Although alcohol is effective in clearing clogged pores, you might want to weed it out from your skin care regimen if you have sensitive skin. Aside from cleaning, it also strips off your skin's natural moisture which may lead to irritation and dryness. To know how much alcohol a product contains, check its order in the ingredient list: The higher the ingredient is on the list, the greater the amount used in the product. Take special care with products like toners, which often are made with a lot of alcohol (though these days, that's starting to change).
It's also worth pointing out that that there are certain types of alcohol that are generally considered sensitive skin-safe, such as cetyl alcohol, stearyl alcohol, and cetearyl alcohol.
Fan of scented makeup and skin care products? Unfortunately, it's not always the best option for sensitive skin. Here's a not-so-secret secret: companies don't have to reveal the chemicals involved in producing that scent in your product — they can just mention "fragrance" in the ingredients list. You won't know for sure if there are chemicals in it that you are allergic to. If it happens that you're incompatible with the fragrance, it may lead to inflammation and irritation.
Besides, fragrance isn't really important for a product to be deemed effective or beneficial. Opt for fragrance-free formulas instead.
Many products use parabens to lengthen the shelf life of a product and prevent the growth of bacteria. But even if you don't have sensitive skin, we highly recommend that you use products that are paraben-free. Aside from irritating your skin, studies have shown that parabens may increase your risk of breast cancer. Yikes!
Similar to alcohol, sulfates are harsh cleaning chemicals that can overstrip your natural oils and make your skin dry and itchy. Not generally something you want from your makeup and skin care product if you have a skin that needs extra TLC.
Don't worry about skipping all these effective-but-harsh cleansing ingredients. You've got alternatives like glycerin and other natural ingredients that will help you clear your pores.
Skin care products in beautiful, magical colors can make you go "ooh la la," but just as with fragrances, you don't really need them. Most of these products use artificial colors made from god-knows-what ingredients that can sometimes hurt your skin. They can clog your pores, or worse expose you to toxins. Watch out for "FD&C" or "D&C" in the ingredient list because they correspond with synthetic dyes.
If you have sensitive skin, choose products without dyes or uses natural dyes.
