That ‘natural’ face cream could be the cause of your rash – not the cure

Halfway through my Tuesday afternoon clinic, a distressed woman flung herself on to the consulting chair in my office. ‘Look!’ the attractive 35year-old demanded, gesturing to a collection of inflamed bumps on her right cheek. ‘I’m so upset. I used to have such good skin.’

I began to examine the bright red eruption on her face and knew immediately that this wasn’t acne, which I see several times a day.

‘What skincare products do you use?’ I asked.

‘Totally natural kinds,’ she replied. ‘No harmful chemicals or toxins. I even make my own face masks out of fruit.’

It was just as I suspected…

RISE OF A DANGEROUS BEAUTY TREND

The woman was just one of hundredsI’ve seen over the past few years who have fallen victim to the latest trend in skincare – clean beauty, as fans call it.

Endorsed by stars such asGwyneth Paltrow, it involvesusing only skin products made with unprocessed ‘natural’ ingredients. Extracts of plants and flowers are favoured because, claim advocates, they are gentle and kind on the skin. The alternative – synthetic chemicals and preservatives – are toxic and may even cause cancer.

None of this is true, of course. Even so, the trend is concerningly popular. On Instagram, you’ll find two million posts under the clean beauty tag.

This year, the number of beauty products in Europe certified with Soil Association COSMOS – the ‘stamp’ of organic skincare – doubled to reach more than 10,000 across 794 brands. Some of Ireland’sbest-loved beauty brands, Clarins and Wella, have launched vegan product lines.

But far from being better for the skin, many of these ‘natural’ products can cause some seriousdamage. I would even go as far asto say the trend could be dangerous.

The patient in my office that day last month did not have any underlying skin disease to make her especially vulnerable. It washer prolific use of ‘all-natural’ cleansers, toners and moisturisersthat was directly to blame.

They contained a mixture of plant compounds that trigger a reaction in the skin cells, causing redness, inflammation, bumpinessand swelling. ‘But they’re made from plants!’ my patient contested.

WHY NATURAL DOESN’T MEAN SAFE

This is not just a problem in my London clinic. Colleagues from all over tell me people are falling under the same spell.

‘This is something we’re coming across time and time again in our clinics,’ says consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Wedgeworth.

‘Pretty much every dermatologist would say the same – that natural skincare is causing seriousirritation to people’s skin.’

One common reaction is dermatitis– a condition which can be caused by irritation to the skin or an allergic reaction.

It causes redness, scaling and in extreme cases even blistering of the skin, in clean beauty product fans. And we are seeing a significant rise in the condition in those who swear by natural lotions and potions. In September, a report published in the respected journal JAMA Dermatology said the ‘unwarranted avoidance’ of manmade chemicals, and the increased use of botanicals in beauty products, ‘has been associated with a new epidemic of contact dermatitis’.

And these reactions are common in people who say they’ve never had a skin problem before. So what’s going on?

Most ‘clean’ products contain ingredients that commonly cause skin irritation – essential oils and fragrances being the key culprits. When you’re dealing with plant extracts, there are many variablesthat could affect their potency. For example, you don’t know if the correct part of the plant was harvested – whether it was the fruit, flower or stem – or which chemicalswere used to extract the active ingredient. It also makes a difference if the plant grew on the sunny side of the mountain, versusthe shady side.

It means you never quite know what you’re getting.

Then there are ‘natural’ ingredientsthat are used as a preservative – essential oils added to productsto extend their shelf-life.

But to preserve the product, high concentrations must be added.

These higher concentrations are more likely to cause irritation in those who are sensitive.

A study by Italian scientistsfound more than six per cent of