Hypo-BS

"Hypo" , meaning low or much reduced and "BS", meaning un-truth.

As of  September, 2010 in the United States, there is no current Federal standard governing the use of the terms "hypo-allergenic", "for sensitive skin", or "dermatologist tested".  In 1974 the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) attempted to create regulations for the term "Hypoallergenic" to restrict its use to products which proved significantly fewer allergic reactions in human trials. Ultimately, manufacturers claiming potential hardship prevented this minimal definition from becoming law; Clinique and Almay being the biggest objectors. Further attempts have been made more recently, all ending in failure on behalf of the FDA. In essence, a company can fill a product with toxins and allergens and still legally label it as hypoallergenic. The same applies for the label "For Sensitive Skin".

From the FDA's website:  "There are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term "hypoallergenic." The term means whatever a particular company wants it to mean. Manufacturers of cosmetics labeled as hypoallergenic are not required to submit substantiation of their hypoallergenicity claims to FDA."

"Dermatologist Tested" simply means that a dermatologists has used the product on skin at least once.  It does not mean it was used on multiple people, nor does it mean it was ever used successfully.

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Ack! What do dermatologists actually recommend then?

For dry skin, many doctors and dermatologists recommend Eucerine and Cetaphyl products in the over-the-counter moisturizer lines. These product's ingredient lists seem to agree with allergic skin, but your mileage may vary.  A doctor faced with a highly allergic patient is most likely to suggest pure avoidance of all non-essential skin products just to be safe.  Allergy tests often omit skin-care product ingredients and worse still, when they *are* tested, your results can come back as negative despite having a positive sensitivity.

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What am I supposed to do then? Play the spotty-skin lottery, or go hippy and shun everything? 

There are a few things you can do, but none of them are both quick and easy. 

Patch test on the inside of your arm where the skin is thinner and more sensitive.  I know it sucks to wait, but if you're truly allergic you'll be happy your skin only went red/peely/rashy on your arm and not your entire face.  Leave the new product on your arm for 24 hours and then wash it off. That should be enough time to notice any itching, dryness, swelling, bumps etc. 

This is the important part for learning what you can safely buy in the future:  Write down all of the ingredients in the products you try.  Make a list for  "didn't react" and "did react" products.  It is generally safe to cross off all the ingredients in the "didn't react" lists from then onward.   E-stores like drugstore.com post the full list of ingredients for most of the standard brands and products -- you can copy & paste these into a text file to make it easier.   For example, most skin products contain water, alcohol, and glycerine.  If your makeup has all three and you didn't react, those three ingredients are likely "safe".

The next time you go searching for a new product, look for the product with the shortest ingredient list.  These are often the "organic" products, but some conventional ones are also fairly simple.   This will make eliminating the guilty party much easier.

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Help! I'm allergic to something I tried on my face!

Take a deep breath. It'll be ok!

• Do you have swelling that prevents you from opening your eye(s), mouth, or throat? 
• Are you having trouble breathing? 
• Do you have any open sores in the affected area? 
• Is the redness or itchiness spreading to other parts of your body other than your face? 
• Are you vomiting or having intestinal cramps? 

If you answered yes to any of these, you need to be seen by a doctor right away. These are emergency room quality reactions. If a child has any of these reactions, go five minutes ago. ER docs will give you something to stop the reaction.

If you answered "No" to all of those quesions, your allergic reaction is treated much like a chemical burn:

Step One: Wash it off. Use a mild soap and warm water and gently wash away the offending product.  Wash twice just to be thorough.

Step Two: Apply protective antibiotic cream/ointment to any open sores and hydrocortizone cream to itchy or swollen areas. Do not place adhesive bandages (band-aids) on skin that is broken or red. Removing the strong adhesive may cause further harm. If your skin has open or raw spots, cover loosely with sterile gauze pads and gentle bandage tape found in any drug store.  Do not use fluffy cotton balls or pads on open skin as these will leave debris in your wound.

Step Three: Take a dose of an antihistamine containing one of the following ingredients (in order of effectiveness.) These stop the body from over-reacting to whatever it was that triggered the problem. Antihistamines are known to make some people sleepy (they have a sedative effect). Click the link to see a full list of brands containing that ingredient:

1. Diphenhydramine
2. Doxylamine
3. Brompheniramine
4. Chlorpheniramine

Step Four: Take a dose of over the counter anti-inflammatory, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, Paracetamol).  This will reduce swelling response your body is having in reaction to the allergen, and if you happen to have any pain, it will reduce that too.

Avoid scratching the area until it heals.  Also avoid as many non-medical skin products as possible until the area has healed.  Even products you normally find soothing may cause irritation and slow your healing.