Most of us think that skin breakouts and irritation are pretty obvious. So, if we don’t see anything, nothing’s wrong, right? Maybe not. Unfortunately, irritated skin doesn’t always look irritated. And if this goes on for too long, your skin can suffer some pretty unattractive long-term effects. There are some common offenders that cause this sort of sneaky skin irritation. Here are eight of them to avoid.
Long term skin irritation can lead to collagen break down, uneven skin tone, rough, dry skin, as well as signs of aging, like wrinkles and sagging. And all of this can happen without a red flag that the product you’re using is irritating your skin.
Unfortunately, this means we can use a problematic problem for a long time without any noticeable issues, but end up with skin that’s dull and tired.
To prevent this from happening, be on the look out for these eight irritating ingredients.
- Artificial colors, like “Blue 1” or Green 3”, present an increase in cancer risk.
- Artificial fragrances, commonly listed “parfum”, refer to undisclosed ingredients, but the EWG says it poses a threat to both the respiratory system and the reproductive system.
- Alcohols, can dry out your skin and disrupt its natural pH levels.
- Sulfates, like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, are cleansing agents but can irritate the skin.
- Parabens mimic estrogen in the body and can potentially disrupt hormonal health, and subsequently the endocrine and reproductive system – not to mention your skin!
- Benzoyl peroxide can irritate the skin, and at high doses present a threat to reproductive health.
- Kojic acid is unsafe for use on damaged or injured skin and can also pose a threat to the endocrine system.
- Formaldehyde is considered to be a skin toxicant and allergen, so it’s best to keep this off your face.
