Patch Testing—Testing for Product Safety

Patch Testing Checking for Product Safety

Clear Essence Cosmetics Skin Care Tip Series Written by Kara Grimes

April 22, 2016

Your skin is your body’s biggest organ. It works hard to protect the rest of your body from dangerous particles and pathogens in the environment and acts as a living anatomic barrier from outside forces. As much as your skin takes care of you, it’s important to take care of your skin so that it can continue to keep you healthy. This includes being careful when it comes to products for your skin. How can you tell if a product is safe to use on your skin and what can you do to make sure it’s good for you? Learn about patch testing and how to determine if a product is right for you!

Before you go out to buy new skin care products, you need to know exactly what your skin needs and what kinds of products and ingredients will help you the best. Knowing your skin type is a great way to make sure you only choose products that will give you the best results. Pay attention to your skin. Is it oily and prone to frequent breakouts? Does your skin start to look dry and flaky in the middle of the day?

Or, maybe your skin is sensitive and to the environment and to products you apply on your skin and you have to take extra care to avoid redness and irritation. In any case, your skin will always show you exactly what it needs by the way it reacts to your day to day routine. When you identify a persistent characteristic in your skin, you’re ready to identify your skin type and start looking for products that will improve your unique skin issue.

But, even after you find and select products that are tailored for your specific skin type, you still need to be careful before you introduce a new

product formula to your skin. This is where patch testing comes in. A patch test is the act of applying a small amount of a substance on a section of your skin to test how compatible it is with your skin. Patch testing is especially important to check for any possible allergic reactions and for those with sensitive skin. You should generally wait 24 to 48 hours after patch testing a product to determine if it’s safe for use on your body. Your testing area should be small enough to deal with quickly if there is a reaction and in a place that won’t be subject to excessive friction from hair or clothing.

Try using the inside of your wrist to test a product before you risk using it all over your skin.

Whether you’re typically reaction-free or have highly sensitive skin, it is always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the potential health of your skin. One way to ensure this is to look for tested products made for sensitive skin. Our Sensitive Skin Care line uniquely addresses special skin needs by effectively blocking common irritant agents that cause flare-ups in sensitive skin. Let safer skin habits and Clear Essence Cosmetics guide you to smoother, healthier skin that will protect you for years to come!