, do they give your skin a burning sensation each and every time you use them? Could be razor burn.It may also be a cross-reaction between different products. For instance, you wash your face with product A, you shave with product B and then you apply moisturizer product C. Some ingredient in products A or B may be reacting with an ingredient in product C and that what is causing the burning sensation. -
@markBrussard: first one is from Shiseido and, despite its super light and watery texture, it moisturizers extremely well. I even tested with that device which measure the skin’s hydration and even after about 10h the skin was very hydrated. Well, Shiseido claims they do stinging test on people who react to lactic acid:
It could explain why their moisturizers have never irritated my skin. Maybe testing properly the products is more important than just avoid the ingredient X or Y.
Second one is from Kosé, another Japanese brand. It gives a bit greasy texture and hydrates ok, but really well. At least didn’t irritate.Third one is from La-Roche Posay, L’oréal. It gives an extremely greasy sensation and hydrates well. Just to you know I’m really not alone, just on this page two people complain of similar bad reaction:Last one is from ROC, J & J. It gives a less greasy sensation than that one from LRP and hydrates well.Not yet. -
Propylene glycol is in everything you’ve mentioned, if I read correctly.
Propylene glycol (with some commonly used preservative, I assume, but haven’t identified) burn me too. I found this out in the most unpleasant way possible (personal care products).I wish I could be of more assistance. Is a reaction to propylene glycol possible? I know I’ve used other products that include it (at much lower concentrations) and I haven’t noticed anything.If it’s fragrance, you have little change of sorting it out with commercial products, right? Maybe go for preservatives next? -
I didn’t read all of the comments above but both products that cause you issues have shea butter. Some people that have nut allergies can have potential issues there. We do get people calling in to report it on the unique occasion although it’s not the norm. EDIT: ozgirl pointed this out
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If your allergies get worse, you can always consider having a chemical allergy test done. It’s a three day patch test your allergist can perform. I found out that I was allergic to parabens and lanolin among other things and was able to clear up 25 years of painful eczema as a result. I did a T.R.U.E. test. It tests thirty five common chemical allergens.
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