Skin care products are well known to cause “breakouts” on the skin. The most common scenario is a product that is placed on the skin and is left to sit all day (as opposed to a product that is washed off). Sunscreens, moisturizers and “anti-aging” creams and serums are the most common products that lead to breakouts. Breakouts can be in the form of acne or other types of dermatitis, which is a medical term for inflammation in the skin. Most high-quality skin care products will have the phrase “non-comedogenic or “won’t clog pores” on the label.
This means that the product was tested and was shown not to cause acne. However, breakouts are most commonly a form of contact dermatitis, specifically irritant contact dermatitis. This results when one or more ingredients (or the emulsifier in which they are dissolved) in the product interact with the cells around the hair follicles on the face, causing red bumps, flaky skin and irritation. This usually occurs within 48-72 hours of product use. The reason for this is that the emulsifier helps the skin care product become less greasy, but it also can lead to extra oil on a person’s face. Unlike women’s skin, oil production in a man’s skin does not decrease significantly over time. Since excessive oiliness is a common complaint in men anyway, this can create additional problems, such as breakouts.
Other ingredients, such as oxybenzone in sunscreen products, can cause breakouts as well. This form of breakout can be an allergic reaction, which generally occurs within 1-2 weeks and presents as an itchy red rash. To complicate matters, more than one type of breakout can occur in the same person at the same time. So… what is the solution? First, if you are experiencing a breakout, stop using all the skin care products you are putting on your face for 1 week. Only wash your face with Cetaphil or other non-soap cleansers. Next, re-introduce each skin care product you were using in a step-wise fashion, one by one. Wait 5-7 days before starting a new product and check to see if the same rash comes back. This allows you to pinpoint exactly which one is causing the breakouts.
After that, simply avoid using that product as well as the ingredients in that product. For example, if you find that sunscreen is the problem, switch to one that contains only zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (such as Dana Point Dermatology’s private-label products). If you are still getting breakouts and can’t figure out why, come see us and we can use our scientific knowledge of the skin to find a solution.
Dana Point Dermatology’s Bottom Line: “Breakouts” caused by skin care products can be more than meets the eye. If you are having a breakout, follow the steps above first. If you need more help, don’t hesitate to contact us at 949-276-2600.
