Are your hair products breaking you out?

It's bad enough having sensitive skin, but when a hair styling product is a contributer to acne and clogged pores...c'mon! One of my readers asked me how to cope with this issue. Having to choose between perfectly coiffed hair and flawless skin is just unfair...we want both!!


First things first, time for me to lay down a little wisdom: The scientific word for clogged pores (aka pimples, acne, stuff everyone hates) is comedones. Substances that clog pores are thereby known as comedogenic. For people with sensitive, acne-prone skin, it is important to use products that contain non-comedogenic ingredients. 


Instead of me listing off all comedogenic substances, I thought it would be more beneficial to give some general tips:

• Avoid getting hair products directly on your skin. As this is probably hard to do, make sure to rinse your skin well afterwards to remove any product residue.
• Try to use hair products that are made from water or glycerine instead of oil or petroleum. Look for labels that say 'contain noncomedogenic ingredients'.
• Wash your hands well after applying product to your hair in order to minimize transferring product from your hands to your skin.
• Don't use shampoo+conditioner mixes. These contain thick, rich ingredients that can increase the risk of acne.
• Don't use hair products if you anticipate that you'll be exercising or sweating. This may lead to the product dripping down onto your face.

Here are a few products that I read about online that won't break you out. I haven't tried all of these myself, so please take these recommendations with a grain of salt!

• Baby Shampoo - gentle and mild enough for a baby's skin, but can cleanse an adult's scalp just as well
• Kiss My Face Upper Management Gel - made with all natural, organic ingredients.
• Aloe Vera Gel (any brand) - handy to keep around as it doubles as relief for sunburn and skin irritiations
• Men's Science hair product line - a bit pricey, but labeled as noncomedogenic
• Giovanni hair product line - made with all natural ingredients

Check out this link for a more comprehensive list of "safe" hair care products.

Though this post is about hair products, comedogenic substances can be in creams, lotions, etc. Be aware of what you are putting on your skin, especially your face! Check out the labels/ingredients if you are acne-prone. You could be making your situation worse without even knowing it!

Happy hair styling everyone :)

Post-Threading Irritation Fix

Image from HairstylesChat.com

Like most women, I have a monthly ritual of going to the salon for eyebrow threading and upper lip waxing/threading. If I'm feeling lazy (not uncommon for me), I forgo the eyebrow shaping and use an at-home facial wax kit (lately it's been Sally Hansen's Microwaveable Eyebrow, Face, and Lip Wax). After both scenarios, I end up with painful red bumps, usually one or two around my upper lip and brow area, but still this is one or two too many! At first I thought these were pimples, but thanks to the all-mighty internet, I now know that this irritation is most likely a reaction of my skin to the waxing/threading process or due to unhygienic conditions post-hair removal. 

This past weekend I went into the salon and decided to do things a little differently to avoid red bump-age, here is what I did:

1) The ladies at the salon would ask if I'd like for them to apply lotion after the threading/waxing is finished and, in the past, I would always say yes. Why is that a bad idea? The lotion they use could contain ingredients that clog pores, so it is always a good idea to pass on that! Lately, my salon has started offering aloe-vera gel instead, this product not only soothes irritation, but is also non-comodogenic! For a nice, comprehenisve list of non-comodogenic products, visit this site.

2) A few hours after the wax, when the effects of the aloe vera gel seemed to have worn off completely, I wiped my eyebrow and upper lip area with an alcohol wipe. I did this to ensure that my newly exfoliated skin was clean and germ-free. This part did sting, but only a little bit.

3) I refrained from using any soaps that evening, lest they irritate the area further. I focused my cleanser and makeup remover away from my brow and upper lip area. I made sure only to rinse those areas. 

4) Using a cotton ball, I applied Hollywood Beauty Tea Tree Oil Skin and Scalp Treatment around my eyebrows and on my upper lip area. This product includes several types of oils, including tea tree oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, among other natural ingredients. Any diluted mixture of tea tree oil should do the trick, as tea tree oil has antiseptic properties! I made sure to use only a few drops on the cotton ball because this is a very slippery product and I didn't want to go to sleep with an oil slick on my face! 

I woke up the next morning refreshingly bump-free! This was a major moment because I normally see the bumps in less than 24 hours. The next night, I stuck to steps 3 and 4 and plan to for one or two more nights just to be on the safe side. 

Give these tips a try if you have been reacting similarly to threading/waxing and let me know how they workout for you!