Skin Care Product Reviews and My Allergic Reactions

I have developed so many allergic reactions to cosmetics and skin care products the past year, I'm turning my blog into my own scientific journal. I'm starting a series in which I publicly document what cosmetics and toiletries I try, when, what reactions I have (if any) and what ingredients may be causing the reactions. 

Once I have the data, I can go to a doctor and say, "This seems to be my problem" and ask for recommendations, but I have to be able to fully describe my symptoms to my doctor (or allergist or dermatologist) first. I've found doctors are better prepared to offer advice when you can describe exactly what's troubling you.

SOME SKIN CARE PRODUCTS AND MY REACTIONS TO THEM, IF ANY

Ivory Soap is my most reliable skin cleanser, so for now at least it serves as a control product. My biggest difficulty is that Ivory soap has a pH balance of 9.5, so pairing it with a moisturizer is advisable. How am I supposed to do that when I've developed sensitivities to every moisturizer and lotion I've tried in the past year? Ivory's ingredients, pH balance and related products (which do not include a compatible moisturizer or lotion) can be found at:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_(soap)

Avon Skin-So-Soft Sensitive Moisturizing Body Lotion I used freely in my teens, but it contains sunflower oil. I tried using it recently (21 Jan 2020) and my throat and sinuses felt briefly constricted, once about ten minutes after application, and then again about two hours later. In between I took one Benadryl. Obviously if this indicates my reaction to sunflower oil, then I need to avoid all nuts, because reaction to one nut usually means a reaction to all nuts.

Andalou Naturals Fruit Stem Cell Science Clementine Ginger Body Lotion, like Avon Skin-So-Soft, contains sunflower oil. So obviously I'm not going to chance using this product after my experience with Avon lotion described above. Nut allergies can turn severe quickly.

Dove Beauty Bar is generally thought to be a "go to" for people with allergies, and which, as the manufacturer constantly reminds us, isn't a bar of soap but a bar of cleansing cream. All my life I never had any problem with using the "original" product--until all of a sudden (17 Jan 2020) it burned my skin. The below site provide some clues about what might be irritating my skin, although there's nothing obvious:  https://feltmagnet.com/crafts/a-side-by-side-comparison-of-handmade-soap-and-dove

One clue I found while researching Dove ingredients is that the Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar has one different ingredient from the regular Dove Beauty Bar--I wonder if that one different ingredient is the key. That experiment will be reported in an upcoming blog. Here's a comparison of the Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar ingredients to the Dove Beauty Bar: http://www.etherealauraspa.com/blog/stop-using-soap

Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer contains dimethicone which I read somewhere can cause itching, burning, tingling skin "in rare cases." I tried it on 27 Jan 2020, wondering if that ingredient would trigger a simple reaction. Instead the trigger(s) went straight to my insides. I experienced itching, tingling, burning sinuses, throat, limbs, and digestive tract at brief moments for several hours, despite taking one Benadryl. The periodic discomfort only lasted a few seconds each time, and was perhaps a "two" on a scale of one to ten, but it was discomfort just the same. Ingredients are listed at: https://www.skincarisma.com/products/olay/regenerist-retinol-24-night-moisturizer/ingredient_list 

Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Serum contains dimethicone, too. I applied this product on 28 Jan 2020 and got burning, itching, tingling skin for about ten minutes, just what I expected dimenthicone to cause. After that I washed off the product and took a Benadryl. Reference ingredients here:  https://www.olay.com/regenerist-retinol-24-night-facial-serum-fragrance-free

Intimate Dry Skin Lotion gave me tingly, itchy sinus and throat and a general queasy feeling, like something was disagreeing with me, when I used it in early January 2020. Obviously it's not anything I'm going to use again, although I don't know what ingredient may be causing the problem. Here's a link to the exact product: https://www.amazon.com/312895-Wholesale-INTIMATE-LOTION-SKIN/dp/B07G7GG1Y9

Jergens Ultra Healing (extra-dry skin moisturizer, repairs and heals extra-dry skin, with vitamins C, E, and B5) I tried on the evening of 22 Jan 2020 with some very interesting, if troubling, results. For about three hours after application I experienced mild tingling, itching and a swelling sensation in my sinus and throat, off and on, for only a minute or so each time. It was similar to the reactions I've experienced with yeast, vinegar, and alcoholic beverages. For that same three hours, I couldn't sleep. For many years I've periodically experienced such a sensation, and when it happens, the best solution is to sit up and read a book while drinking tea, cocoa, or hot chocolate. That's what I did, and it was the first time I've been able to narrow such a reaction to one specific trigger. Here's a link to Jergens ingredients, although I have no idea which one(s) caused my reaction:  https://www.jergens.com/en-us/products/daily-moisturizers/ultra-healing/

Charles of the Ritz Liquid Revenescence or Revenescence Liquid broke many loyal consumers' hearts when it was discontinued in 2002. My mother and I both found it perfect for several decades, so I was excited to find a half-full bottle in my mother's things--I could experiment and find if could still use it, or not. (You can still find discontinued products including decades-old bottles of Revenescence on eBay. The products Ultima II and Rejuvenescence were supposed to replace it, but those appear to have been off the market for several years as well.) When I tried it, 30 Jan. '20, I experienced very minor discomfort--just some slight irritation in my throat and sinuses, a hint of a burn on my lips (although I didn't apply any product there), a "one" on a scale of one to ten. I've plainly developed a reaction to one or more ingredients.

Finding out what might be causing the irritation--which I never experienced at all in the decades I used the original product(s)--required following weak leads through several sites and the best I could find was a clue that the formula may include almond oil. Given the problems I've had with sunflower seeds/oil, I may have reactions to other nuts.

Cerave AM and Cerave PM but both contain dimethicone, so I don't see any point in buying and trying them. Here are the ingredients for Cerave PM:  https://www.ulta.com/pm-facial-moisturizing-lotion?productId=xlsImpprod5140067&sku=2254422&_requestid=3000406


Here are Cerave AM ingredients, including dimethicone: https://www.ulta.com/am-facial-moisturizing-lotion-spf-30?productId=xlsImpprod41902

COME BACK NEXT MONTH FOR MORE REVIEWS OF SKIN CARE AND COSMETIC PRODUCTS THAT INCLUDE REPORTS OF POTENTIAL ALLERGIC REACTIONS