Beauty Product Ingredients That May Irritate Acne

According to the AAD, the American Academy of Dermatology, and WebMD, the following are some products and ingredients that you need to avoid to reduce further blemishes.

Skin care and make up products which contain oil or other ingredients that make your skin oily can blocks your pores, and in turn lead to more blemishes. Look for products that specifically mention that they are ‘non-comedogenic’ or specify that they won’t clog your pores, especially foundations that state they won’t irritate acne.

If you are susceptible to getting acne or blemishes quite easily, avoid using someone else’s make up accessories such as brushes or applicators. Acne isn’t contagious, but by sharing makeup applicators, you might also share bacteria which can lead to breakouts.

You might be tempted to clean your face and remove makeup before going to sleep by scrubbing it clean. We recommend not doing it as this may irritate your skin, causing your skin to flare up. Instead, use a gentle cleanser to remove any make up and to wash your face.

Coconut oil is a comedogenic ingredient which is not recommended for acne prone skin as they can clog your pores and cause blackheads.

Products like moisturizers containing artificial and tropical fragrances are often the cause of triggering allergies to your sensitive skin and can irritate and worsen the symptoms of acne. You should instead look for fragrance-free products when using them on your face.

Certain types of alcohol are often found in toners to help their ingredients penetrate the skin more effectively by breaking down the skin’s barrier. However, alcohol in skin care products can make the pores dry out, causing irritation to your skin and worsening the symptoms of acne.

Products containing cocoa butter are a great healthy product for dry skin users and often come in the form of body creams and facial moisturisers. But for sensitive skin users, products containing cocoa butter can be highly comedogenic, trapping bacteria in the pores. This trapped bacteria is harmful to your skin as the acne and blemishes produced have more puss than typical acne.

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate or SLS, is an ingredient that has been removed from different shampoo brands as it has been found to cause dryness by eliminating the moisture layer acting as a barrier on your skin. Dryness of the skin makes it more prone to acne and breakouts. SLS is found in some facial cleansers and a few body-wash as well and these products should be avoided.

Algae extracts are high on the list of highly comedogenic ingredients which have been found to speed up the micro-comedones growth in your pores, causing inflammation to the skin.

Sodium Chloride is another comedogenic ingredient which is used in a number of foundations and other cosmetics due to its exfoliating nature. Products containing this ingredient should be avoided in both skin care and make up.