Would you like a donut…??
So would I, and I'd especially like to try the Cronut there at the bottom!!! But that's not what this post is about…I lured you in with the your sweet tooth weakness!! Ha ha!! Ok, I'm sorry about that, but this post has no pretty pictures or anything and the title options 'Ingredients I Avoid' or something along those lines didn't sound like fun :-)
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I feel my skincare journey over the past few years was way too much for one singular post, so instead I'm sharing the bits and pieces over several posts :-) And this is where I'm starting…this post is where I will share all of the ingredients I try to avoid!
Have you noticed I tend to not get along with a fair amount of product, particularly skincare? Part of that is personal preference, for example not liking a cleanser because it leaves a film. The other part is products causing reactions such as clogs or irritation. The product itself isn't really the culprit, I just have fussy skin.
I wouldn't say I have sensitive skin because I can use acids and scrubs and other 'harsher' things quite regularly. However, I would say that I have quite reactive and clog prone skin!! This hasn't always been the case…I used to be one of those lucky few who could use anything and my skin would look really good. It's only been in the last few years that I've been experiencing a ton of skin issues…from cysts to a horrible rash that changed my skin to constant acne to clogs galore. How fun #notfunatall Age? Hormones? Who knows. Whatever it is, it still needs to be dealt with.
I haven't been do a dermatologist because I've been stubborn and thought I could figure it out on my own. Plus the one time I went to a dermatologist for the aforementioned skin changing rash, I got the feeling she wasn't even sure what I had and was merely giving me the general prescriptions for anyone with a rash instead of actually trying to figure out what the problem was. Call it mistrust I suppose. By lurking on the MakeupAlley skincare board, my own research and by keeping a skincare journal here's what I've been able to learn to stay away from…also listing what type of reaction each ingredient causes...
Argan Oil - clogs
Sweet Almond Oil - clogs
Apricot Kernel Oil - clogs, though I do love this as a body oil
Tamanu Oil - gives me a rash, which I'm assuming is some type of allergic reaction
Mineral Oil - clogs
Hydrogenated Castor Oil - clogs. I try to stay away from regular castor oil too.
Jojoba Oil - clogs
Grapeseed Oil - an astringent oil that dries out my skin too much, eventually leading to dehydration.
Cherry Kernel Oil - clogs
Plum Kernel Oil - clogs
Meadowfoam - clogs. Ok not multiple clogs, but it clogs up this one particular spot and I don't want to deal with it anymore so I only use this on my body now (add it to my CeraVe Cream).
Rose Extracts - give me a rash…some rose extracts make this happen more quickly than others, though I'm not sure which specifically since I haven't written those in my journal (I just write rose extracts). Sometimes I seem to be ok with Rose Water, but sometimes not so lately I've been trying to stay away from rose anything. ***Edited: forgot Rosehip Seed Oil gives me the same type of rash, though I'm putting it here under Rose Extracts instead of with the other oils since it seems to be related, at least I'm guessing!***
Cyclopentasiloxane - (aka cyclomethicone) irritation bumps within a day. They are flesh colored that look like clogs but if I keep using the product then I increasingly get more and more of them, until I stop using the product. Eventually these turn into acne and cysts. This is a type of silicone that is in a ton of foundations as well as moisturizers.
Capric/Caprylic Triglycerides - causes clogs that often turn into cysts. This is derived from coconut. This is another ingredient that is found in a ton of lotion-y/creamy things as well as foundations and such. This makes me wonder if there are other coconut derived ingredients that might cause problems?
'cones - Since discovering that cyclopentasiloxane (aka cyclomethicone) irritates my skin so quickly, I try to avoid anything that lists a lot of other types of silicones ('cones) even if it doesn't include cyclopentasiloxane. I've found that using a product with many 'cones in it causes the same reaction. I don't have a specific list of all the silicones, but generally I look for ingredients that end in -cone, -xane or any derivative of ingredients I recognize as 'cones. Not to say I don't still use products with 'cones…but I try to use products with as few as possible unless it's an eye cream type product or eye mask.
There are also some ingredients I'm not sure about:
Olive Oil
Avocado Oil
Rosemary Extract
Cetyl/Cetearyl Alcohol
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The biggest culprits and the ones that have made the biggest difference to eliminate are avoiding cyclopentasiloxane (and 'cones in general) and capric/caprylic triglycerides. In addition, it seems if an ingredient is too occlusive, my skin won't like it.
Admittedly this isn't an exact science. But I can tell you as this 'stay away from' list has grown longer, my skin has progressively improved. This took a really long time and is something I'm sure I'll continue working on for awhile. I've also had times where I felt I took 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. But that's ok…the tough thing about testing product and sussing out ingredients is that it's all about individual trial and error…and in the end my skin is much happier for it!!! Though I have had spots here and there, I can proudly say it's been at least a few months (if not longer?) since I've had a major breakout :-)
If you are clog prone, have you been able to identify any ingredients that you should avoid? Do you avoid specific ingredients for other reasons?
In my next installment, I'll show you my skincare diary!