Sensitive Skin Care Guide: The Product Elimination Diet
- Sarah Baldwin
- Apr 8, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 10, 2024
If you have sensitive skin, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, or skin that reacts easily, the Product Elimination Diet is a straightforward, home-based method to manage skin issues linked to products. This three-step approach helps identify triggers and formulate a skincare routine that minimizes reactions.
Steps of the Product Elimination Diet
Discontinue All Products: Stop using all your current skincare and haircare products for a period (typically two weeks) to allow your skin to reset. This step is crucial to remove all potential irritants from your routine.
Use Only Safe Products: While your skin is recovering, switch to products from the below approved Low-Contact Allergy and Irritant List. These items are specifically chosen for their minimal ingredient lists and absence of common irritants like fragrances, botanicals, and certain preservatives such as formaldehyde. Avoiding these can reduce the likelihood of triggering skin allergies or irritation.
Gradual Reintroduction: After your skin has calmed, slowly reintroduce your usual skincare products one at a time. Use one product per week and monitor your skin's response. If a reaction occurs, this controlled approach makes it easier to identify the culprit. Keeping a diary during this phase can help track which products cause flare-ups and which are safe to use.
Recommended Product List
Shampoos
DHS Tar Shampoo Fragrance Free (for dandruff)
Ducray Sensinol Shampoo (North America and Europe, contains SLES)
Curelle Shampoo
Mother Dirt Shampoo
Cleure Shampoo
Nature Clean Pure Sensitive Shampoo
VMV Hypoallergenics Essence Skin-Saving Super Wash Hair and Body Milk Shampoo
Conditioners
Exederm Eczema Conditioner
Curelle Conditioner
Cleure Condtioner
VMV Hypoallergenics Essence Skin-Saving Milk Conditioner: Volumizing Conditioner
Facial Cleansers
Facial Moisturizers
Cleure Oil Free Facial Lotion for Sensitive Skin
Sunscreens
Cleure Sunscreen SPF 30 for Sensitive Skin
Body Cleansers
Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar (not Dove’s Unscented Beauty Bar, which has fragrance.
Lipikar Syndet by La Roche-Posay (contains sodium laureth sulfate (SLS))
Body Moisturizers
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream and Lotion (the cream is heavier than the lotion)
Hand Cleanser
Remember, don’t use soap. You may have to bring along one of these products if you’re using the washroom at work or when you’re out.
Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar (not Dove’s Unscented Beauty Bar, which has fragrance.
Hand Creams
Shaving Creams
Deodorant
Vichy Homme Roll-On Deodorant for Sensitive Skin
Hair Spray
Clinique Non-Aerosol Hairspray
Cleure Hair Styling Gel
PPD Free Hair Dye
These hair dyes do not contain PPD/paraphenylenediamine. PPD-free hair dyes do exist, you just have to do your homework to find them (or see my list below if you want to cheat). It’s complicated chemistry but you need to use hair dyes that contain a related substance known as para-toluenediamine sulphate (PTDS). Only 25 percent of people allergic to PPD will react to PTDS.
Goldwell Color Chic (Permanent)
Goldwell ReShade for Men (Semi-permanent)
L’Oréal Paris Excellence To-Go 10-Minute Creme Colorant (Semi-permanent)
Sanotint Light (Semi-permanent)
Schwarzkopf Igora Royal (Permanent)
Wella Koleston Perfect (Permanent)
Wella Color Charm (Semi-permanent)
Laundry Fabric Softeners
Any dryer sheets that include the term “fragrance free”
To sidestep this category, don’t use fabric softener and instead opt for anti-static reusable balls
Laundry Detergents
VMV Hypoallergenics Fawn & Launder Laundry Shampoo
(NOT the words hypoallergenic, sensitive skin or dermatology tested or natural)
Household
Makeup
Fragrance free brands Marcelle, Almay, Clinique
powders vs creams
brown or earth shade matte finish eyeshadow, avoid shimmer
pencil liners vs liquid
powder blush
waterproof mascara
Toothpaste
Cleure Toothpaste - Original Without Flavor
Jack n' Jill, Natural Toothpaste, Flavor Free, 1.76 oz (50g)
