Gorgeous as these flowers are, it’s important to remember that if you have very sensitive skin, even the most natural extracts and oils of flowers, fruits, and various plants can be allergenic. Many flowers are on published allergen lists — individually, or as part of Fragrance Mixes. Other flower or plant oils are comedogenic, too (to learn about some allergen flowers and plants, check out the Allergen, Not An Allergen tab on VMVInSKIN.com).
But isn’t natural safe?
“Natural” is so frequently associated with “safe” that it may sound counterintuitive…but if you have a history of skin reactions, you might actually need to avoid natural skin products and cosmetics.
Less processed and organic foods are certainly healthier than their counterparts. But allergens can cause problems no matter how natural their origin. Food and skin allergies don’t work in the same way (different cells are involved) but in terms of natural origin, the same warning applies: if you’re allergic to a food (say, peanuts or strawberries), you should avoid it no matter how organic it is. In skincare or makeup, if you’re allergic to lavender, rose, or fragrance mixes in patch tests (which include moss and other plants), you should avoid them no matter how organic they are.
But I love natural things (sad face)…
Don’t we all! Blooms are beautiful to look at and be around, and it would be a shame to avoid them if you don’t need to. If you have a history of sensitive skin, don’t guess: random trial and error can cause more damage. Ask your dermatologist about a patch test instead.
If your patch test does show a sensitivity to flowers and flower-related ingredients, you don’t need to give up indulgence entirely. Our clinically-valid spa treatments are as “skindulgent” and sublime as they are therapeutic. And our skin-safe Skintelligent Beauty Makeup delivers beautiful, high-performance pigments that wouldn’t be out of place at the botanical gardens (without sacrificing your skin’s health). All that soothing care, vibrancy, and color sans the rashes, acne, and hyperpigmentation? Now that’s beautiful!
To shop our selection of hypoallergenic products, visit vmvhypoallergenics.com. Need help? Ask us in the comments section below, contact us by email, or drop us a private message on Facebook.
For more about…
- …the prevalence of skin allergies, see Skin Allergies Are More Common Than Ever and One In Four Is Allergic to Common Skin Care And Cosmetic Ingredients.
- …the VH-Rating System and hypoallergenicity, click here.
- …natural and hypoallergenicity, enter “natural and hypoallergenic” in the search field at skintelligencenter.com
