I’d been battling a losing battle with blemishes and acne for the past month and a half. I’d never really had perfect smooth skin but I’d stopped getting breakouts too. I’m getting too old for having a face full of acne! So, I was at quite a loss last month when my whole face inexplicably broke out. Not only was I getting hard painful acne, I was also getting lots and lots of bumps under my skin which were horrid. My forehead, where I don’t get many spots, was a mess as were my cheeks.
I initially thought it was a skin product I was trying out so I stopped using it. Instead of going away, I kept getting one bump after another on my skin and it really bugged me.
That was until I was reading some reviews online and came across a user of Tresemme hair conditioner who loved how soft the conditioner made her hair, but said that it caused her to get body acne. That got me thinking. What if the skin problems I was facing was not to do with skincare but with the Tresemme conditioner I was using? I gave it a rave review previously, but I’d never thought it might affect the skin.
My hair conditioner was finishing, so I decided to stop instead of restocking, just to see if my gut feeling was right. I went instead for Himalaya Herbals Protein Conditioner which I have also reviewed.
Within 3 days of stopping my Tresemme conditioner, I realised I was not getting any new spots. Within a week, and with a little help from my trusty apple cider vinegar toner, my skin is now almost back to the way it was i.e. relatively smooth, with no new blemishes or spots. I’m very happy about that.
However, it got me wondering about why the Tresemme conditioner would cause my skin to break out. I’ve never had a hair product do this to me before. It could be because I wash my hair everyday so I am exposed to the product a lot and something in it did not agree with me.
Either way, I seem to have isolated the hair conditioner as the cause of my traumatic month-long battle with problem skin and I’m working on clearing it up now, with great success.
Have you had a hair product break you out before?
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hi guys i am also soooooooooo depressed yet glad that i am not alone. i am 33 years old and after four kids and am not being vain always had flawless skin. i even appeared on covers of south african magazines. have been blessed with good genes and dont even workout but never had been overweight with stretch marks or saggy tits. can u believe my horror when i started getting pimples all along my hairline, scalp, forehead and then my cheeks. it started with small bumps on my hairline then it just got worse, i was horrified. i went to the dermatoligist who after a two second look at my skin said and am not exaggerating……. he said sorry i have bad news for you, you have chronic exzema… i got the shock of my life. he put me on atwo motn surply of purbac… it didnt help. anyway am still suffering with this bloody pimples and will change my shampoo which is pantene and see another dermatoligist, thankyou for this site guys………… if i have new tips will tel you guys
anneline singh
Hello everyone, I just googled “acne caused by hair care products” and found this site. I just turned 41 and have always had nice skin with occasional breakouts, but never anything like I have been experiencing lately. Even as a teenager I never had acne this bad. I have since related it to my shampoo (Pert). I had tiny bumps all over my forehead and zits all over my face. I cannot live without my cover stick right now. I am hoping the scars will go away. Difficult at my age. Someone really needs to find out what the chemical is that is causing this because it is devastating. Hopefully someone will take it seriously and do some testing so more people will not have to suffer. The word needs to get out. That is why I am writing this.
wow i never ever thought hair stuff could make you break out. I get really bad breakouts if i eat cheese, other than that my skin is pretty good. well within 3 weeks i changed my facial clenser, facial lotion, makeup, shampoo,condioner, and styleing products. HA i got the worst breakouts of my whole life. i was so depressed! so i stoped using every thing excetp the hair things, and my skin cleared up in 2 days, untill i let my hair down! when i washed my hair and used all the hair produts BUT left my hair down, all the acne came back! so today i washed my hair and used the old hair produts i used before all the break outs, and im sure it will clear up.
thanks for every one eles story’s!!! good luck to every one!
There is a site: http://www.zerozits.com/Articles/acnedetect.htm#inglist which contains a list of all the different ingredients which may cause or exacerbate acne. They are rated from 1-5 based upon irritability and comedogenicity. You can compare these ingredients to those found in the face and hair products you use. I have also thought of something else – Sodium Chloride is rated as a 5 on that list – many acne cleaners contain sodium chloride as well as most hand sanitizing soaps. Could it be possible that using products like those (or just putting on face lotion with hands that have been washed with antibacterial soaps) could cause irritation/acne? I’m also investigating this TreSemme thing because I have been using that EXACT conditioner…thoughts?
within the last 2 or 3 months i have started having sore bumps in my scalp. I am a middle aged woman and do not have acne problems or oily skin. I noticed also bumps around my shoulder area and lower neck in back ( area that my wet hair touched after shampooing). i normally go to the gym every day and sweat a lot, come home and shower and shampoo and then let my hair air dry. Well, I realized that it was very possible that my new shampoo and conditioner
TRESEMME ANTI BREAKAGE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER was causing my problem. I stopped using it and started using Head and Shoulders intensive solutions containing 2% zinc. According to my research the zinc is anti bacterial and anti fungal. Within 3 or 4 days the sore bumps in my scalp are healing and those along the back of my neck and shoulders are gone. Hope my situation is of some value to others.
oh me god!!!! i have the exact same problem as you did… right now… T_T and i totally cried almost everyday… i recently (almost like a month and a half) changed my shampoo and conditioner to the newest “Clairol’s herbal essences”. The one that says Colour me shiny. OMG!!! that might just be the problem… i started to get hideous cystic breakouts and bumps in places i never ever had acne before… my chin and cheeks were like… inflammed!! i tried so many acne creams and products… none even seem to work! They just keep coming back.. T_T i’m so sad to even see my face in the mirror as days pass by… i got worried that i will never heal or go back to normal.. but after reading what you experienced.. i think i just experienced what you had.. your post really helped me!
I think i’ll just go back to sunsilk and stay there!
(Going to destroy that Clairol’s herbal essences shampoo bottle right now) :p
Oh my god I have been reading this site with my mouth wide open as I truly thought I was going mad thinking tresame shampoo could cause my break outs! I recently changed to it and since I have been getting huge soar under the slin spots on my forehead (I have a fringe), all down my neck and below my ears…i have never experiecend this before which made me think it must be the shampoo!! Right…trip to the shops to get something different…..i usually use Neal’s Yard shampoo it is a natural remedy shop…you can order online etc and maybe a bit more expensive than tresamme etc but worth it to stop the acne splurges me thinks! Good luck all x
I have been using Herbal Essense Body Envy Volumizing Shampoo and 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner as well as the ‘Breaks Over’ Conditioner for a few weeks now… I started getting horrible breakouts on my jawline and cheeks. I’ve had breakouts in the past that ive attributed to ‘that time of the month’ but nothing ever this bad. i’m getting rid of the bottles in my shower as soon as i get home! I’ve always used Garnier Nutrisse (the bright green bottles) in the past so i think i will go back to that!
I came across this post whilst looking for inspiration for my spots. It can’t be my shampoo and conditioner i thought i’ve been using them for ages. But having tried stopping cleansing products, washing powder and even wearing earrings i decided to give it a go!!!! 3 days later and i have no new spots so will update you how my skin is in a week but feeling hopeful!!!!
So Charles Worthington Results I love you but ur toast!!! Now gone back to LUSH soak and float shampoo bar and vosene conditioner!!!!
I’ve been using tresemme too…BAD breakouts. I’ll definitely being trying something else to test out this theory. I’ll post my results soon. Thanks to all who’ve written!!
As promised,my update. It has been a week and my spots have all gone on one side with just 4 remaining on the other side!!!
All those huge painful boulders in my face are gone!!!!!
I will definitely be checking the labels more carefully in future.
Thank you x
I never used to break out on my forehead, and all of a sudden i just got these clogged pores all over, and no matter how i wash my face they wont go away. Ive been using garnier fructis for a while, but maybe thats causing it?
I stopped using Herbal Essences Shampoo and Conditioner about 2 weeks ago and switched to Garnier Fructis. It helped alot but not entirely so a few days ago I started using an organic line called Organix that I found at my grocery store. It has REALLY helped and I would definitely recommend it. It was the only shampoo I could find that didn’t have sodium lauryl sulfate AND sodium laureth sulfate in it (most have atleast 1 or the other). Actually- BedHead carries a Sulfate-free shampoo but it was like- $17.99 for a bottle and that’s not practical to me! This was at my local grocercy store so I’m sure there is a wider organic selection at any beauty supply store. The bottle of Organix shampoo i bought was around $7.
I use Naked Naturals Citrus 7.99 at Walgreen’s and Jason with Biotin I found at GNC both for 10 BOGO. They are not causing my acne. I finally figured it out 2 weeks ago, when I was thinking in August my acne was almost gone (I was using Naked Naturals) and then it started back up. I am always looking for a bargain, so I switched From Naked Naturals to ION. I would like to find one more S&C for my hair does better when I switch it up. I use all natural skin care and Mineral Makeup Joppa. Which Joppa decreased my acne by half, before I realized it was the S&C. So now I am looking forward to acne free life. 2 days ago I tried bioinfusion OMG I got 7 pimples with 12 hours. I believe it has something to do with my hormones and ingredients that cause my acne. I looked up ingredients that cause acne and bioinfusion didn’t have any of them in there so it something different. I have long hair and Naked Naturals made my hair feel better that Pantene Pro V, ever did.
I am so glad I came across these posts. I am 39 and had been having such bad breakouts for over 6 months. I was about to schedule an appointment with a doctor. Then I put 2 and 2 together and realized that since I had switched to suave I have had this problem. When I stopped using it, my skin cleared up in two days. Then I switched to Pantene, and I started having the same problem. I took a big gamble and had my hair colored (professionally). When I
asked my hairdresser for a shampoo, she gave me a sample of ? but it also is causing my breakouts. I’m using John Frieda brillant brunette and still having problems. But… I am allergic to sulfate in medicines, so I guess it would make sense I would be allergic to it in products. I’m going to search for an organic shampoo.
Are “aussie products” good” ?
I’m glad I found this because I thought I was going crazy too. Its nice to know that other people are having the same problem as me, but I am running out of options. So far I have experienced break-outs from: Dove, Herbal Essence, Tresseme, Garnier Fructise, SunSilk, Head and Shoulders, Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo/Cond, Pantiene, Suave and even this one organic soymilk stuff… I just bought some baby shampoo, but I need conditioner or my hair will fry
I’m not sure I’m reacting to the same things everyone else is since others can use some of these products, but I definitely have the bumps on my neck, around my ears and on my forehead.
Jessica, Try Vosene anti dandruff conditioner, it doesn’t seem to have the sodium laureth sulphate in it!!! I’m also using the soak and float from lush and that is doin the business!!!! Good luck!
I’ve been using Aussie lately, and I’ve come to beleive its a ance causer as well. The day after I started using it acne started building up. Afterreading this I;m going to stop using it and see what happens.
I’ve been getting the occasional pimple on my back and lots of build up of things under my skin that were some kind of stuff from the shampoo that caused bumps on my skin. I’ve been using tressume and aussie, so I’m not quite sure which shampoo it is and they both make my hair feel sooo soft!! I think I’m going to try an organic shampoo, it sounds very convincing!
i recently went to a dermatologist for my acne (which wasn’t really bad at the time), she put me on some pills and topical medicine and told me if i were to break out with tiny little bumps to stop using the medicines. so of course, i broke out in tiny little bumps so i called the doctor back and she put me on a topical steriod, well of course that didn’t do anything, so i actually went into the dr. office so she could look at the bumps. she gave it ONE look and goes “that’s due to a hair product”…. ive been using the same hair products for ages. im only 24! so she prescribed me some antibiotics (which i couldn’t take because they were too big to swallow)….she also told me to get “FREE AND CLEAR SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER”….has anyone heard of this? i haven’t got it yet because i have to special order it at the Walgreens Pharmacy and I’m sure it’s going to be super expensive. From reading the previous posts, I’m going to stop using Tressme Shamp/Cond and see if it clears up. The red bumps are all over my forehead and neck. They aren’t necessarly acne, but some of them turn into tiny whiteheads. I’ve also tried to limit my intake of chocolate and soda, because we all know that’s not good for you.
Just like other readers I’m so glad I came across this post, no one else I know has this problem. “Amy” on Nov 19 talked about an allergy to sulfate in medicines, I also have this problem just never connected the 2. I don’t know how I didn’t see it, I wasn’t always allergic to sulfate and when the allergy started so did the breakouts from almost every shampoo. I have the breakouts from the same shampoos and more as “Jessica” on Dec 8. Herbal Essence used to work for me then they changed the formula. I feel desperate because I can’t run around with dirty hair and I don’t want to have these painful disgusting breakouts
It is the shampoo. After years of trying to figure out what made my skin to breakout I realized it was Garnier I don’t know why but always after using it I will get pimples where my hair touched my face. I now use an anti dranduff shampoo and conditioner and it has change my life.
Okay, I’ve tried Burt’s Bees More Moistrue Raspberry & Brazil Nut Shampoo, hydrating teatree mint Shampoo by organix, and Aveda color conserve shampoo and conditioner. I go through a honeymoon phase where my skin is just about cleared up (about two weeks) and then the breakouts start again. Any more shampoo suggestions?
I thought I would try Tresemme nearly two years ago after its heavy advertising and promise of ’salon quality’. However after a few uses, a dry itchy patch the size of my thumb started developing at the back of my head, just above the nape of my neck. Most of the time it is extremely itchy, even after I’ve scratched it in the last few minutes. The skin also grows back the next day after I scratch it off. Someone told me I’ve got Psoriasis. It is only a small spot underneath all my long hair but I get very paranoid about making dandruff flakes and looking unhygenic in college. I knew it was Tresemme which caused it because I usually use Herbal Esscences shampoo that my mum stocks up.
I still have the dry patch but it is not as frequently itchy anymore. After seeing this article, I DO NOT recommend anyone to try Tresemme products!
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