Irritants Worst Irritant No known benefits Irritants at a glance Include ingredients such as harsh scrubs, drying alcohols, and essential oils Damage skin both immediately and over time Can increase oiliness in oily skin + dryness in dry skin Many natural or organic ingredients can irritate skin Irritants description Irritants is a general term used to describe ingredients used in skin care that are harmful to skin, regardless of their origins or the claims surrounding them. Irritants include a wide range of ingredients, among them essential oils, drying alcohols (such as denatured or SD-types of alcohol), harsh scrub ingredients, menthol, camphor, and fragrance ingredients, both natural and synthetic. The effects of irritants in many cases are immediately apparent – you can feel skin tightening, tingling, or burning – but in many other instances, the irritation occurs over time and might not be noticeable, yet damage is happening below skin’s surface. Many people who describe their skin as sensitive have used irritating ingredients that have done damage over weeks, months, or years of use, creating a chronic state of reactive, sensitized skin. The result of using irritants includes more than redness and sensitivity. For those with oily skin, irritation can trigger a process that increases oiliness and breakouts; for those with dry skin, their skin gets drier, feeling tight and even flaky. When choosing skin care products, irritants are always ingredients to avoid! Related ingredients: Alcohol Menthol Essential Oil Camphor