When you hear “organic” what do you think? Chemical-free and preservative-free might be 2 things that come to mind. What certainly does not come to mind is “allergy”.
However, “allergic” is what I now think after a recent bad experience.
I don’t have sensitive skin – at least I did not think so. I don’t break out all that easily but I’ve discovered that the skin on my hands might actually be more sensitive than the skin on my face.
I had a bad reaction on my hands which got worse over the Chinese New Year break. The skin on my hands and palms had some water bubbles under the skin and my skin was peeling in parts. I looked as I decribed it, like a burn victim with blisters on my hands. However, there was no itch. I googled up some information and found it was similar to pompholyx or water blisters (link). However, there was no itch – it just looked and felt awful.
I sometimes get a mild form of this reaction with long exposure to paper – an occupational hazard but there you go! I attribute it to the chemicals used in making and treating paper. I am also allergic to certain detergents in the same way and I’ve learnt to stay clear of them. Once I stop any contact with these irritants, my hands heal quickly.
However, the most recent affliction did not go away even after I cut down contact with paper and when I introduced no new detergents to my house cleaning. If anything it was getting worse and eventually, I went to see a dermatologist who told me it was a form of skin allergy caused by contact with something that did not agree with me. With some pills and creams my hands were soon on their way to recovery. Here’s a picture of my hands after the worst was over. Not the best picture to put up on a beauty blog but hey, you gotta take the bad with the good eh? 🙂
At time of writing, my hands are 90% back to normal. Whew!
I did initially consider if it might be the Mukti facial wash and Pegaga soap I was using that caused this reaction to the skin on my hands. These are the only new things I have been using in the past month when the problem started. The Mukti facial wash is also the only new thing I had with me on holiday when my hands worsened. However since both are organic products, I wrote them off quite quickly. The penny dropped however, with 2 incidents.
One was a comment left by Tine of Beautyholics Anonymous that she gets contact dermatitis from some organic products. A second was a friend who borrowed my Mukti facial wash and reported an immediate itch and slight swelling around the eyes that passed after a few days.
A quick email to Tine confirmed my suspicions. While Tine gets the itchy sort of rash (my commiserations!) I don’t for which I count myself lucky. But this also confirms my suspicions that one CAN be allergic to organic products.
I still am not sure why this can be so but I reckon its the ingredients. Whilst the primary benefit of the essential oils used are good for the skin, there might be some secondary side effects which are unplumbed which might trigger off some allergic reaction in certain individuals. I am not enough of a chemist to work out the nitty gritty but I am thinking this is it. It is also entirely possible that I might be allergic to natural oils from certain plants if it is too concentrated.
So clearly, there are some things that work for my skin but are hell on my hands. I did not notice any reactions on my fingertips where I use my Mukti Rosehip Eye Gel so I’ll keep using that one. As the problem is predominantly on my palms I’m staying clear of both the Mukti facial wash and the Pegaga soap. Yuan soaps work well for me but I have been told that it aggravates the eczema in some others.
So the moral to this all is this: Yes you can be allergic to organic products as with everything else. Its a matter of knowing what is causing the allergy and to find an alternative that works just as well.
For now, I’m going to start paying better attention to my hands. Clearly they are a far better indicator than my face of whether a product will react adversely with my skin!
Have you had a similar experience? Have you reacted adversely to any organic skincare or products? Am I alone in this? Do share!
Stay beautiful,
Paris B
Funny, isn’t it, that only chemical-laden products work on us? Weird, because I originally thought that the chemical-FREE stuff would work better! I mean, it worked for Sesame of Viva Woman (lucky girl).
I’m sorta relieved (ouch to you, of course :)) that I’m not the only one getting rashes and such from organic products :p
Hi Tine,
I’m still getting used to the thought but I’m thinking maybe the washes are worst? I don’t know I don’t use my whole hands for anything else other than washes. And I’m so relieved you mentioned it in your comment! 🙂
Yup you can be allergic to anything labelled “organic”, “natural”, etc…
IT’s like being allergic to a certain food type, doesn’t mean that the brand is not good, but just that different people react differently to different ingredients.
Just have to keep yourself informed about the ingredients of the stuff you use, and when you find out that a particular thing is irritating you, you’ll be able to avoid such things in the future 🙂
Hi Amelia,
Thanks for the input. I agree different people react differently to different products and ingredients. Its what makes us all unique and its what keeps the different brands alive!
First of all, PB! I’m glad your hands are healing, that’s a bad allergic reaction!!!! I recently went for a foot spa and I was told all the ingredients they use from the soap to the lotion will be organic, I trusted them because it’s ORGANIC, anyways, right after the foot spa, I got huge huge allergies like itch all over my legs and feet and the only new product that was used was the food spa organic products! I didn’t have chance to blog about that coz I didn’t take shots as I was freaking out! lol So yeah, i think one can be allergic to organic product, it really has to do with the ingredients and if our skin are allergic to it or not
Hi Nikki,
Thank you! I did not want to scare everyone with the really horrid looking pictures of my hands earlier. So sorry to read about your own reaction to organic products too! At least its gone and you know to avoid it.
Tine: Essential oils may be natural but they ARE chemical laden. In fact the synthetic products probably have fewer chemicals than your average ester and organo-compound packed essential oil. Because in synthesised formulas they extract only what works and toss the rest. Whereas with an organic or natural formula, you get whatever mother nature hands you. This is a rant I’ve been on for aaaaages….
Hey Kahani,
Thanks for the input. I guess its just a case of each person reacting differently to different products and ingredients.
I have to agree with regards to natural products which contain essential oils, i’ve tried everything from Aveda right through to Weleda and every single product has given me allergy problems. I genuinely wanted to be more eco friendly etc but my skin won’t allow me to be, i’ve gone back to using Nivea thankfully their products are cruelty free so i can feel happy about that if nothing else.
this is really an eye opener. being allergic to organic products is also something that i had never ever thought of. thanks for sharing this, i shall be more careful in future
Hi Prettybeautiful,
I was pretty surprised myself too. I think we just have to be careful of everything we use because anything can react!
oooww that looks painful! thank goodness it’s healing.
i have had such reactions on my face (ugh) and also hands … blister-like things fr detergents, soaps and such.
organic (is just a way of farming i think? may not make a product non-allergen) and i think even “natural” products can cause allergy. actually some natural products can be quite harsh too. hiaz. it’s so confusing, isn’t it? for me it’s trial and error (i’m starting to think i shouldn’t try so many new things anymore).
Hi Karen
Thanks for the concern. It wasn’t painful nor itchy which was a blessing I guess. I usually only get them from harsh chemicals. I agree some natural products can be harsh – thats why we are advised NEVER to apply essential oils directly on skin but always to dilute with a carrier oil. Points to note 😉
Oh no! So sorry to see that happened to you. I have certain reactions to certain shampoos and hair conditioners as well. I can literally peel off the skin on my hands or large bits of skin flakes off when I used those.
In addition, my fingers becomes rough and peels when I use Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions, the clarifying lotion. Must be the alcohol in it! However, my facial skin didn’t peel. Weird.
Hi Shay
Thanks for your concern. I have experienced breakouts from conditioner that my hair loved and my skin hated heh… I don’t quite understand how come some parts of our body are allergic to some products when other parts aren’t. I hope you aren’t using the Clinique lotion anymore!
There has to be some way we can test for allergy to some stuff. I know some experts/docs use needles to test for food allergy, but the very thought of that sounds scary!
Good to know you have recovered 90%!
Hi giddy tigress,
I know doctors who do the pin prick test for allergies. I’m not sure how wide the scope is or if they do it mainly for food allergies since allergies like mine aren’t life threatening per se. Thanks for the concern.
I’m not really surprised that organic products can cause allergy. In fact, for most of the natural/organic brands, they seem to emphasize a lot on patch tests for allergies. And with chemical products, the preservatives probably help to stablize. However, I am surprised at the extent of your damage.
oooh…i am in Taipei for Yuan soaps training and some of the questions mentioned here were raised. Most of us were so used to chemical based products for so long, that our face actually lost the ability to protect our own skins. So when we use natural/organic products, the products tend to throw out whatever chemicals that have been embeded in our skin, causing something similar to allergic.
For yuan soap, its quite normal for some people to have an outburst of eczema when you start using it, we call it a healing crisis, if you are uncomfortable you can use it every other day until your skin slowly recover. For those who are afraid to try Yuan soaps for fear of any reactions, the safest is to use the oat soap unless of course you are allegic to oat.
Hi Reese
Thanks for your input. My skin actually liked the Yuan soaps. Whilst I don’t personally subscribe to the purging theory it might be a valid reason but I don’t think any purging should go beyond a minor breakout.
Lucky you to not have itch! All my allergies seem to come with the itch inbuilt, so I scratch and scratch and scratch like a monkey on steroids! 😀
Right now I’m super wary of testing anything cos I’m in the midst of a bad outbreak, so its back to what I know works for me. 🙁
Hi Rinnah
Yes I guess I’m lucky in the sense of not having an itch. Sometimes when something already works, don’t change!
i can say i have quite a metal body, cause no allergic had happen 2 me yet (touch wood!)! but my mum do have problem with some hair product, she will get headache after using those, but we are still not sure whether the fragrant or other ingredients contained cause it.
Hi A.min
Haha at metal body 🙂 I was always ok too till recently bleh…
“extracts or herbs or essential oils” that are included in organic beauty products (including soaps) can cause complications because they have medicinal properties. Medicine does contribute to severe complications. Use with care.
Anything artificial, sometimes, might sound unwelcome but provided a person has allergy against certain component(s) otherwise they are safer than those “organic” extracts.
Hi aishiang
Thanks for the input. I agree. Sometimes if an “artificial” or “synthetic” product works, it might be best to stick with it. 🙂
Yeah. I’m not using that one anymore. No matter for which product, there is a potential for allergic reaction for anyone.
Hi Shay
I just never thought an organic product would do it for me! haha…
Hi Paris,
I missed out on this blog entry earlier. Sorry to know that you had such a bad reaction on your hands! Have read through all the comments….. I don’t disagree that natural/organic products can cause reaction because we can be allergic to certain natural components eg. citrus, mint, etc. Normally we will ask our customers if they have sensitive skin before we recommend anything.
But I am really suprised to hear it could be the Mukti Foaming Cleanser! I’m definitely bringing this up with Mukti to see if anyone else has ever reported this condition so that we can narrow down the potential (natural) allergen and consult clients accordingly. Thanks for highlighting this.
Hi! I’m a new reader this is a great post.
I was allergic to Lush products (US brand, they sell lots of soups) – the Coal face cleanser in particular. When I went back to the store to try and return it, they kept insisting that because it was organic I couldn’t have been allergic. I totally agree with you in that organic does not equal non-allergenic.
Thanks for the link to pompholyx link. Exteremly helpful, don’t think i would have found it without you!
I would never have thought that organic products could cause an allergic reaction either…but I experienced a rather awful reaction to certified organic products recently. My face around the cheeks, chin and mouth appeared blistered and was hot to the touch, burning and very uncomfortable rash appeared next. It would come & go and found that after discarding the skin care/cosmetic from my daily routine, the hand soap was also a contributing factor! I was shocked. So, yes…organic products can cause allergic reactions and like anything else, your body chemistry reacts differently to different products. 🙁 I was unhappy to think that I would have to revert to heavy chemicals but am still on the lookout for something that will work without making me look sunburned!
Ouch I had a similar reaction just yesterday. My skin looked exactly as Jem described: supersunburned. It felt awful. Worse: I’ve spend quite a bit of money on the products that caused this reaction to my face. They were really expensive but I thought it would be worth it: how could I get an allergic reaction to organic products eh? Was I wrong… It hurt a lot!My whole face looked as though I belonged in a horror movie. So I’ll be using the cheapest homebrand drugstore cleansers from now on.
I regret to inform you guys that a lot of those products you think are “natural”, like lush for instance.. are not at all.
I have a chemical sensitivity and so does my whole family. Just walking by the lush store makes me physically ill..
I suggest doing a lot a lot of research into these things, really.
Just because someone markets the product as natural or organic doesn’t mean that there isn’t still bad things they are putting in it, along with the natural ingredients.
It has taken me and my family a very long time to read up on everything and learn exactly what things make us sick.
Go to bubbleandbee.com
She has a blog on there trying to teach people every detail!
And ps.. try her products.. I have had bad skin reactions and allergic reactions to almost everything out there except for her stuff.
I hope I helped somewhat and didn’t come off as rude, that wasn’t my intention.