Understanding Cosmetic Allergies: Causes, Symptoms, and Prevention

Everyone – male or female – wants to look good. For thousands of years, cosmetics have been our little helpers, giving the outside a helping hand in case of doubt. Even Cleopatra bathed in donkey’s milk to get flawless, soft skin. She painted her eyes with charcoal pencils. Nowadays, cosmetics should also care for and support natural beauty. It is fatal that many products still contain allergy-causing substances. The composition is, therefore, the key to well-tolerated cosmetic articles.

Late-type allergy

No one can predict who will react to cosmetic ingredients with intolerance. It is often challenging to find out which product caused the skin reaction. The symptoms, such as skin reddening and swelling, sometimes also itching, usually only appear hours after the product has been used. Doctors speak of a “late-type allergy”.

Depending on how severe the allergy is, susceptible women can even react with swelling of the face if their husband has used the “wrong” aftershave and kisses his wife on the cheek.

In the case of allergies, the body reacts to a harmless substance as if dealing with a dangerous adversary. ​​In the case of contact allergies, the skin in the areas that come into contact with the allergy-causing substance (allergen) is supplied with more blood and swells, defence cells go into alarm position, and itching occurs.

 

Unscented is not fragrance-free!

The most common allergens in cosmetics are fragrances and preservatives. Some UV filters, often used in day creams, are scientifically proven allergy triggers. Anyone suffering from such an allergy usually has immense difficulties finding a care series that meets all requirements.

Many products advertise with keywords such as “allergy tested” or “unscented”. However, the consumer should not ignore such information because “unscented” means the product has no strong odour. Fragrances and perfumes can still be added to mask the often distinctive smell of the pure product.

Care should also be taken with products that advertise their good performance in Stiftung Warentest or Ökotest because these seals of approval do not guarantee freedom from allergens either. For example, in a test for face creams, Ökotest also rated those that contained allergy-causing fragrances as “good”.

The skin test brings certainty.

The dermatologist can use an allergy test to determine whether you are allergic to cosmetics. A patch is stuck to the patient’s back, with small cups on the adhesive side. Each cup contains a particular substance (e.g. the fragrance mix).

Because delayed-type allergies are being looked for here, the plaster must remain on the skin for a day or two. The doctor can then use the skin reaction to determine precisely which substance the patient is allergic to. With these contact allergies, fragrances and preservatives (parabens) are at the forefront.

 

Avoid the allergen

Treating such allergies is challenging. It is best if the substance to which the body overreact disappears from the allergy patient’s environment. The list of ingredients provides the first indication of what a care product contains. Preservatives and UV filters are easy to spot here.

It is more difficult for people allergic to fragrances to determine whether a product is tolerated. Because the range of fragrance additives is extensive, smelling additives are usually indicated under “perfume” or “fragrance”. If you want to be on the safe side, use products that are made entirely without perfumes.

It’s easy to make yourself.

However, an alternative that requires work and time is to make your own cosmetics. The necessary basic materials and accessories can be bought in drugstore chains such as the “Spinnrad” or even ordered in the online shop. The relevant literature is available from the Hobbythek series. Anyone who has tried it before can confirm it: creams and soaps themselves making is no more difficult than baking a cake.