Hair Products Causing Skin Problems???
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free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:57 am

Hello, don't know if anyone else has ever come across this, but wondered if you could give me some advise.

In recent weeks, I have found a new skincare routine that seems to be working well for me. I am also trying to eliminate as many problems that can cause my skin to flare up (fresh pillowcases everyday, drying face with tissues after washing etc), but one of the things I have a big problem with is my hair care products Rolling Eyes

I am currently using Curls Rock by Tigi, (shampoo, conditioner, leave in moisturiser and curl defining creme) and whilst these products do wonders for my curls, I have a sneaky suspicion that these produts are also to blame for a lot of my skin problems. Most of my skin breakouts have been around my hairline (near my ears and on my cheeks towards my ears) also along the sides of my neck.

Now without all of these products in my hair, my curls don't have as much definition, (just frizz, puffy, very afro) so can anyone suggest any other haircare products that are good at holding curls.

I am wondering whether to go back to using moouse (John Freida) as this maybe lighter (but I can't remember whether my skin suffered then as well).

Like I said, my skin is behaving at the moment, but I want to do all I can to keep it that way.

Other than wearing it really short, (it's about mid-length now) or having to keep it tied back (which doesn't suit me) does anyone have any other suggestions?

Would appreciate any feedback. Thank you. Smile

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:03 am

I think that this same question posted at TheLongHairForum would get you some fascinating and creative answers..
For myself all I have to offer is that I am allergic to plenty of hair products too, so I use coconut oil overnight as a regular deep treatment, to make my hair shiny, and olive oil and honey in my shampoo and conditioner to hydrate and moisturise. I have cut out silicones in my hair products.
I also use jojoba oil as a de - frizzer, sometimes mixed in the palm of my hand, with aloe gel.

good luck and hth

( btw, I have straight hair.. )

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:54 am

Thanks catski, I will check out this forum. Very Happy

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:48 pm

I have had this happen. I have long curly hair. I have used "natural" conditioners from health food stores and certain ones work well for me while others break me out. Mine happen at the sides and back of my neck. I know it's the products because I will put them away for a while then go back to them to test the theory, glutton for punishment that I am.

Sad as it has made me not to use some great conditioners, I have moved on and found other products that work as well or better for me. And the offending conditioners become shaving cream.

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:54 pm

Have you tried the Curl Revitalizer by Joico and the Curl Shaper (orange bottle) by Enjoy. They work great on my curls without any skin reactions.

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 2:14 pm

Thanks for your responses Smile

. Living in the UK I have never heard of haircare by Joico or Enjoy. Will do a surf on the net though.

skincarefreak wrote:

Have you tried the Curl Revitalizer by Joico and the Curl Shaper (orange bottle) by Enjoy. They work great on my curls without any skin reactions.

Do you know, I think it's very funny (not funny ha ha) that up until recently, I had never stopped to think of haircare products causing problems with my skin. It's interesting to find that I am not alone. Will do some more research on this.

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 3:19 pm

sharons123

i'm not very good with ingredients, but i think the shampoo contains ALS.
this is a very harsh detergent - it can wreak havoc on your skin barrier.

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 5:45 pm

There is a TGel shampoo that is for irritated scalps which I find I can use without problems, Sharon, and it's widely available in the UK, and not expensive.
Boots stock it, so does sainsbury's and waitrose.

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:45 pm

I used to use sebastion potion 9 and it gave me breakouts on my hairline

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:10 pm

style it off the face and wash your hair before bedtime. I get nasty acne along the hairline from hair products. this has helped plus switching to non-sulfate products

free skin care · Fri Dec 29, 2006 8:32 pm

I've had this problem before. I tried the whole Curls Rock (except shampoo), and I quit because it seemed really gunky and chemical-filled to me. I am still searching for that HG curly hair line.

free skin care · Sat Dec 30, 2006 4:17 am

Thank you all very much for your responses and advise. I believe that the Curls Rock range has probably contributed to some of my skin problems and have now decided to definately change this range.

Before christmas, I restocked the whole range Brick wall

(I'm glad I didn't open any of it) and luckily I went into the salon today and asked them if I could change the products for a more gentle range. They recommended Paul Mitchell Shampoo One, The Detangler Conditioner and Round Trip liquid curl definer. I have not tried this range before, but will give it a go. I'm soo glad i didn't open any of the new stuff, otherwise I would have wasted my money.

Thanks for all your suggestions, if this range still doesn't help, I will look into Tgel, as suggested by Catski.

Mon Jan 01, 2007 2:19 pm

I really like the Kerastase line for curly hair--I use the shampoo, cond., and the creme (mixed with some Biolage gel) and have not experienced breakouts. Even though my hair is dry, it is fine, so if your hair is more coarse, the styling products may not be strong enough for you.

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:35 pm

Don't know if this will help, obviously, but I have a lot of skin trouble. I react to the ppd's in hair colour (phenylenydiamine) and to Phenylalinine in diet drinks and sweeteners. It's the phenyl that's the problem. Chemically speaking, I believe that the following list of chemicals are molecularly very close: Phenyl, Phenol, Benzyl and Benzene. These words crop up a lot in hair care products: shampoos, thickening products, setting products.... The only one which causes less trouble (which is good, because it appears to be unavoidable) is phenoxyethylene, which is a preservative. Still does have an effect, though, and I have a chronic (sometimes better, sometimes worse, sometimes gone) condition on my head. So you could try avoiding these things. I should say that I had coloured my hair without problems for 30 years when this allergy suddenly arose. Now that I'm going grey, my only colour choice is blonde (fewer ppd's), and I have to take antihistamines for a few days before and after. I stupidly tried red at the end of 2005 (the worst colour for reactions, apparently) and was quite ill for a week - enlarged and painful lymph glands in my neck. Sorry to go on, but my reactions began with just a bit of scaly, itchy skin on my head and developed into whole body eczema: patch testing revealed the source. I continue to colour my hair, while taking antihistamines, because I don't want to be grey. But I'm aware that I really shouldn't. My advice would be to find a gentle shampoo and conditioner containing the fewest possible chemicals, and to keep styling products only to your hair - avoiding your scalp, and to try taking a one-a-day antihistamine to see if that helps.
And many apologies to Catski: I used T-Gel for a couple of months (without result) and when I mentioned it to my doc, she said that it didn't suit a lot of people. It's a coal tar derivative (classic old-fashioned skin care) but contains a lot of Benzene (or Benzyl - can't remember which). Sorry for the length of this.

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:38 pm

Cesce, poor you! Sad

What do you use to wash and condition your hair?

free skin care · Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:51 pm

Catski, I use a small stockpile I have of a L'Oreal Shampoo and Conditioner - the Nutralia Plant Milk Range. It has now, of course, been discontinued even while it still has the 'new' sticker on the bottles! So I've got about six of each left then I'll have to have a rethink: back to the supermarket with my reading glasses for the small print! I do use styling products - have to because my hair's so fine, but I just make sure I don't touch my scalp with them. If I have a big night out and the styling and root lift is important I just do what I need, itch all evening, then wash it all off and put my medication liquid on.

free skin care · Tue Jan 02, 2007 5:21 am

Thanks again, for more responses. After several days now, of not using curls rock, I think my scalp is settling down. I just think that it must be this range of haircare that doesn't agree with me. I haven't noticed any new breakouts, and definately less itching, (as soon as I think of the word itch I start to feel itchy hmm

it's so annoying Laughing

) so hopefully, by using a mild shampoo and conditioner this will help me. Thanks everyone Very Happy

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