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By now, most people know that they should be avoiding any skincare products with artificial fragrance, which is usually code for a bunch of chemicals that can cause skin irritation and even some allergic reactions. As a result, many people have resorted to all natural products with essential oils for fragrance. Although this might initially seem like the perfect compromise, the truth is that these pure essential oils can also lead to problems for your skin.
With that in mind, keep reading for the one night cream you should stop using asap.
Pure Essential Oils
Look out for products with pure essential oils in them, and try to avoid them if possible--they may be leading to skin irritation and other problems, even hyperpigmentation, if you aren't careful. Dr.
Charlotte Birnbaum of Spring Street Dermatology in New York City explains the problem with essential oils: "Many people equate 'natural' with 'safe,' which is not always the case. Be careful with pure essential oils, especially rose or lavender, which contain geraniol. This can cause an allergic or irritant reaction on the skin."
Those aren't the only essential oils you should look out for. Birnbaum continues, "Citrus essential oils can cause a reaction in the sun called phytophotodermatitis, which can lead to hyperpigmentation of the skin, so avoid oils with lemon, lime, or bergamot."
It's also a good idea to restrict these oils if you have acne-prone skin, as they can cause clogged pores and breakouts. Birnbaum explains to SheFinds: "Oils in general are comedogenic, meaning they clog pores. If you are acne-prone, I would steer clear of oils."
Using a night cream with comedogenic ingredients could lead to you waking up with some serious breakouts.
With that in mind, it's important not to blindly trust any skincare product labeled "natural" or "organic," because they might still be sneaking in skin-harming ingredients into their products.