Quick grab – What to look out for depending on your skin issue

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