After a bath, this young man complained his face felt dry. Being the good parent, Dad offered him some of Mom’s special moisturizing lotion. He applied a liberal amount and rubbed it in – all was well.

UNTIL MORNING

Upon rising the next morning our young friend complained that his face felt hot. When Dad took a look he was astonished to see swelling and giant red splotches – on the face and down the chest area. No fever and no signs or symptoms of sickness – just heat, redness and swelling.

Dad drove his son to school and explained to the school nurse and teachers that the boy wasn’t sick. It was at that time that it occurred to Dad that there may be a correlation with Mom’s moisturizing lotion. It was a good brand – if the cost is any indicator if quality.

Yes, the product is elegant and seems to work well for Mom, but the young fellow with the hot, red blotches has a different opinion. So does Dad.

Should Mom stop using the product? Not necessarily, but the whole family ought to be aware that what is fine for one person may not be good for another. When it comes to products with more than just a few ingredients, it is wise to err on the side of caution. Avoid products with chemical names difficult to pronounce (Limonene, Geraniol, and so on). Avoid chemicals you know may be harmful (caffeine, alcohols, etc.).

When thinking about using a product – especially for skin and hair – test a small area and wait to see if a product is harmful before slathering on large swaths of skin. Better yet, recognize that young Son has sensitive skin, which ought to be respected and honored.

With so many ingredients, it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly where the sensitivity lies. Can you pick out which ingredient your skin might react with from the list below?

Contents:
• Water
• Extract of Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
• Lavandula Angustafolia (Lavender Extract)
• Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary Leaf Powder)
• Anthemis Nobilis (Chamomile Flower Extract)
• Glycerin
• Alcohols
• Isopropyl Palmitate
• Dicaprylyl Maleate
• Cetyl Alcohol
• Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
• Hydrogenated Olive Oil
• Olio Europaea (Olive Fruit Oil)
• Unsaponfiable Oile (olive)
• Avena Sative (Oat) Kernal Extract
• Panthenol
• Simmondsia Chinensia (Jojoba) seed oil
• Caffeine
• Sclerotium Gum
• Dimethicone
• Capryl Glycol
• C12-20 Alkyl Glycoside
• Glyceryl Laurate
• Sodium Coco PG Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
• Fragrance
• Limonene
• Linalool
• Geraniol
• Hydroxycitronellol
• Citronellol
• Alpha-isomethyl Ionone
• Isoeugenol
• Eugenol