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I KNOW WHAT TO DO for SENSITIVE Skin/Scalp (Updated 10/22/2010)Oct 22 '00 (Updated Oct 22 '10) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Buy unscented, sensitive skin, vegetable glycerin products at the Health Food Store. Recommended stores: Trader Joe's, Wild Oats, Whole Foods market, or your local family health food store, etc.
UPDATED 10/22/2010: Today's recommended product is a fantastic facial cleanser for sensitive skin: "Aubrey Organics 'Vegecol' Facial Cleansing Lotion" for Sensitive Skin. This product is like a lotion or light cream and glides on the face very smoothly. Leave it on for a couple minutes for moisturizing. It is kind of expensive, approx. $15 for an 8oz bottle. I highly recommend this product. UPDATED 05/11/2010: I just want to mention again, a product I mentioned before (on 10/17/07), because I like it so much: "NATURE'S BABY Organics", Shampoo and Body Wash, Vanilla & Tangerine Scent. You can buy this product at their website: http://www.naturesbabyproducts.com/organic_shampoo.html or on amazon.com (cheaper shipping at their own website). You can use the above product on your hair or your body or your hands. It is good for cleansing everything and everybody, and it not harsh at all. I can tolerate it with my chemical allergies as it contains natural vanilla scent. I highly recommend this product. UPDATED 06/05/09: Two more products I just have to mention that I absolutely love: 1. Rachel Perry Immediately Visible Eye Renewel Gel, available online and at some health food stores. This eye gel is unscented and works great under the eye area. It is also helpful to put on the lines on the forehead, lines that go from the nose to the mouth-- called naso-labial folds, aka: paranthesis, and good to put on the tops of hands. This is a great moisturizer that is not greasy and a little goes a long way. 2. A new product I just picked up at a local health food store is Angel Baby Shampoo and Body Wash by Earth Mama Angel Baby Organics, website: http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com [This company is similar to Nature's Baby Organics products that I mention farther below-- website: http://www.naturesbabyproducts.com , whose products I also love]. This item comes in a 1.67 fl oz bottle, and is both a shampoo and body wash and facial/hand cleanser, so it is great for going on trips and is within the 3oz liquid container limit when boarding airplanes. This item is very mild, and contains natural vanilla with a heavenly natural scent. People with chemical allergies, such as myself, are able to tolerate some naturally occuring scents, such as natural vanilla or almond; In fact I love these scents. I highly reccommend the above two products. UPDATED 05/29/09: I tried a new Body Wash product, that I purchased at Walmart Supercenter no less, and I really like it (product was located in the pharmacy area, not in the shampoo/toiletry section). The product is-- AVEENO Advanced Care Body Wash. This product is new, and cost between approx. $9-$10 for a 10 oz bottle. A similar product, the Aveeno Body Wash was not as good as it globs when it comes out. This new product is unscented, and does not come out in big globs, and it has better ingredients. For example, this product does NOT contain "sodium 'laureth' sulfate" or "propylene/butylene glycol" or "methyl/propyl parabens". For those of you that live in smaller cities or towns, that only have access to a mass merchandiser like WalMart, and do not have access to a health food store, this item is a great alternative. Of course, computers and the internet allow you to buy things from health food stores online no matter where you live, but if you want it now from a brick & mortar store, you can go to WalMart and buy this product. UPDATED 12/25/08: Merry Christmas! I may have discussed this product before, but want to mention it again, as it is the best "bubble bath" for sensitive skin, for adults, that I have come across. This product is also moisturizing and NOT greasy at all-- the product is AUBREY ORGANICS Camomile Calming Bath Soak (used to be called Camomile Bubbles). This product is all natural, and is great for dry skin or swimmers! Product used to come in a white bottle with green lettering, now the bottle is dark blue in color. UPDATED 10/17/07: I just discovered a new product at Whole Foods Market that I really like and like even better than the California Baby products mentioned below. The new cleansing product I reccommend is "NATURE'S BABY" Shampoo and Body Wash, Vanilla & Tangerine Scent. You can buy this product at their website or on amazon.com (cheaper shipping at their own website). UPDATED 06/12/07: Super Target now carries a product formerly only available at Health Food Stores-- the CALIFORNIA BABY line of products. I highly recommend the "Super Sensitive Shampoo & Body Wash AND the unscented everyday lotion. Both excellent products. The Shampoo/Bodywash can be used on face, skin, and hair! Another great cleanser by another company: Derma E ; Product: Glycolic Facial Cleanser with marine plant extracts. Or, try the Aveeno Facial Cleanser with FeverFew, if you only have access to a mass merchandiser such as Wal Mart SuperCenter; This product replaces their previous facial cleanser - Aveeno Skin Replenishing Lotion with Soy Extract-- which was a great product. A great hand cream: Burt's Bees Almond Milk Beeswax Hand Cream-- put it on at bed time (will look a little greasy), and in the morning your hands will look and feel softer! This product would be great to use along with wearing cotton gloves at bedtime; remove the gloves in the morning for an even better result. A night (or day) cream I really like: Reviva Labs "Alpha Lipoic Acid Vitamin C Ester & DMAE Cream". It's unscented and works great. I use this cream on my face & the tops of my hands. Previously I had mentioned MyChelle skin care products (see below). My favorites are the Serious Hyloronic Acid Serum, the Supreme Polypeptide Cream (unscented version; for the face, but I also use on top of hands), and the "SunShield" sunscreen! The sunscreen is so great: It is NOT greasy and only has naturally occurring very light scent from the natural ingredients. It spreads on very easily. I am so spoiled by this suncreen, that when I used a friend's baby suncreen at their house, since I misplaced my MyChelle Sunscreen, I became upset, as it was so greasy and shiny looking on my skin and I also could not stand the smell. This suncreen is great for tops of hands and even on the face (not greasy!, not too thick, not too thin, not watery). I can't say enough about this sunscreen--- you have to try it! Downside to the MyChelle line is it is expensive. So I only buy my very favorites and use it sparingly. UPDATED 01/10/06: Sorry I have not updated this in awhile. I have found a couple more products that are at the top of my list! MYCHELLE-- this is a top of the line natural cosmetics line you can find at Whole Foods or Wild Oats natural grocery stores. I highly recommend the FRUIT ENZYME CLEANSER and the LIP PLUMPING SERUM by MYCHELLE. Their website is www.mychelleusa.com . Their fruit enzyme cleanser is very similar to another product that I really like-- the TANGERINE DREAM Facial Cleanser by Rachel Perry. BOTH cleansers contain alpha hydroxy fruit acids. I also want to repeat my recommendation below for the TATE's NATURAL CONDITIONER in my last update. It works so well as a hair conditioner, shave cream, and hand lotion (or lotion for body, face)! A less expensive facial cleanser that I have mentioned before and want to repeat my recommendation for, and is readily available at WalMart or Target is the NEUTROGENA EXTRA GENTLE CLEANSER in the white 6.7oz bottle. I am currently testing a dandruff shampoo to see if the Pyrithione Zinc really helps retard hair loss as I saw in a study discussed on TV about 6 months ago. I noticed that DHS shampoo by PERSON COVEY, available at Albertson's Grocery store has the highest amount of the PYRITHIONE ZINC at 2%-- most dandruff shampoos only have .5% (1/2 percent) pyrithione zinc. PLANET (www.planetinc.com) household cleaning products are also highly recommended, such as the laundry detergent (unscented) [bought at Wild Oats Grocery]. SEVENTH GENERATION tall kitchen bags, the only ones I have found with any recycled plastic, are also recommended (I bought these at Albertson's Grocery and also at Amazon.com). HIGHLY recommend the new Super WHOLE FOODS Market in Austin, TX, although their food bar is expensive, but very delicious! UPDATED 12/06/04: The lotion mentioned immediately below is no longer being made (as far as I know). BUT, I discovered a NEW lotion that I just LOVE--> "Tate's" "the Natural Miracle Conditioner". This lotion is a hair and skin conditioner, so you can use it as a hair conditioner or a lotion. I love it as a lotion for my hands and entire body as it is unscented and NON-greasy! This lotion is kind of expensive but worth it! It cost me around $19 at my local health food store for a 20 fl. oz bottle. Available by writing or calling: Tate, c/o V&V Associates, 4041 Erie St., Willoughby, OH 44094; Tel. 1-440-516-5357; www.thetatefamily.com; lestertate@thetatefamily.com . I love this stuff and if I like it you know it's gotta be good 'cause I am very picky! Visit me on Ebay under my ID of "studentadvocate". ;) ALSO, contact me if you or someone you know has frequented a chlorinated (particularly indoor) pool AND you have ever gotten pneumonia or cancer--> you may have gotten these conditions due to frequenting chlorinated pools--> email me at info@studentadvocate.net . UPDATED 10/11/04: I love this unscented LOTION-- Earth Science puts out a lotion under its PURE ESSENTIALS line that is UNscented that is GREAT. It is no longer available at my local health food store so I have had to (back-)order it online; I think they may be discontinuing the product but I have ordered it online recently at www.internatural.com . Not only is it a great lotion, but due to its viscosity, it also makes a great intimate lubricant (seriously!). UPDATED 04/19/04: I discovered that tap water, which has chlorine in it, both causes and aggravates allergies, as well as dries out your hair and skin and makes your skin and scalp sensitive. SO, I started using a shower head filter and WOW, my allergies have been reduced BIG time AND my skin doesn't dry out either! I bought a shower head filter from a local store that sells filters from a company found at www.spritewater.com . I bought the HO or their HIGH OUTPUT filter which lasts a year (approx.); most filters you buy at the store such as WalMart and Home Depot last approximately 6 months. A couple more products I have found that I really like: 1. "Mild Facial Cleanser" from wwww.nancyboy.com (in San Francisco, CA, I have actually visited this store on Market Street)-- this is their only product so far that I like and find the ingredients and performance acceptable. I love this cleanser-- Unscented, gentle and effective! They make an environmentally friendly laundry detergent with natural lavender in it, but my allergies don't like lavender, but it is okay as long as I don't put my nose in the powder (smile). IT does work well as a detergent, it suds up well, and it doesn't hurt our beautiful earth and streams and fishies... . My clothes don't smell strong after being washed with this detergent either. 2. Wild Banana Vanilla scented Body Wash by Pure Basics; natural mild scent and it is wonderful! Does not glob and fall off like Aveeno Body Wash. I love this stuff! I picked it up at the health food store. 3. DHC Skincare in San Francisco also make a couple of good MILD soaps I like, such as their OLIVE soap and their OLIVE and HONEY soap, both are clear looking round bars. 4. Don't swim in indoor (or outdoor) chlorinated pools either. It is a major health hazard. Not only is it bad for your skin & hair and lungs, but also causes allergies, astma, pneumonia and Cancer [caused by CHLORAMINES which are the vapors that come off the pool]. INSIST that your swimming pool be disinfected with OZONE &/or Hydrogen Perozide &/or UV Light. I have some great information on this that I can send you if you wish (or just do a search on the net). Just send me a self addressed stamped envelope with 3 First Class Stamps on it to: Mason, Student Advocate, PO Box 2455, Norman, OK 73070. info@studentadvocate.net UPDATED 01/01/03: An excellent skin care line which has many products for sensitive skin is DHC out of San Francisco, CA. Also try the following companies for great natural products good for sensitive skin: earthelements.com or .net (out of Oklahoma), and soapworks.com (as seen on Oprah). Note when brushing your teeth, even adult "soft" toothbrushes are to rough/hard on gums and make the gums recede prematurely! So, buy a child's toothbrush which says EXTRA SOFT, these are great. I just bought the child's MONSTER's Extra Soft toothbrush at WalMart and it works great even when I brush hard it does not hurt my gums! YAAA! Earthelements.net mentioned above also has a toothpowder which is great and gentle on gums (it has sea salt, baking soda, peppermint and clove oil, that's it!). BIOTENE is a great mouthwash AND they also have toothpastes (gel and paste, I love the gel) for sensitive teeth and gums and they are great! AVALON products, available at health food stores (like many of the products mentioned herein), makes good shampoos with corn based gentle cleanser and NO sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates! ------------------------------------------ Another update: 06/07/02: I tried "AVEDA Senstive" shampoo, and, "AVEDA Sensitive" conditioner which I bought at a salon in Omaha, NE when visiting friends. It is great and I recommend it! Kinda pricy but worth it in the long run to me. But, I still change shampoos often and use different ones from the Health Food Store whenever I run out. The unscented natural oatmeal and glycerin bar I find at the health food store where I live is great. It comes in the section of soaps that are unwrapped and not in packaging and there are several in a box. You just take the raw round oatmeal bar and buy it. The unscented oatmeal one is great for face, hands, or body. Very mild! They also have a scented oatmeal bar, but I buy the unscented one where they have not added any fragrance. ------------------------------ I have been off of Epinions for awhile but have received some great positive comments from people regarding my advice, especially my advice on sensitive skin below. So, I thought I would update this a bit as of 04/01/02 . Another good company with some good products is Ecco Bella at the health food store. They make a great Vanilla shampoo for dry hair that contains Decyl Polyglucose (a milder cleanser made from corn just like Decyl Glucoside). This is one of my favorite shampoos that is mild and mildly and naturally scented with real Vanilla extract. This shampoo does not have any negative affect on my terrible allergies which hate scents as a rule. Ecco Bella also makes a Vanilla Lotion, but I did not buy it cause it is stronger smelling than the shampoo and it is kinda expensive. As for what to buy if you are at a mass marketer (grocery store, Wal Mart, etc.), I would suggest: 1. AVEENO Oatmeal Bar for dry skin is GREAT and my favorite non-soap bar from the grocery store! Great for face and hands! Cetaphil and Basis also make a good sensitive skin/unscented bar soap, but they are not as good as Aveeno Oatmeal Bar, which is main/only bar that touches my face. 2. PEARS all glycerin soap is great but hard to find! I used to be able to get it at Albertsons. I had to order it from a drugstore web site in Canada last year that sent it regular mail which they have as an option which is less expensive to send. 3. Johnson and Johnson's Stawberry Sensation Kids/Baby shampoo seems to be a good one. Have not tried it but the ingredients look very acceptable for mildness, and for sensitive or delicate skin. 4. I don't like Cetaphil Cream anymore because I notice it has Propylene Glycol [a petroleum by product according to www.mastey.com] which I understand is not good (see www.mastey.com website). So, I got the Cetaphil Lotion which I like. It is available the cheapest I found at Wal-Mart (isn't most everything?:). 4.a. BABY WIPES: most of them contain Propylene Glycol, so I find that Huggies Natural Care and even BEST CHOICE All Natural Ingredients unscented wipes are the best. Hard to find "Best Choice" Unscented baby wipes around here but they are cheaper than Huggies and work great! 5. Aveeno Body Wash (fragrance free) is good but a little hard to spread on the body (without dropping some) as it does not spread easily due to the Oat Flour, but it is good nonetheless and anything with Oat Flour is good! This product does have the not good Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, but this ingredient is offset by the Decyl Glucoside and Cocomidapropyl Betaine. So, I still think this product is okay, but is kinda expensive, so I would suggest a pure vegteble oil "soap" from the health food store or Dr. Bronner's liquid soap or Tom's of Maine unscented 100% Glycerin Soap. 6. I think Olay Sensitive Skin bar at the grocery store/Wal-Mart is okay for washing the body, but I do not use it on my face. I have not used the Dove Bar for sensitive skin, but I notice the Dove Bar has some natural oils in it. But, I kinda do not like the natural smell of the Dove Bar (unscented bar) and have not used it yet. Remember, some of the natural smells or herbs or oils in products are not good for some allergies or one's sense of smell or ones sensitive skin, you just have to try them. I would like to hear what people think of the Dove unscented/sensitive skin bar. 7. Neutrogena Glycerin Bath Bar or liquid glycerin soap unscented is good for cleansing. 8. Neutrogena Extra Gentle liquid Cleanser fragrance free is GREAT for the face, even though a bit expensive. I really like this stuff I just started using. I have not tried their extra sensitive skin bar yet. 9. Not as good as the item in #8 above in my opinion, but the Olay Unscented Sensitve Skin "Foaming Face Wash" is good too. I think I am gonna write a book, so please Email me and write me your experiences with good and not so good products you've tried for sensitive skin/scalp and where you bought the product (ie. health food store, grocery store, wal mart, mail order, internet order, etc.). Best and kindest regards, ppopeye@hotmail.com p. mason, po box 2455, norman, ok 73070 -----------------------------------------------:) If you have fair skin which tends to be drier & thus, wrinkles easier due to less oil glands, and you live in the modern world you usually will have sensitive skin like me. Just ten years ago, there were not as many products out there for sensitive skin. So, I would always try to buy stuff made for babies or children. BUT, now I can go to the local health food store and get great soaps and shampoos. Remember, anything that is mass marketed in the grocery store tends to be CHEAP and overly scented and NOT good for sensitive skin. You may have to pay a bit more for sensitive skin products but it is WORTH it in the long run and you will also have the benefit of NOT speeding up the aging process. SO, what to do for sensitive skin? 1. NEVER buy scented or color added products, which means in the modern world that a scent has been added other than the naturally occurring scent the product already contains. In other words, nothing is truly unscented. You just have to be careful NOT to be mislead by marketing terms, even some things marked "for sensitive skin" are not good. You just have to learn through trial and error when it comes down to it. E.G. DETERGENTS: So, buy unscented laundry and dishwashing detergent which is now even available in most grocery stores (hard to find unscented dishwashing liquid though). BUT, you can buy the natural (citrus and vegetable oil) detergent which is "unscented" at the health food store or at some specialty grocery stores; these are much better on the envirionment as well [they biodegrade in like 3 days]. Some brands include Seventh Generation, Tom's of Maine, Ecover, & Bio Kleen. In other words, DO NOT buy products with petroleum based products which are bad on the skin and the environment. They make your skin itch and dry, especially over time! 2. SHAMPOO: Never buy shampoo (for the hair or skin) with Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate or Cocamide DEA! These are harsh detergents, and over time are harsh on the scalp which is even more sensitive than skin on the rest of the body! Buy your shampoos at the health food store where you can find some shampoos that do NOT contain these ingredients! One such company that makes some shampoos (but not all) without these harsh detergents is "Jasons" of California. These detergents make your hair dry and scalp itch and this becomes worse over time! Jason's shampoos also tend to be a bit less expensive than other brands at the health food store. They now also make a good dandruff shampoo (natural and NOT full of soap like the grocery store). 3. SOAP (bath soap, etc.): Oil of Olay and now DOVE, are making "sensitive skin" unscented soaps that you can buy at Wal Mart or the grocery store. I recommend these soaps to wash the body or hands but NOT the face or the hair. A good brand of 100% natural vegetable oil soap and/or glycerin soap that is great for hands or face is "Dr. Bronner's" Baby Mild soap with the baby blue colored label available at the health food store (you know the brand with all the weird writing on the label by that hippie dude in Calif.). Or, Tom's of Maine (costs a bit more), now makes a good liquid or bar 0 glycerin soap. "Soaps" which also contain Oatmeal are good for dry, sensitive, or itchy skin. BUY ONLY 100% glycerin and/or vegetable oil based soaps. Special note: I do NOT recommend that you use face creams with glycerin. You don't want glycerin sitting on your skin for a long time as it sucks moisture from underneath the skin and makes the surface look moisturized temporarily. SO, glycerin is fine for washing but NOT for moisturizing (face/hand) creams. The people at AUBREY products and MASTEY products tell you this. They are discussed below. AUBREY Organics of Florida (at the health food store only) makes very good shampoos and soaps but they are more expensive. Also, be sure and buy the right AUBREY product for you, because some of the natural herbs in some of their products are strong and not good for senstive skin. In other words, no brand of product makes every product in their line that is good for your sensitive skin. You have to pick and choose within the same product line. Another great shampoo (for hair and body) that you can use on skin or hair that I found in California is "Traite" Moisturizing Shampoo by MASTEY. They are on the web at www.mastey.com. Products by Mastey do not contain the bad ingredients mentioned above and their website discusses these bad ingredients as well. I love their TRAITE shampoo, it is so mild and smooth and smells good. It is lightly scented but smells very natural and light. It is very moisturizing as well. AND I am picky about any scent at all! 4. LOTIONS: Buy again, unscented lotions. Some good brands are: Nature's Gate at the health food store, which makes a "fragrance free" Colloidal Oatmeal lotion. Nature's Gate brand is also less exspensive than other health food store brands; again, not all their lotions are good for sensitive skin. Another more readily available brand which is available at the drug store and some grocery stores is "Cetaphil" which makes a good CREAM (less watery than a lotion) in a tub, and, they make a good LOTION, both which are "fragrance free" and NOT watery like most lotions. Remember, everything has a fragrance, and it would be more technically correct for the companies to say on their products "NO fragrance added". Because, some "fragrance free" products have strong natural scents, depending on the herbs or other ingredients in the product. A good moisturizer for the face, but VERY strong (you don't need much!) is ELTA skin cream in the red colored TUB (NOT tube) (They do make a lotion in a tube but I have not used it). This product can be found in my area at Albertson's grocery store. This product is used on persons who have had laser resurfacing surgery on their face. This product is great! This product contains petrolatum (holds in moisture) and a copolymer (don't ask me to explain copolymer) :).  |
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