A quick bullet point guide to ingredients/formulas that you may want to look out for when selecting your products. This list is obviously not exhaustive and I can add to it as and when other ingredients are suggested/recommended, but this is just to give you an idea of what to look for high up on an ingredient listing (within reason – it could go on forever!). Please feel free to suggest more in the comments – this will be a ‘rolling’ post i.e. updated regularly. 🙂
Dry skin:
Look for:
- glycerin
- jojoba oil
- coconut oil
- almond oil
- avocado oil
- borage seed oil
- GLA (gamma linoleic acid)
- helianthus oil (sunflower seed)
- macadamia nut oil
- evening primrose oil
- palm oil (only if it comes from a sustainable source)
- squalane/squalene
- lactic acid
Avoid:
- alcohol
- mineral oil
- soap
- menthol
- camphor
- SLS
- strong essential oils – rosemary/pine etc
Dehydrated:
Look for:
- sodium hyaluronate
- biosodium hyaluronate
- hyaluronic acid
- glycerin
- jojoba oil
- almond oil
Avoid:
- SLS – sodium lauryl sulfate – too drying and dehydrating
- alcohol
- soap
- menthol
- camphor
- SLS
- strong essential oils – rosemary/pine etc
Acne/Combination:
Look for:
- salicylic acid
- benzoyl peroxide (not in high %’s – too harsh)
- glycolic acid
- lactic acid
Avoid:
- shea butter high up on the ingredient list
- mineral oil
- waxes (some plant waxes are ok, as in Darphin Purifying Balm for instance – this can understandably lead to confusion!)
Sensitive:
Look for:
- glycerin
- aloe vera
- bisabolol
- almond oil (assuming you do not have a nut allergy)
- rosehip oil
Avoid:
- alcohol
- soap
- witch hazel
- menthol
- facial cleansing brushes – no matter how many ‘heads’ they sell
- camphor
- SLS
- fragrance
- harsh scrubs
- menthoxypropanediol
Rosacea:
Look for:
- jojoba oil
- aloe vera
- bisabolol
- glycerin
- almond oil
- rosehip oil
Avoid:
- alcohol
- witch hazel
- menthol
- camphor
- essential oils
- synthetic fragrance
- scrubs
- soaps
- facial cleansing brushes – of any kind
- strong peels
- SLS