If you like sunbathing and applying some new beauty products at the same time, or if you like drinking various types of herbal tea, then you probably aren’t aware how big the harm might be done to your skin. Did you know that food products with herbal extracts as well as many regular cosmetics contain quite a number of photosensitive and phototoxic chemicals? What are the very substances and how can they affect your skin?
What are phototoxicity and photosensitivity?
Phototoxicity (photoirritation) is a skin reaction to a particular photosensitive agent. It becomes obvious pretty fast – the reaction is triggered the exact moment when the skin is in contact with the sun and the allergen. The adverse reaction takes the form of burning rosacea and blisters. The bad news is that phototoxicity may appear no matter of your age, sex and skin type.
Photosensitivity is less common but is more complex than phototoxicity described above. It mainly appears in people who have sensitive skin and when under the influence of photo allergen the concentration of which is pretty high. In general, immune system is what plays a huge part in this process. The symptoms don’t appear immediately but after a few hours and – what is surprising – it affects other skin areas than the ones which were exposed to the cosmetic. This is a pretty common allergic reaction though.
Phototoxicity and photosensitivity may develop at the same time. In such cases, seek medical advice.
Photosensitive and phototoxic chemicals
Below I’m listing the substances that are categorized as photosensitive and phototoxic. What might be surprising, I’m also including all-natural substances/extracts that are known for increasing the risk of an allergic relation.
- essential oils – allergies can be caused by citric oils, especially by bergamot essential oil. Photosensitivity can be also induced by cedar oil, lavender oil, vanilla oil and sandalwood oil. Moreover, if you’re going to get a tan, don’t apply perfumes because they contain alcohols and essential oils;
- herbal extracts obtained from: chamomile, aloe, Saint John’s wort and pot marigold – I advise you against using the very extracts in the summer. Neither should you drink such infusions;
- AHA and BHA – indeed, they remove dead skin cells effectively but when exposed to the sun, they may leave your skin irritated. It’s better to make use of them in the winter and autumn;
- retinoic acid and retinol – both of them are really intensively photosensitive substances because they make skin susceptible to the adverse effects that sun exposure is likely to cause. As you have probably already guessed, you should use them only in the winter and autumn.
I hope that my short post contains all the info you looked for. Take care and enjoy your summertime wisely!
