Bumps in the sun from cosmetics

The summer months are wonderful, but your skin often suffers from tiredness. And how miserable is it if you have itchy skin full of bumps during your holiday. Last time I told you about real sun allergy (PMLE). Now for some more about the little brother of sun allergy: the phototoxic or photo allergic reaction to substances in your skincare products or medicine.

It concerns, therefore, substances in the skin which react with light. In contrast to sun allergies, the symptoms disappear if you stop applying or orally taking the offender. Your hands and face are not affected by a sun allergy, whereas, this is often the case with a phototoxic reaction. And whereas PMLE actually occurs with the first exposure to the sun, a phototoxic reaction can occur at any time.

Screen your skincare products

It makes me so angry. We know from research that a large number of ingredients cause problems in the sun, and yet, they are still added in vast amounts to skincare products and even sun creams. Known offenders are fragrance and colouring, but also take special note of certain sun filters such as oxybenzone. Also check more closely the ingredients list on your favourite (body) products for plant extracts such as citrus, orange, bergamot, mandarin, grapefruit, lime, lavender, rosemary, fig, angelica, St. John’s-wort, tea tree and ginger. These types of ingredients can not only cause irritation to the skin, you can also get unsightly pigmentation spots from them. Do not underestimate them, every year more people report to medical centres with blisters and burns because they have applied citrus juice onto their skin and sunbathed.

Towels and oils in the spa

Watch out for those towels with a lime fragrance which are sometimes handed out around your hotel’s swimming pool. In many spa’s they have the tendency to work with essential oils, so always wash your skin off after a fragrant massage before going in the sun. If I go to a spa in a foreign country, I always ask for a neutral carrier oil such as coconut or almond oil. That prevents a good deal of problems!

Fortunately the concentrations in skincare products are actually always too low to be able to cause such skin damage, but they can cause nasty rashes. Check your skincare products carefully and leave out anything suspicious or anything that is not strictly needed. It will then be easier to track down which of your products is the culprit.

Medicine too

Many people don’t realise that certain remedies they have in their medicine cabinet can also cause problems in the sun. If you take anti-depressants, antibiotics such as tetracyclines, NSAID’s, oral contraceptives or incontinence tablets, then you are at a higher risk. If you take any of these types of medicine and are travelling to a sunny destination, then read the information leaflet thoroughly. You know then that you will need to give your skin extra protection in the sun and sometimes your Doctor may be able to prescribe a more skin friendly alternative…

Kind regards,
Jetske.

Research Physician Cosmetic Dermatology
 

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