“I choose good cosmetic products, and I always look into them first. I read all the reviews online, and where I can I check that even people I know have had a good experience with the product at first hand. I don't cut corners; I buy the more expensive ones. I even buy my cosmetics at the pharmacy. I understand the allergenic potential of natural cosmetics, and at the same time I stick to 'clean beauty' products.

And yet — my skin reacted badly to a supposedly good product. Redness, itching, discomfort. Is there something toxic in it? Am I in danger? Who is at fault for the product harming me? Isn't all the cosmetics on sale safe?”

The safety of cosmetic products is central to the whole skincare industry. EU legislation is strict and does not allow products with unverified, let alone dangerous, raw materials to reach the shelves. Even so, a certain percentage of people react adversely to entirely safe, properly and professionally made cosmetic products. That percentage is not even especially small. What is more, it changes constantly.

 Even verified and extensively dermatologically tested products provoke unwanted reactionsin some users. That is not necessarily the result of dangerous ingredients or an odd manufacturing process, but of specific skin conditions and individual sensitivity.

Allergy or sensitivity? The key difference between them

If you bought the product at a chemist or online from a verified manufacturer and brand that makes cosmetics professionally, then despite the unpleasant sensation on your skin, which you rightly do not regard as acceptable, you are relativno varni.

Zakaj? Because strict EU legislation lays down precisely which raw materials are safe for use in cosmetic products and which are not. Before it makes its way to users, every product has to pass certain tests and meet certain requirements, and a designated responsible person has to vouch for its safety. The chance that you have bought an unsafe cosmetic product is in truth extremely small. So why is your skin responding as though it had been burned? Razloga sta najpogosteje dva.

Alergijska reakcija

An allergic reaction is a response of the immune system to a particular ingredient which the body persistently recognises as foreign. On contact with that foreign body it immediately triggers inflammation, with itching, redness, or even swelling. Although the whole purpose of the body's immune system is to protect it from dangerous substances, it is well known that this mechanism not infrequently simply — misfires.

An allergic reaction, usually to one raw material within a cosmetic product, is ponavadi prirojen odziv. The user's body has always responded adversely to that raw material and its derivatives, whether encountered in cosmetics or anywhere else. It is possible that using this product was the very first time in your life you encountered the raw material at all. 

Allergies are almost always chronic, that is, present for life. It is not a rule, though: in women and in developing children especially, allergies can follow particular hormonal states, the development of the body, or other major bodily events. Those that appear during life usually fade after a certain period. Those that are chronic and present from birth usually last a lifetime.

So check whether the product contains a raw material you are allergic to — or perhaps a related raw material or derivative. 

Sensitivity reaction (irritation)

Irritation, or sensitivity, is the other reason for a negative skin response — and in practice it is far more common than an allergic reaction.

Iritacija ni povezana z imunskim sistemom, ampak z a weakened skin barrier, which allows certain ingredients to penetrate excessively and too deeply. That causes redness, stinging, or a burning sensation. It matters a great deal here to understand the definition of a 'cosmetic product'.

A cosmetic product is a product intended for the care of intact skin, mucous membrane or other external tissue, where the passage of individual ingredients through the skin, or into the bloodstream, is prevented.

But we all know that our skin is sometimes extremely dry, and at other times covered in tiny breaks. Perhaps damaged after shaving? Burned by the sun? Chronically exposed to water or cleaning products?

Yes, our skin is a remarkably resilient organ that defends us from the world. But in reality it is rarely entirely undamaged.

And if it is undamaged on the outside… its microbiological barrier, its pH acid mantle, or its composition may be damaged from within. That can follow illness or hormonal states, and not infrequently stress, or simply all the factors of the moment together.

It is entirely reasonable, then, to expect that our skin may at any moment respond adversely to certain raw materials or chemical mixtures that are neither toxic nor dangerous. Sometimes it is worth simply putting the product away and trying it again in a month or two, when the state of the skin has changed or settled. Sudden sensitivity, which is the most common cause of trouble, characteristically passes quickly as the environment, the moment and the condition change — or rather, it passes once the physical cause behind it changes.

Even though our skin rarely matches the definition of 'intact and healthy', it does its job well as a rule, provided you are objectively in good health. So with most cosmetics you are relatively safe even if you have some complaint — but it is always necessary to read the specific warnings and instructions, and to rule out any contraindications and other special conditions.

Given the abundance of cosmetic products we use daily, a contraindication with some other cosmetic product or topical medicine is also possible.

Reasons sensitivity arises 

A weakened skin barrier – Damaged or naturally thin skin lets active substances through more readily, which increases the likelihood of irritation.

Sensitivity to particular ingredients – Some very popular raw materials, known for their exceptional effects on the skin, are known irritants. Sometimes a limited state of irritation is even their principal effect (AHA and BHA acids, for example), and sometimes merely a consequence. All essential oils, fragrance components, many preservatives and many acids belong here.

Kombinacija izdelkov – Using several actives at once can increase the load on the skin, which leads to sensitivity.

Okoljski dejavniki – Cold, wind, pollution and UV radiation can weaken the skin barrier, which is why otherwise safe products may irritate.

Psychological influence – Stress and hormonal changes can increase, or generally alter, the reactivity of the skin.

Sensitivity can appear at any point in life and is usually the sum of several smaller reasons for a reduced defensive function of the skin barrier. It is not an immune response, and usually passes as certain life factors change.

An allergy is usually congenital or transient, is an immune response, and can also result in symptoms beyond the skin. We should not forget how common allergies to grasses and pollen are worldwide, while cosmetics frequently contain plant extracts — particularly natural cosmetics. 

How do you recognise and prevent a skin reaction?

If it is an allergy, caution and good information about the product are essential. If it is a sensitivity, we are usually not even aware of it until the response happens. If we are in poorer health, in a particular hormonal state, under chronic stress, exposed to unusual weather conditions or to other variables known to us, it is sensible to takecertain measures.

• Vedno opravite patch test pred uporabo novega izdelka.

• Uporabljajte a minimalist routine s preverjenimi enostavnimi sestavinami.

• Avoid products with fragrances, alcohols and preservatives, and with a minimal quantity of plant-derived and natural raw materials.

• Strengthen the skin with humectants and lipids, which help rebuild the protective barrier.

• Uporabljajte le izdelke s pH 5.0-5.5, which is native to the skin.

• V primeru reakcije uporabite mild, soothing products, ideally on a pharmacist's advice (aloe vera, panthenol, ceramides, for example).

Reactions to cosmetic products are very rarely a sign of poor formulation or dangerous ingredients. Every skin is unique and has different tolerances. The purpose of safe formulation is to reduce risk, but reactions cannot be excluded entirely. 

Cosmetics manufacturers usually carry out dermatological testing on volunteers with a verified intact skin barrier — dermatologists examine the skin closely and confirm that it is intact. If the result is good, then the cause of a reaction is simply the current state of your skin, which is no rarity.

Skin is a living organ — like the stomach, say. Sometimes it will respond to ice cream normally, and at other times ice cream will provoke an unpleasant state. Sometimes alcohol disagrees with it, at other times not, if we have eaten something good beforehand. There are no truly universal rules; each person knows their own case best.

Safe cosmetic products can cause allergic or sensitivity reactions in certain individuals, but this is no reflection of their quality or safety. Understanding your own skin, choosing products correctly, and introducing new formulations gradually are the key steps in preventing unwanted reactions.