Corey ’s curious: What’s in Mary Kay’s Timewise line that isn’t in anything else? I recently had a severe allergic reaction to it and I’ve never never had a reaction to anything else in my entire life. I’ve been using Sabon NYC`s Seaweed line, and Lush’s Ocean Salt and never has any problems. What gives?
The Left Brain Responds:
To start with, let’s take a look at the ingredient list for Timewise:
Water, Mineral Oil, Glycerin, Isotheral, Neopentanoate, Bentonite, Cetyl Dimethicone Copolyol, Octyl Pelargonate, Neopentyl, Glycol Dioctanoate, Myristyl Myristate, PPg-26-Buteth-26, Sorbitol, Sucrose, Distearate, Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Oleyl Oleate, Tocopherol, Comfrey Extract, Burdock Extract, Hops Extract, Yarrow Extract, Meadowsweet Extract, Hydrocotyl Extract, Coneflower, Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Sucrose Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Carnauba Wax, Lactose, Methylparaben, Cellulose, Propylparaben, C9-15 Alkyl Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Lauramine Oxide, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Titanium Dioxide, Ultra-marines, Chromium Hydroxide Green FD&C Red 4, D&C Red 33.
It’s hard to say which of these ingredients is causing you to have a reaction. Normally, I’d say it’s the fragrance since that’s typically the ingredient that people have the most allergic reactions to. But in this case, there doesn’t appear to BE a fragrance. Most of the other ingredients are used in a lot of other products, so it’s unlikely that they’re the culprits. That narrows the list down to the few ingredients that are relatively unusual. For example, you don’t see glycol dioctanoate or octyl pelargonate used that much. Some of the extracts, like Hops, Meadowsweet, and Hydrocotyl aren’t seen all that often either. Then again, it may not be a single ingredient. You could be reacting to a combination of chemicals that are unique to this product. There’s really no way to tell.
The Dermatologists’ Secret Allergen List
So what’s the best way to predict which products will cause an allergic reaction? I suggest you check with your dermatologist about C.A.R.D. CARD, or Contact Allergen Replacement Database, is a list of products that are free from specific allergens. Your doctor can help you use this tool to avoid products that are likely to give you reaction. According to PubMed, this approach has proved to be an invaluable tool for both physicians and their patients in contact allergy counseling. If you’re interested in learning more, check with your dermatologist.
What do you think? Do you have specific ingredients that you know you’re sensitive to? Leave a comment and share your suffering with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
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Corey Says:
Thank you VERY much!!! This helps me figure it out a bit more.
Now how to get rid of the pesky Mary Kay lady that still won’t stop calling…
Megan Says:
Being a Mary Kay Consultant, I would have to say BE HONEST! If you are having an allergic reaction she would like to know about it. We have a 100% guarantee so she can either exchange for other products of the same value or give your money back. We don’t want unhappy customers, so if she is a decent consultant she will do what she can to rectify the situation.
Bethany Says:
I too had a reaction to the same line of Mary Kay products. My face and hands went bright red and the itching was terrible for a day and a half. I just had free samples so it was easy to toss the products out.
I get a mild reaction to Oil of Olay products as well. Too bad because it’s good stuff.
Thanks for sharing. I thought I was the only one that had a reaction.
Judy Says:
I MAY be having an allergic reaction to my new DHC Deep Cleanser…I love this stuff but I now have two zits on my face which I RARELY have. I follow it with a cleanser so this shouldn’t be happening, should it? Grrr.
thebeautybrains Says:
You never really know for certain why you get zits. I would be skeptical that a cleanser caused them though but it’s possible.
Kevin Says:
If you get an overnight “zit” from a product (even a cleanser), it is most likely irritation. A pimple cannot form that fast, but irritation can.
Carole Says:
I just started to use some of Clinique and Estee Lauder’s new products and found out the hard way, my face broke out in a rash and little scabs all over it, that I’m allergic to Rosemary extract. A lot of the new skin care products have Rosemary in them, so I have to be very careful. Also, my food allergies relate to my skin allergies. Like citrus fruits, passion flower, peppermint, etc.
Left Brain Says:
I guess natural isn’t always safer.
Sonj Says:
I have used Mary Kay ,It aged me.I use
Arbonne with very effective results wi th a trace of retinol(vitiamn A) which many skin types can get a so called Over dose,caused from to much retinol in a skin care regium.Nutrimetics is another co.,which is completly natural and the results are incredible.I sell both and will never advise a Mary Kay product to anyone EVER again.its like putting fylmeldihyde in your blood.
Good luck on those products my research is provin and Approved.
Elizabeth Says:
I’m allergic to Bismuth Oxychloride. It makes my skin itch and BURN when I sweat!
I’m also allergic to oxtinoxate, which is a bummer since that drastically limits my choice in sun protection products. When I use a lip product that contains octinoxate, my lips will itch and eventually secrete fluid and about a day later, a large layer of dry hard skin will form. When it is used on my face, my skin gets itchy and later forms dry flaky patches.