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Being aware of the ingredients you’re putting on your skin is one of the best ways to protect your complexion. Whether or not you have sensitive skin, there are certain ingredients which can invoke irritation that can cause your appearance to suffer, even making existing fine lines and wrinkles more pronounced amongst dry patches. Especially as you grow older it becomes increasingly important to care for your skin with gentle ingredients that will help to smooth and enhance your complexion, rather than make matters worse. Taking a look at your skincare lineup, skincare experts agree that there’s one ingredient above all that should be kept on the sideline for your best skin yet–and it’s more common than you may think.
Sulfates
Found in an array of beauty products from shampoo and conditioner to body and face wash, sulfates work to provide your products with that distinctly satisfying lather. The most common variants of sulfates found in your skincare ingredients are sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, which function to remove oil from your skin, leaving you feeling squeaky clean. However, while they do clean your skin, sulfates can be profoundly irritating and harsh. “Sulfates strip the skin of their natural oils and actually cause aging,” says medical esthetician AnaKarina. “Bottom line: harsh ingredients would be the worst ingredients because they dry out the skin.”
Stripping your complexion of natural oil, even skin that isn’t particularly sensitive may have a negative reaction to products that include sulfates. "Sulfates can often dry out the skin, and some people find they may lead to more acne when their skin is in frequent contact with sodium lauryl sulfate,” explains David Lortscher, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and co founder and CEO of Curology to Teen Vogue. “This is typically less of a problem with body skin [versus face skin], so most people tolerate sodium lauryl sulfate in body washes."
While your body may be able to tolerate sulfate, the skin on your face is much more delicate and can quickly have a negative reaction to the common ingredient. A foaming lather does create the illusion of a better clean, but dermatologists agree it’s best left on the shelf when it comes to skincare. “Sometimes the cleansers that we use for the face are a little bit more aggressive than they need to be," NYC-based dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD, of Schweiger Dermatology Group tells Byrdie. "You’re much more likely to strip too much oil off of your face than you are your scalp or even your back."
If you recently purchased a skincare item that lists sulfates as an ingredient, don’t throw it out immediately. Since sulfates are incredibly drying it will be best not to repurchase this product, but following up your washing routine with a thick moisturizer in the meantime may help to limit some of the irritation that this ingredient can cause. However, when it comes to purchasing a new face wash, your skin will appear more hydrated and youthful if sulfates are not included in the ingredients list. While it may take some trial and error to find the best products that work for you, making sure to avoid sulfate can make all the difference in the appearance of your skin over time.
