By Kolbjorn Borseth
It is impossible to create skin care products which everyone
will tolerate, particularly in view of the fact that people’s sensitivity have
increased.
Through testing Raw Materials, base and Ready-Made Products
on the area of skin in the crook of the elbow – where the skin is thinner and
more sensitive – you’ll be able to determine whether or not you are likely to
have an allergic response to what you have applied. This, of course, can be
done with any product you purchase and it is particularly important to do this
with anything you intend to use on your face.
How to test yourself for an Allergy
Choose an area in the crook of your elbow of a few square
centimetres and apply the product or raw material you wish to test. Leave for
12-24 hours and then look for any signs of allergic reaction. The test may even
be repeated the next day. Signs of an allergic reaction include red, warm skin,
perhaps also itchy and/or with a rash. When testing raw materials it is
advisable to test quantities in proportion to how they will occur in the
finished product. So, for example, to test a Preservative, it should be diluted
in water in a ratio of 0.5ml-1ml to 100ml water.
For those of you who make products
The more you learn about the raw materials, the more easily
you’ll know how to combine different raw materials, such as, for example,
adding beta detergent to a product that also contains the stronger alpha
detergent, to minimise and reduce the harshness of the alpha detergent. To
enhance the soothing effect further, you could add comfrey products to shampoos
for sensitive scalps. The same principle applies to all other ingredients in
your products, e.g. adding calming chamomile to products that also have
stronger herbs in them.
Also see my article, Causes and
Treatment of Sensitive Skin.
