New Study Finds That “Hypoallergenic” Products Can Still Harm The Skin
Nonetheless, it is very important to be aware of that although companies claim that these products that are labeled “hypoallergenic” cause less or even no allergic reaction, recent studies have shown the opposite.
The word "hypoallergenic" on product packaging means that their formulas cause fewer reactions than other products without this word. In some cases, the word "hypoallergenic" is used to show a product that is fragrance-free. Nowadays, there are over 3,000 fragrances that can be found in cosmetics and beauty products, so fragrance-free may be easier on the skin. Nonetheless, many people suffer from allergic contact dermatitis, which is known as a common skin reaction to other substances than fragrances used in personal care products. Therefore, using hypoallergenic products cannot be enough to prevent skin reactions.
A recent study has revealed that “hypoallergenic” or “fragrance-free” products can still consist of toxic chemicals, which can cause skin irritation despite their products’ claims. According to this study, with 175 products labeled as “hypoallergenic” tests from Amazon, Walmart and Target, these products could still cause adverse reactions, with just 21% of them coming out as allergen-free.
More clearly, this study found that nearly 83% of moisturizers labeled as “hypoallergenic” actually consisted of at least one ingredient that can cause unwanted allergic reactions; while 45% of products labeled as “fragrance-free” consisted of a fragrance or botanical ingredient. According to the study author, there is no cosmetic product that has a zero-risk. For moisturizers, pure shea butter or white petroleum may be lower risk, yet believing in their labels is not enough. You also need to ensure that these products have ingredients as few as possible. According to researchers, Vaseline original petroleum gel, Ivory raw shea butter and Smell-good African shea butter are three ingredients found to not consist of NACDG listed ingredients.
With plenty of products that contain parabens and tocopherl, which are said to harm the skin and cause skin conditions such as eczema, it is important for users should be careful with claims such as “fragrance-free”, “hypoallergenic” and “dermatologically-tested”. The fact is that many of these products fail to work according to their claims, and even users often have to buy them at a higher price.
Remember that people without skin allergies can still have a reaction from a skin product. Products can contain ingredients that cause skin irritation without being allergenic by disrupting the skin barrier or by damaging the skin
To find the exact cause of skin reactions, a dermatologist can make a skin patch test to check your responses to some small allergens. And then if you have itchy rashes, a tip for you when shopping for hypoallergenic products is to keep away from water-based products to reduce your exposure to harmful substances and preservatives. Experts recommend that people with sensitive skin should opt for a bar soap instead of liquid soap, petroleum jelly instead of moisturizing lotion, as well as loose powder instead of foundation.
New Study Finds That “Hypoallergenic” Products Can Still Harm The Skin
