Why your skin reacts

skin reaction

What’s the most important thing for you, when you choose your skincare? Is it the ingredients, the effect, or the texture? From organic active ingredients to natural additives - woods_ copenhagen skincare is developed to meet all three demands, so you don’t have to compromise. But skin types – and the reactions on the skin - are just as different as the ingredients are. Not everyone necessarily reacts positively to ingredients with emulsifying effect.

Below, we give a general view over different skin irritations and tips that help you navigate, if your skin breaks out.  

Mind your skin 

For most people, moisturizers, peel masks, and eye creams are a regular part of their daily beauty routine to keep the skin healthy, beautiful, and vital. But even if they’re everyday heroes, the plain truth is that not all skin types work well together with the active ingredients in various skincare products. So, what defines active and non-active ingredients? All ingredients in skincare products have a certain purpose - from keeping the skin moist, healthy, and clear to helping it obtain a youthful and energetic appearance. Because of their effective abilities and talent for visible results, active ingredients particularly stand out. Whatever the purpose may be, the distinction between active and non-active ingredients is important to classify, so you know what to look for.

  • Non-active – this is the group of various substances (e.g. water) that is needed for all the ingredients in the product to remain one solid mass. 
  • Active ingredients – these are the substances (e.g. glycerine) that have a real effect on the skin and work on a deeper level, creating results outside as well as inside the skin.

Know the signs

Change can be a good thing. Sometimes. When you change from one skincare product to another, it may confuse and stress your skin - in some situations, this can be a sign of the skin not agreeing with the ingredients in the product. But don't worry. It is perfectly normal for the skin to behave depending on its circumstances. The skin is just letting you know that you’ve changed to another product and it’s trying to adapt. The majority don’t experience any problems, and reactions and irritations are just as different and varied as skin types are.

Pay extra attention if you have sensitive skin since it’s more responsive to products with active ingredients. Sensitive skin is overall characterized by easily drying out, itching, and causing redness. If your skin has been very dry, and you apply a lot of moisture, the skin may flare up with a reddish appearance. Why different skin types react to various active ingredients is difficult to say with certainty, but the best thing to do is to know the signs, what may cause the problem, and how to tackle it.

Typical signs can be;

ALLERGIC REACTION. Reddish breakouts and irritation (probably) evoked by an already inherent skin condition. If your skin already suffers from allergies, it may react inflamed, itchy, and turn red and rough. Atopic dermatitis (a skin allergy condition) may possibly trigger/enforce the reaction further.

RASH AND FACIAL ITCHING. A skin rash or red spots often occur due to a variety of different reasons. You’ll feel an intense sense of itching or a prickling effect, and in other extreme cases redness.

A BURNING SENSATION. A feeling of a warm, burning sensation often occurs due to the actives working in depth. It's usually safe but may also be a hint.  

moist balance for the skin

60% is absorbed in the body

Our skin is the largest organ and besides serving as protection against external chemicals, bacteria, and viruses, it also helps regulate the moist balance. Approximately 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed in the body as well. To protect the skin and keep it healthy, opt for simple, effective products that are as organic as possible and at the same time get the job done. As far as soaps and cleansers are concerned, go for mild, gentle ones with natural ingredients and a pH level that is less aggressive.

The pH level is measured on a scale from 0-14, where 7 is neutral and anything below 7 is an acid - whilst everything above 7 are bases (drinking water for instance has a pH level of 6 - 8,5 while the body’s pH level is approx. 7,3.) The water we use in our products are water from an unspoiled source in Northern Greenland with a pH level of 9,3. The high pH level makes the water effective to help balance the body’s pH level. Go for products without artificial preservatives and with a pH level that lets your skin maintain its natural balance and doesn’t ruin its protective acid coat.

Care for what you wear (on your skin) 

To live up to our own high demands, all products have undergone thorough testing. Top quality and safety are two main priorities to us – this is also why every single product is created with close attention to detail. Our products contain highly active ingredients which affect the skin on a deeper level than alternative superficial components. This means that persons with sensitive skin or people suffering from pre-existing allergies may be more exposed to the active substances and may even develop an allergic reaction. We want our customers to always be confident about which product they buy, but if you notice that your skin reacts according to any of the above mentioned conditions – and the condition is persistent or develop other symptoms, we strongly advise you to see a dermatologist. Your skincare should make you comfortable and make your skin look and feel healthy.

The bottom line is... 

Listen to your skin. Know the ingredients that serve it well and those that make it react badly and break out. It’s important to introduce new products the right way, so whenever you buy a product, give your skin time to get used to it.

Psst… never hesitate to contact us no matter what question you have, we are ready to help in the best way possible.

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