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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I have never used the Tresemme line, but the Herbal Essences and Aussie lines are death to my complexion. I went a full year before I realized that the problem was with my hair product. I spent a month washing with baby shampoo to test my theory, and after a month, I had my skin back to my pre-Aussie condition. Now I am super picky. I have had great luck with the Dove line, and their conditioner in the dark blue bottle is amazing. Also, the Curls Rock line from TIGI has been pretty safe. It took me a while and some trial and error to get back to good skin, but I am pretty happy I did it.
I have naturally curly hair, and have been using smoothing products, leave in conditioners and smoothing frizz control elixirs on my hair for years to control the frizz, especially in humity, and to limit damage from blow-drying my hair straight and using a flat iron. I recently stopped using the leave in and elixir and switched to a mouse, and noticed a big difference right a way in less breakouts on the sides of my face and my back. I don’t know why I never made the connection before, that my long hair touching my face and back, with all the hair products in it, could be the problem. No skin care professional I’ve ever been to ever suggested it either.
Now I’ve also been using the Aveda darkening shampoo and conditioner to keep my hair color longer, but I think I’m going to switch to WEN and see if that helps.
i’ve been using pantene shampoo and conditioner but if youll notice now i think they reformulate their products.. just got their new shampoo and conditiner w/ the new package/container already, and whala! my skin horribly breakout specially in forehead then side of cheeks… my dermatologist told me johnson johnson baby shampoo is godd, im still up to try it… so scared of those products now they can really damage skin.
Wow I am so glad to find this!! For the past 3 or 4 months I have been getting these hard, big, painful, under the skin blemishes and they are all in one area-right at the end of my jaw line towards my ears, on both sides of my face. I was like what could possibly be gathering there and nowhere else? I do have breakouts elsewhere on my face, but not horrible and nothing like this before! I Googled and saw it called several things; severe acne, hormonal acne, paraben allergy…Somehow it dawned on me that about 3 or 4 months ago I switched from Sunsilk (which I can no longer find in the stores) to Pantene!! I am going to go to the store TONIGHT and buy something different!! I am really hoping that this is what the problem is, at least for these stubborn painful under the skin blemishes!!
Ironically, I also felt like my hair was thinning in spots over the past few months. My friend that does my hair even said it feels like my hair is thinning! I saw another post that Pantene causes your hair to fall out?!?!?! Pantene doesn’t even make my hair look THAT great! DEFINITELY not worth this acne!!! Thanks everyone and best wishes to all! I will try to post results in a week or so!
White Rain Coconut Conditioner –
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Dicetyldimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Extract, Panthenol (Provitamin B5), Ceteareth-20, Behenyl Alcohol, Fragrance, EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone.
As you can see, no SLS. SLS can be an irritant, but that’s actually not very common. I’ve been using this conditioner (I’m curly and mostly CO wash) for years under the assumption that a short ingredient list and no dyes meant safe.
I’ve had long term problems with my skin in the form of heavily clogged pores and blisters / bumps and itching/burning with occasional rashes. My skin is very dry and irritated. Lovely! Not acne, although it looks similar.
I am experimenting now, but it seem the culprit is probably the Methylchloroisothiazolinone & Methylisothiazolinone – both chemical preservatives that give many people contact dermatitis. Not so sure about the Dicetyldimonium Chloride.
Darn it! I love the smell of that conditioner!
Don’t jump to conclusions about which ingredient is causing issues. my advice is to just find the simplest products you can – sans chemical preservatives, sls, silicones, essential oils, fragrances, you name it. Understand though, that even “natural” products can cause reactions, and any surfactant can be an irritant.
I’m even trying to get away from our hard water.
Trial and error.
BTW – EDTA is a persistent organic pollutant – a very nasty. I won’t be buying this one anymore. (Dang it!)
there’s a blog called Shampoo ingredients to avoid and its talks about ingredients to avoid and the two top ones were Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. the best shampoo to use without these two is Garnier Fructis fortifying shampoo! hope this helps!!
I ALWAYS break out no matter what shampoo\conditioner I use. What I figured out is to shampoo and condition and rinse my hair BEFORE I soap up. Soaping up last will remove any residue from the shampoo, etc that’s causing the problem. This way, you can still use the products you like and be able to be acne free at the same time. Washing your face, neck, ears directly before getting out of the shower should stop the acne too. It worked for me.
God Bless this blog! I thought I was going nuts….no acne since jr. high and now all over my forehead. Little red bumps…so frustrating!!! I started using Pantene about a month ago. Made my hair gorgeous! About a week later, little bumps started appearing…I could not for the life of me figure out why. I decided to google conditioner and breakouts and it brought me here. Thanks for the comments/suggestions. I’m going to try Burt’s bees.
Thank you so much for your post!!! I started using Suave last november, and started to break out. I first thought it was due to stress or some facial products that I’ve been using… Now that I think of it, it might’ve been Suave thats been causing my breakouts all this time!!! I have self confidence, I can no longer look into a mirror. My forehead is covered with little bumps/whitehead acne. My cheeks and chin also started to break out. I just went out to buy Yes to Carrots shampoo and conditioner at first. I hope this will help minimize my acne.
I’ve used the Garnier Fructis Length and Strength shampoo and conditioner for years, with no problems. A lot of products, particularly Aveda, make my scalp break out in scaly flakes and painful raised red patches and these didn’t. While I’ve battled acne for years, I was clear for almost a year until about a month ago, when I broke out with painful red bumps on my temples and jawline and whiteheads all over my face… cheeks, forehead… where I’ve never had problems before. It’s horribly embarassing. The only thing I’ve changed was to try a new volumizing routine… Matrix Amplify Thicklift Liquid Volumizer followed by It’s a Miracle Conditioning spray. I stopped both yesterday… will see what happens!
I recently started using ProMend by Nexxus and I have completely broken out. I dont ever remember having my skin this bad. Its amazing how a product that is suppose to help you hair can aggravate your entire body. Has anyone else seen this. What product would you recommend to get your hair healthy again
I am so relieved to find that other women have experienced the same issues that I have. My first experience with severe acne occurred many years ago when I tried Revlon ColorStay foundation. Unfortunately, I have always had very oily skin with lots of blackheads, but very few pimples. When this product came out, I hoped it would be the answer to my prayers for a foundation that would quell the afternoon oilies; however, within a few hours of wearing this product, I had 2 – 3 large cystic-type pimples on my face. I even waited a few days and tried the product again, and the results were exactly the same. In addition, I have had experienced outbreaks of acne on my scalp, forehead and neck when I have tried various shampoos and conditioners.
For me, the consistent ingredient in all of these beauty products seems to be silicone in its various forms. Cyclomethicone, dimethicone, cyclopentasiloxane, trimethicone, etc., from what I have learned, are all forms of silicone, and they are everywhere–deodorants, foundations, primers, lotions and creams!! They are touted by their manufacturers as being beneficial to our skin as a moisturizer; however, I feel that they have been the cause of my acne.
Since finding the common denominator in my beauty products, for the past several years I have only used products that contain no silicone, and have had no further issues with acne on my face, scalp or neck.
I hope this is helpful to others looking for possible answers.
I just stopped using Tresemme Touchable Curls Styling Milk and my chin acne (like cystic acne) is gone! 3 days after stopping, my skin is back to normal after many months of constant breakouts.
About a year ago I switched to Say Yes to Tomatoes Shampoo from Walgreens. It really helped with stopping the scalp itching and scalp acne! I was using the conditioner for a long time, but was having trouble with getting oily, so I went back to a different conditioner…and wa-la! Back to having the painful bumps on my forehead. I realized when I switched to Say Yes to Tomatoes that it didn’t have SLS in it. I had pinpointed SLS because it occurred to me that I have a sulfa allergy and all of the shampoos had it in them and I was trying to avoid it. For about 18 months I used only baking soda and water to wash my hair. That really helped with reducing the itching and acne problems. Best of luck to you all!!!
I’ve had acne problems since I was 13 and despite numerous prescription and homemade treatments, nothing worked. Then I learned about the “no shampoo” method of cleaning hair. Within 10 days of only washing my hair with baking soda water (and occasionally apple cider vinegar), the acne has completely disappeared. wow.
Ladies,
I cannot tell you how I read every single comment and was happy to be among women who have been experiencing the same horrifying reaction to what seems to be our hair products. My breakouts are not every day. Sometimes I’ll go several days, weeks, even months in between breakouts along my neck, back of the ears, chest and back! I can relate to the feelings of depression and yet I am overjoyed to have a direction.
I had used Pantene for years, loved it actually. But then I had a horrifying scalp issue after their new line came out and my doctor reccomended that I try another brand, and voila scalp issues were corrected (itchy, really itchy and scaly scalp)! But the breakouts continue and always at the WRONG times; right before an event.
I switched to Dove, I have been using their bar soap for sensitive skin for ages so I trusted the brand. Still more breakouts! ARGH! So frustrating. I am going to buy Burt’s Bees and give it a try! By the way most people said they would get back and tellus about Burt’s Bees. I am assuming that since no one came back to say otherwise that it has worked!!!
Thank you everyone for your input and sharing your story!
Just wanted to check-in after using Burt’s Bees Shampoo and conditioner….
Ok, I think we are on the right track. No new breakouts, skin actually looks good this morning! Also, my scalp isn’t as itchy has it has been for so long. Another pro is the bumpy skin on my jawline and the backs of my arms is GONE! I have had the bumps on the back of my arms FOREVER!!!!
I have really curly hair, so I shampooed twice, the first time didn’t lather up as I am used to but the second time did. I loved the smell. I condidioned as normal, but I dodn’t leave it sit, the directions didn’t say anything about it. I washed afterward.
When I got out and towel dried my hair a bit, I didn’t like the texture of my hair and I really wanted to put product in it, but refused! Actually when my hair was dried it was super soft and shiny! Amazing with no product! It makes me feel like… why in the world have I been putting chemicals on my hair for so long. NO MORE! Stop the insanity!
I’ll check back in a week! Here’s hope for finding the solution… finally!
Well….I am checking back in with a problem!
After the second/third wash with Burt’s Bees my scalp began to tingle/burn a bit. After talking with a Burt’s Bees rep they thought I was having some type of allergic reaction and asked me to not use the product any longer and suggested to not use ANY product for about three days. I lasted 24 hours….I usually wash once /twice a day so that was a stretch. The burning was continuing so I washed my hair in the sink so that it wouldn’t sun down my neck/chest/back with my previous shampoo and low and behold relief from the burning! AHHH!
Ok so now I am left with a few choices:
1.) a burning scalp
2.) ugly breakout skin
3.) keep spending money and trying new products!
Thought: Since I have many allergies to plants, trees, etc. it probably wasn’t my best choice to switch to a product with so many plant based ingredients. I’ll have to find a careful balance between the two!
Hopefully you all have better luck!
I also have been using TRESemme for about 3 months and have had the worst breakouts since then! I’m sooo happy that I came across this website so I could make the correlation. I’ve tried every face washes, different face masks, and have avoided wearing make-up and nothing has helped! I’m astonished by how many people have been using TRESemme and have had these horrible break-outs!
omgsh I’m so glad I found this website! I never had much of a problem with acne, not even throughout my teenage years but recently I had been using Clairol Herbal Essences 2 in 1, and I’VE BROKEN OUT SO BADLY all over my brow and forehead!!! And not only that I couldn’t stop ITCHING. It was so bad I had trouble sleeping some nights. Lol it was so embarassing.. I’m 21 now and everybody started joking that I’m a “late bloomer” but… now I know it was the freaking shampoo. Who would have thought?
I have been breaking out for months-I am 34 and I have been practically bathing in Proactiv, AcneFree, Murad, Exposed Skin, Neutrogena Stress Formula-Saylic Acid this, Benzoyle Peroxide that…I am so SICK of this. I have thrown money down the drain of which I cant afford, but what do I do??? I have this painful-cystic type acne bumps that are in my temples alongmy hair line-under my cheek bone, up in my hair line on my forehead-HUGE, PAINFUL-clear pus is all that comes-they are enormous-they hurt and they dont go away for a month or longer-I fight and fight them-they are now leaving brown dark spots on my skin. I have naturally curly hair that I put product in to smooth and protect before I blow dry it strainght..then flat iron it, anf finish it up with a dab of serum to smooth out breaks or frizz. I have always used products like this and most of these are products I have used that have never broke me out-I have started using Victoria Secret hais products (basically for the nice smell) with the attack of the acnefree severe acne products, I may have mostly cleared up my shoulders and back-my face, I bought murad trial acne system-it worked great in the beginning-I have had it for a month now and some of the acne has returned,but they arent as bad. I dont know what to do-but I look like I have old skin now that is already started the wrinkle effect from sun damage and b/c I am 34-I have dark spots now from the reminince of the acne. My face is oily and more forehead is really oily. I like mineral make up for the natural effect, but Bare Minerals seems to not stay on all day plus it makes me look even more oily.. Help
I am so glad that I came across this! I, like basically all of you was googling shampoo/conditioners causing acne and this site popped up. I’m so glad that I’m not going crazy. The culprit in my case… was none other than Dove shampoo. I used it on my hair for around two weeks straight and I couldn’t figure out why my scalp was breaking out in a huge and painful way. Then my back acne started getting bad, and my face is still healing from the breakout that I had. I used a L’OREAL’s sulfate/paraben free shampoo and it took TWO DAYS for my scalp acne to disappear. My body is still healing, but I was shocked that it changed so fast! I’ve been using Herbal Essences and that’s perfectly fine on my scalp and my body. Wow!! So glad I came across this!
Thank you so much for this post! I’ve suddenly been getting really bad back acne breakouts despite the fact that I’ve always had good skin. I did a google search about conditioners being the potential culprit and this post turned up. Guess which brand conditioner I’m using… Tresemme! I’m going to switch and see if it helps.
Wow I had the same problem and have recently being using tress me and wondered all along what has been causing such terrible pimples on my cheeks, thanks for the wake up call and advise ladies, much appreciated.
I too am a “googler” of “herbal essences cause acne.” For over a year and a half I have been struggling with back acne and acne around my hair line, neck and shoulders. I am not one to break out, and never had problems with severe acne! I tried everything! Drinking more water, showering more often, spraying body clear body spray on my back by neutrogena, scrubbing my back with a loofa, everything. Until one day it dawned on me that the only thing I haven’t changed is my shampoo! I googled this site, and everything has been coming together! I would get pimples mainly on my mid back and neck and shoulders, however it also trailed the whole way down my back (where the shampoo runs off from my hair in the shower!) To further investigate I googled the ingredients on my shampoo (herbal essence body envy) and got this website: http://myinnerjew.hubpages.com/hub/Herbal-Essences-Shampoo-Products. Then I googled what some were saying on here that causes the acne, sodium laureate sulphate, and got this site that lists harmful chemicals that cause acne, and three of herbal essences ingredients were on there!! http://www.acne-advice.com/articles/get_rid_of_acne.shtml So happy I figured out my problem! Thank you! and I hope this helps others as well!!
I, too, googled “hair conditioner causing breakouts” and I ended up here. I have never had an issue with bacne before, until the past month or so. The only thing about my routine that has changed was I started using Tresemme conditioner. I have waist length hair. Wouldn’t you know it, I had zits going down my back in exactly the pattern in which my hair lays. Got rid of the Tresemme, and within a few days the zits are gone. This post has been active since 2008! It’s time for them to change their formulation.
I am surprised but relieved reading peoples posts on how tresemme conditioner can cause breakouts.. I have been stressing myself out as to why i started getting acne on my forehead in my late 20′s, as i never had a problem with acne even as a teenager. its been ongoing for the past 2 months only to realise that i have been using tresemme on my hair for the same amount of time! I used to use toni & guy and never had a problem so i guess its back to toni & guy for me thank you for the useful information
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