Wouldn’t it be nice to have a complete list of every ingredient in every skin care product that could cause an allergic reaction? That way you could go down the list and be sure that your skin care product was safe. Unfortunately, each and every human being has a unique immune system that keeps changing through life, and each and every person will react just a little differently to allergens that wind up in skin care items. Fortunately, there are things you can do to make allergies a far less frequent event.

The way to tell that a skin reaction is an allergic reaction is experience. If you get a skin reaction, and you get it after using a skin care product, then it’s possible it’s an allergy. Just because you have used a product for years without any bad reactions does not mean it is not causing allergies now. If you get an adverse reaction twice, take a quick look at the list of ingredients on the label. See if there are any fragrances, like wintergreen, lemon, citrus, ylang-ylang, or cardamom. If you use nail polish, check the label to see whether the product contains any natural resins.

See if there are any natural ingredients you know you are allergic, too. See if anything on the ingredients list rings a bell, if it is something that is also in another product that has caused you to break out. Then stop using the product. Consult your doctor if the allergic reaction is systemic. Get someone to take you to an emergency room if you have trouble breathing. And when the allergy subsides, go back to your skin care basics. Wait until the allergy subsides before you put anything on your skin. Then use just a cleanser for several days. Add a tiny touch of moisturizer if the skin is dry. Stay out of the sun. And consider a bit of over-the-counter cortisone cream to reduce irritation.