Phototoxic ingredients - what not to use in cosmetics in summer

Can cosmetics be dangerous for the skin? As paradoxical as it may sound, but yes. If you thoughtlessly use active ingredients without knowing their properties, you can seriously harm your skin. There are a number of cosmetic components that enhance the effect of ultraviolet radiation on the skin or decompose under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. But this does not mean that such components should be excluded from use completely, they just can and should be used in the autumn-winter period. In anticipation of summer, let's figure out which of your favorite active ingredients are best hidden for a couple of months on a distant and preferably darkened shelf.

Photosensitivity or phototoxicity: danger to the skin

Photosensitivity is an increased sensitivity of the skin to the effects of sunlight. Such sensitivity can be associated with:

• skin color, because it is known that the lighter the skin, the greater and more painful the skin's reaction to the sun,
• with the peculiarities of the immune system - the so-called allergy to the sun. Unfortunately, in such cases, the only way out is to minimize the time spent in the sun, and use the strongest UV protection during periods of time spent outdoors.

But for those with darker skin, it is too early to relax. Even if you can sunbathe on the beach for hours and not feel discomfort, your skin can become sensitive to the sun due to some substances. And these substances can cause photosensitivity even in insensitive people, such components are called phototoxic. Under the influence of ultraviolet light, their molecules form free radicals, which then bind to skin proteins and cause irritation, an allergic reaction, and itching. This is how photoallergy manifests itself, or redness followed by inflammation and peeling - this is a phototoxic reaction.

Components that can cause a phototoxic or photoallergic reaction

Retinoids

Active derivatives of vitamin A are called retinoids, you can read more about them in one of our articles. Retinoids are one of the most powerful rejuvenating components, but also one of the most irritating to the skin. In addition, retinol dries out the skin and reduces its barrier functions, as well as the resistance of cells to ultraviolet radiation. This can cause an undesirable reaction of the skin. Retinoids not only increase the sensitivity of the skin to ultraviolet radiation, but also break down under the influence of sunlight. If you have never used cosmetics that contain retinol, you should definitely avoid it in the summer. If your skin is already accustomed to the action of vitamin A and does not react to it with irritation, you can continue to use it exclusively at night, and in the morning be sure to apply SPF 50 or 50+ protection, and do not forget to renew it every two hours. So much hassle that we believe that vitamin A can be postponed until autumn, because there are so many powerful actives that do not react to the sun in any way and are considered analogs of retinol in cosmetic action, for example, Lanablue (also called blue retinol) or natural Bakuchiol. Both vitamin A itself and its analogs can be bought in the Beurre store.

AHA acids

AHA acids are one of the most beloved components by many. Acid toners and toners wonderfully refresh the complexion, peels based on AHA acids literally renew the skin, remove fine wrinkles, make the skin more toned and elastic. But they are also not compatible with the sun, because instead of a radiant complexion, you can very easily get age spots. It is important to remember that the use of acids can increase the sensitivity of the skin and lead to pigmentation and scarring. This happens because when using fruit acids, the upper layer of keratinized cells is exfoliated, which serves as additional protection from the sun. Again, this applies to cosmetics with a high acid content. If the percentage of acids is small, and the peeling is superficial, then they can be used together with a powerful sunscreen and exclusively in the evening. If you have oily skin, acne, then you can make recipes with a small content of AHA acids. But if the skin is sensitive, white, with rosacea, it is better to leave such acids until the autumn-winter period.

An excellent replacement for acid peels in the summer will be enzyme peels, which can be prepared on a complex of papaya and mango enzymes Pap-ango enzyme or Keratoline.

Whitening actives

It is not advisable to lighten the skin in the summer, so whitening actives should either be completely excluded or used in the evening, and then in the morning be sure to apply a cream with SPF. Most whitening components suppress the production of melatonin, and this is a natural sun protection factor.

You should not use arbutin, hydroquinone in the summer (it should not be used in principle), kojic acid should also be left for the fall, especially since it is better to use it not on a permanent basis, but in a course.

If you absolutely must use whitening, pay attention to Actiwhite, a natural whitening active based on pea extract, it does not increase skin sensitivity to the sun. You can also add actives to the recipes that have skin lightening as a secondary effect, such as Niacinamide, fermented Shiunko oil, vitamin C, cucumber or parsley extracts.

Essential oils

All citrus oils have such a pleasant summer aroma, you just want to add them to

• tanning oil, but you should never do this. All citrus oils
• are photosensitive and their use on a sunny day is fraught with
• burns, skin irritation and even the formation of age spots. Also prohibited are essential oils of citronella, cinnamon, leuzea, cloves and
• some others (sandalwood, verbena, but at high doses). The main component that affects the photosensitivity of essential oils is furanocoumarins.

Therefore, remember that essential oils should not be introduced into daytime cosmetics that will be used in the sunny season.

Base oils

Which oils should be avoided in daytime cosmetics in the summer? We exclude unstable fatty oils that oxidize easily; it is better to leave them for night creams, and not only in the summer. Usually, these are polyunsaturated fatty oils, and their iodine number is higher than 130. It is even recommended to store such oils in a dark place to avoid oxidation and rancidity. Such unstable and, accordingly, non-summer oils include:

• evening primrose oil
• black currant
• borage
• pomegranate seeds
• blackberry
• flax
• cranberry seeds.

Often these oils can spoil (go rancid) in the bottle even before their expiration date

In any case, even if you do not use photosensitivity actives in the summer, do not forget about the rules of behavior in the sun. Be sure to use sunscreen, and which filters you prefer - chemical or physical - is a personal matter for everyone, you can read about them in our article on SPF protection.

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