It seems like my skincare products are making me worse!

Dr. Irwin
February 22, 2015
Dear Dr. Irwin, Thank you for your wonderful blog. I am 31. Over the last two years I have begun to consistently use sunblock and moisturizer (Neutrogena Deep Moisturizer) around my eye area. I usually wear sunglasses when I go out. I briefly tried some Retin A products including the one you recommend for eye use (Replenix All-trans-Retinol Eye Repair Cream) but it made the webbing worse. Despite my use of sunblock and moisturizer I seem to be getting more and more webbing and fine lines. Is this just my genetic wiring or could my sunblock or moisturizer be bad for me? I sometimes feel tingling from the moisturizer. Also, at this point if I want to slow down the speed of the under-eye wrinkling what are my options? Thank you! Bella, NY

You’re so welcome!   And………I’m so glad you are trying to get on a good skincare regimen at age 31 because it’s so much easier to prevent problems than fix them later.

On products, one really important thing to remember is that – sadly – many skincare products with good active ingredients …..also can contain chemicals that can be irritating or even cause an allergic reaction.   The most common culprits are the preservatives, fragrances, lanolin (wool wax alcohol) and propylene glycol.   There are others too.  Products for sensitive skin.

So……. it’s possible that the reason you are looking worse with the products has nothing to do with the active ingredient and everything to do with what’s in the base.   Try the Lumiere Riche Eye Cream which doesn’t have propylene glycol in it instead.  You can also try using a bland moisturizer like Cerave Cream around the eye area also.

Dermatologists can test for allergic reactions to many ingredients in creams.  Call and ask for a visit for possible skincare product allergies and discuss “patch testing.”

Hope this helps,  Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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