Walk down any drugstore beauty aisle, and you’ll be bombarded with labels sporting leafy green logos, screaming the word “NATURAL” in massive fonts. Organizations like the Environmental Working Group (EWG) have been extremely successful in publicizing ingredient safety concerns, and the market has responded by introducing products they hope will generally be perceived as safer.
However, just because something’s labeled “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe. The first problem is that the term “natural” is actually meaningless. “If you go to the FDA’s website, they don’t have a definition of natural. There’s no regulatory definition in cosmetic labeling,” said Dr. Shari Lipner, a dermatologist at the New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. “I think people probably think [natural] means that it’s derived from plants, and they think it’s somehow healthier, but that’s not necessarily true.”
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A European Union commission caused a panic among European perfumers like Chanel and Dior in 2012 when it announced that it would ban certain fragrance ingredients, many of which are naturally derived, because of an increased incidence of allergic reactions to these ingredients. This move highlighted the fact that there are indeed some common and much-touted natural ingredients that can cause real problems. Here are three common culprits:
Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is a natural skin care darling. Its cleansing properties are touted for clearing up acne, treating warts, and stopping nail fungus. You can find it as a standalone item and as an ingredient in skin care products. “It’s like the do-everything treatment, but it can actually cause allergies,” said Lipner, who’s treated patients for tea tree oil reactions ranging from minor rashes to blisters.
People who are allergic to other plants in the same family as the tea tree—eucalyptus, guava, clove, and allspice—are at higher risk for a reaction. And Cosmetics Design just reported that anywhere from 50 to 73 of tea tree oil is contaminated with unknown substances, which can also potentially contribute to adverse reactions.
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Lavender
This ubiquitous, supposedly calming ingredient is actually capable of causing a bit of stress in your life. Lavender is widespread in everything from soaps to shampoos, but it’s also a fairly well-known allergen. There are several medical reports of people having skin reactions to lavender from using eye pillows and topical products, and as an inhaled essential oil. Lipner has also treated patients for lavender allergies. Additionally, a small study back in 2007 raised a concern that both lavender and tea tree oil could cause gynecomastia—abnormal breast tissue development—in boys who repeatedly used products containing these oils. It’s a rare disorder but something to take into consideration when choosing products for children.
Shea Butter
Shea butter is derived from a tree nut commonly found in Africa, and it’s increasingly used in hair care and body products. Because it’s a tree nut, there’s been concern that people with nut allergies should avoid it. (Almond oil, also found in many products, prompts similar concerns.) A small study in 2012 showed that the proteins that typically cause a reaction are not very reactive in shea nut butter, but Lipner said that there have still been reports of skin reactions. There’s also a growing concern, though no scientific evidence yet, that if you have a latex allergy, you could also be susceptible to a shea butter reaction.
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If you suspect you’re having a reaction to a beauty product, Lipner recommends cool compresses, Aquaphor cream to soothe the area, and over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream to decrease any inflammation. It’s sometimes difficult to tell whether or not a skin reaction is due to an allergy—which involves the immune system—or is just a run-of-the-mill contact dermatitis, which does not. Basically, if the reaction occurs over and over again, you’re allergic to something. Lipner advises testing any suspicious products on your inner arm every day for a week, and watching for a rash to determine which one might be the culprit. And don’t necessarily blame an unwanted reaction on the new guy in your makeup bag. “You can have an allergic reaction even if you’ve used that product for the thousandth time,” she warns. “It’s a complex mechanism.”
The take-home message? Natural ingredients are still chemicals, and chemicals can cause reactions.
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