Angry Skin

Sensitivity vs. Allergy

When your skin becomes itchy, stinging, bumpy, or peely it can seem like splitting hairs to define whether you have an allergy or sensitivity. Both are caused by a hypersensitive immune system reacting to normally harmless substances.  However, when it comes to treating and preventing reactions, the distinction makes a big difference.


Allergies: These typically occur immediately upon contact with an allergen-containing product, but they can also show up later (latent allergy) as many as 2-48 hours later.  Your symptoms may include any of the following:

• Rash or redness
• General swelling
• Raised itchy bumps (hives)
• Blisters
• Flaking dryness
• Oozing sores

Fortunately, skin allergies can be well managed with over the counter medicines and basic first aid hygiene.

The best thing you can do with true skin allergies is avoidance. Please see my post on hypo-allergenics for tips on pinpointing and managing your allergic reactions.

Here is a short list of skincare ingredients known to be common allergenics:

• Sunflower oil
• Coconut oil and derivatives (cocoamides)
• Almond and tree-nut oils
• Honey (bee + pollen product)
• Lolin (from sheep's wool)
• Paraphenylenedeamine (PPD, darkens hair dye)
• Neomycin/Triclosan (antibiotics)
• Formaldehyde (toxic preservative)
• Myroxylon pereirae (a perfume ingredient)
• Quaternium-15 (preservative)

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In the case of sensitive skin, your reaction to skin products may be more mild :

1. Dryness
2. Acne
3. Redness
4. Itching

Sensitivity is caused by abrasion (scrubbing or scratching delicate skin) and by the substances in skin/hair products. Perhaps moisturizers with oil increase your acne or facial scrubs leaves your skin tight and flaky.
The general rule for sensitive skin is "Be Gentle".

1. Instead of using salycilic acid products for acne, you might try scrubbing your skin gently and daily with a soft washcloth to exfoliate. 
2. Make sure your scrubbing cloths, loofahs, and bath poofs are hung up and dry fully between baths or it will become a petri dish for skin bacteria and fungi. Sterilize them weekly with a mild bleach solution (toss it in with your bleach laundry load, or mix 1 part bleach to 9 parts warm water and a splash of dish soap). Though hot water is a perfect disinfectant, hot tap water alone is too cool for sterilization. It is in the 110-120 range to avoid skin scalding and germs need it in the 170's to be killed. In the case of loofah or other natural non-washable sponges, replace them every 3-4 weeks.
3. Instead of an alcohol-based toner, one with witch hazel may prove less drying.
4. Choose softer bristled makeup brushes and clean your makeup applicators weekly with a gentle shampoo.
5. If you can't stand greasy sunblocks, choose makeups with at least SPF 15.  If you do not wear makeup, look for oil-free sunscreens designed to reduce the oil slick such as Neutrogena's Dry-Touch cream or spray.

Here is a list of skincare ingredients people are commonly sensitive to:

• Alcohol (drying agent)
• Oil of any kind (clogs small pores)
• Polyethelene Glycol (PEG, keeps liquid ingredients well mixed)
• Exfoiating additives (nut shells, ground loofah, plastic, oat bran - anything that scratches)
• Perfumes
• Preservatives

Next: "Hypo-BS":  What do Hypoallergenic, For Sensitive Skin, and Dermatologist Tested mean?