Skin Scare: A Natural Disaster
Omaha, NE--The demand for organic isn't just growing, it's booming. And now the trend is leaping from food to skincare. In fact, industry analysts say people spend more than six billion dollars on natural products for face and body. That number is expected to reach 10+ billion by 2012.
Part of the appeal or organics is just what it implies--all natural ingredients, grown without pesticides. Most people assume that since organic food is so good for you, the same can be said for other products.
Shopper Danielle Kohlander agrees. "It seems like you're not hurting your skin or what you're putting in your body. It seems like it would be better."
Dermatologists say there are some pluses with going all natural. Eliminating artificial fragrances and preservatives do help some people with allergies and skin sensitivities to those ingredients. But it can also lead to rashes and itchy, red skin in others.
"I certainly see a lot of patients with atopic dermatitis or eczema or very sensitive skin that actually get irritated by a natural product," says Methodist dermatologist, Dr. Jill Nelson.
Dr. Nelson says the longer the list of ingredients in a product, the bigger your chance of having an allergy or sensitivity to something inside. She says two biggies that affect a lot of people, fruit acids and nut oils.
She says the assumption that organic and all natural is better isn't always true. "One could assume poison ivy could be grown organically without any pesticides but that would not be a good thing to use on your skin."
The lack of preservatives in many organic products also means the shelf life is much shorter than your regular goods and they can contaminate easier. Dermatologists recommend organic foundations, cleansers, and lip products get tossed every six months.
That news, plus, the higher price of going pure have some shoppers hesitant about jumping on the bandwagon.
"I'm not sure they're really doing what they say they're going to do especially at the kind of price they're sold at," says Jackie Hansel.
Doctors say there is a way to make sure you and the product have no problems.
"Test them in an unaffected area like the crease of the arm to see if they're developing irritation there," says Dr. Nelson. She also suggests reading labels so you know what's inside.
And if you think something is irritating your skin, Dr. Nelson says you can check by simplifying your routine and using bland products for a while--even water in some cases will work. Then eventually add your normal products--one at a time--to see what's causing problems. If this doesn't clear up the irritation, you may need to see a dermatologist.
Reported by Carol Wang,
Source:
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