Conditioner help? (Sensitive skin, UK)

[Ponymad21]

HELP, im really struggling to find a conditioner!

I have eave extremely sensitive skin and can only use products that are made for babies!
I've tried simple conditioner and reacted to it although not as badly as I have others.

has anyone got any advice? Or suggested conditioners?

[Anje]

Do you know what you react to?

Where are you in the world?

[Ponymad21]

No idea what I react to! But whatever it is is in most things!

I'm in the uk

[lapushka]

What all have you tried that you reacted to. A list of things would be nice. :)

[Anje]

No idea what I react to! But whatever it is is in most things!

I'm in the uk
Darn, probably any products I'd know are different then. But I edited your title to hopefully draw in people who know more.

I do vaguely remember someone washing with Sorbolene, if you feel like trying something utterly different.
Edit: Rats, nevermind, that's an Aussie product.

[Ponymad21]

What all have you tried that you reacted to. A list of things would be nice. :)

I e tried

Simple sensitive
Treseme keratin smooth
Herbal essences
Aussie
All the aldi conditioners
John frieda forever smooth (made my hair lovely but burned so bad!)

[likelikepenny]

Could it be the fragrance? That would be my best guess.

[lapushka]

I e tried

Simple sensitive
Treseme keratin smooth
Herbal essences
Aussie
All the aldi conditioners
John frieda forever smooth (made my hair lovely but burned so bad!)

Do you per chance get the conditioner on your scalp? If you do, I'd stop doing that, and it might get a *lot* better. If you CO-wash, maybe start washing with diluted shampoo or sulfate-free shampoo and using conditioner only from halfway down your lengths.

[mizukitty]

Your best bet is to stop using conditioner until you have an allergy test done to pinpoint what exactly is irritating you so badly. Conditioner is great, but if you use a mild shampoo less often, it's not 100% necessary. You can add a tiny bit of oil on the ends to keep them moisturized. Living tissue > dead protein.

I hope you get some answers soon!

[Hairkay]

HELP, im really struggling to find a conditioner!

I have eave extremely sensitive skin and can only use products that are made for babies!
I've tried simple conditioner and reacted to it although not as badly as I have others.

has anyone got any advice? Or suggested conditioners?

I've got a lot of allergies and even baby products don't work on me. If you're already avoided fragrances then it could be some of the preservatives are causing problems for you or other additives. I simply don't use manufactured conditioners and looked into DIY hair masks. That worked for me. See here for ideas. Some don't use conditioners at all or some use a little bit of oil.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21

[lapushka]

Also, has it always been like this? Did you change up your routine? Seems like this is something *new* to pop up? I would go back to what did work in the past, first and foremost, to get the irritation gone. That is key. If it's too bad, I would go see your doctor, you might need a lotion to put on there.

A little more information from you would be nice. :flower:

[Ponymad21]

Do you per chance get the conditioner on your scalp? If you do, I'd stop doing that, and it might get a *lot* better. If you CO-wash, maybe start washing with diluted shampoo or sulfate-free shampoo and using conditioner only from halfway down your lengths.


At the moment I'm only using shampoo and I was only using conditioner on the last 2-3inches of my hair

[likelikepenny]

At the moment I'm only using shampoo and I was only using conditioner on the last 2-3inches of my hair

Are you sure it's the conditioner and not the shampoo then?

[Ponymad21]

Also, has it always been like this? Did you change up your routine? Seems like this is something *new* to pop up? I would go back to what did work in the past, first and foremost, to get the irritation gone. That is key. If it's too bad, I would go see your doctor, you might need a lotion to put on there.

A little more information from you would be nice. :flower:

It's been bad for years, since I had a really bad reaction to a new washing powder my mum used. But it's gradually gotten worse. I didn't change my routine at all, and now I just use simple sensitive baby shampoo

[Ponymad21]

Are you sure it's the conditioner and not the shampoo then?

Yes as even with the shampoo I'm using now(which I don't react to) I still react to all those conditioners

[Ponymad21]

I've seen using E45 cream as a leave in conditioner in the ends, I know I can use it so I might try it

[lapushka]

Oh God, that sounds altogether awful, seems like it's a far greater issue than just conditioner, or shampoo for that fact (I also think it would be the shampoo at fault here)! If it's even the detergent when washing... I'd go see a doctor and get an allergy test so you'll know for sure.

Meantime, is there something maybe your local pharmacy has, that's hypoallergenic, to wash & condition with?

[Ponymad21]

Oh God, that sounds altogether awful, seems like it's a far greater issue than just conditioner, or shampoo for that fact (I also think it would be the shampoo at fault here)! If it's even the detergent when washing... I'd go see a doctor and get an allergy test so you'll know for sure.

Meantime, is there something maybe your local pharmacy has, that's hypoallergenic, to wash & condition with?
I might go in and ask!
I seem to live at the dr at the moment and I hate going, I normally have to wait over an hour for an appointment! I've never bothered going as it's always something I've just managed myself at home

[Deborah]

You probably need to use a fragrance free conditioner. There are lots of them. I used to get one at Sally's, but I don't remember the name of the product, just that it was fragrance free. Search online.

[Hairkay]

You probably need to use a fragrance free conditioner. There are lots of them. I used to get one at Sally's, but I don't remember the name of the product, just that it was fragrance free. Search online.

No that's not enough. Simple products are fragrance free and the OP already tried that. Now that there's problems with detergent on clothes causing problems I'd say it's sounding more like my allergy problem. Hypoallergenic is a useless term because it can't possible cover every allergen people are allergic to. Sometimes this means they've use milder fragrances and or colourants. Mostly they don't like to go fragrance free because the chemical smell is not appealing. Unperfumed can mean that they've added something to mask the chemical smell so that the product seems scentless. Products also need preservatives for the product to have a long shelf life but people can be allergic to these too. Colours and texture are also part of the products selling point. These are other possible allergens. With me even the basic recipe causes problems.

It seems like a lot of patch testing is going to be needed and if that doesn't help find something that can be used then conditioners and shampoos may have to be ruled out. Look for a detergent that is specially for sensitive skin plus fragrant free. In addition add an extra rinse cycle to laundry. Stay away from fabric softeners too. It's also worth looking into soapnuts for laundry and other uses.

There's Surecare detergent sold in a few supermarkets in the UK. Marks and Spencer also have a fragrance free sensitive skin detergent.

[likelikepenny]

No that's not enough. Simple products are fragrance free and the OP already tried that. Now that there's problems with detergent on clothes causing problems I'd say it's sounding more like my allergy problem. Hypoallergenic is a useless term because it can't possible cover every allergen people are allergic to. Sometimes this means they've use milder fragrances and or colourants. Mostly they don't like to go fragrance free because the chemical smell is not appealing. Unperfumed can mean that they've added something to mask the chemical smell so that the product seems scentless. Products also need preservatives for the product to have a long shelf life but people can be allergic to these too. Colours and texture are also part of the products selling point. These are other possible allergens. With me even the basic recipe causes problems.

It seems like a lot of patch testing is going to be needed and if that doesn't help find something that can be used then conditioners and shampoos may have to be ruled out. Look for a detergent that is specially for sensitive skin plus fragrant free. In addition add an extra rinse cycle to laundry. Stay away from fabric softeners too. It's also worth looking into soapnuts for laundry and other uses.

There's Surecare detergent sold in a few supermarkets in the UK. Marks and Spencer also have a fragrance free sensitive skin detergent.

I'm highly allergic to almost everything. I used to make my own laundry detergent. It only took me ten minutes to make, made my clothes clean, and lasted for a long time. Here's the recipe i used: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/make-no-grate-laundry-detergent.html

She also shows how to make just about everything else. As a shampoo, I use diluted ACV with tea tree and as a conditioner I was using catnip (although I've gone back to store bought and am suffering) which worked well but you may need to adjust dilution. Theres a thread on it. I recommend trying these out as they're inexpensive until you can figure out what works and what doesn't as well as getting an allergy test.

[Ponymad21]

No that's not enough. Simple products are fragrance free and the OP already tried that. Now that there's problems with detergent on clothes causing problems I'd say it's sounding more like my allergy problem. Hypoallergenic is a useless term because it can't possible cover every allergen people are allergic to. Sometimes this means they've use milder fragrances and or colourants. Mostly they don't like to go fragrance free because the chemical smell is not appealing. Unperfumed can mean that they've added something to mask the chemical smell so that the product seems scentless. Products also need preservatives for the product to have a long shelf life but people can be allergic to these too. Colours and texture are also part of the products selling point. These are other possible allergens. With me even the basic recipe causes problems.

It seems like a lot of patch testing is going to be needed and if that doesn't help find something that can be used then conditioners and shampoos may have to be ruled out. Look for a detergent that is specially for sensitive skin plus fragrant free. In addition add an extra rinse cycle to laundry. Stay away from fabric softeners too. It's also worth looking into soapnuts for laundry and other uses.

There's Surecare detergent sold in a few supermarkets in the UK. Marks and Spencer also have a fragrance free sensitive skin detergent.

I've thankfully found a washing powder I can use :disco: I might try the E45 cream idea as a leave in as I don't react to that

[Hairkay]

I'm highly allergic to almost everything. I used to make my own laundry detergent. It only took me ten minutes to make, made my clothes clean, and lasted for a long time. Here's the recipe i used: http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/make-no-grate-laundry-detergent.html

She also shows how to make just about everything else. As a shampoo, I use diluted ACV with tea tree and as a conditioner I was using catnip (although I've gone back to store bought and am suffering) which worked well but you may need to adjust dilution. Theres a thread on it. I recommend trying these out as they're inexpensive until you can figure out what works and what doesn't as well as getting an allergy test.
I checked the site. I wouldn't go through such trouble to make detergent. It's too much. I'm allergic to all soap so to put my hands at risk mixing such harsh stuff like soap, washing soda and borax is too much. I already use gloves in my home for household chores. I also can't stay in gloves too long because that would irritate my skin so I'm mindful of my limits. If I'm don't have my usual detergent (I rinse my clothing extra to get out all the residue) then soapnuts worked just fine. No mixing needed. I sometimes put some soapnuts to soak in a bucket to produce a cleaner for household chores so if it a splash should occur the damage won't be so bad. Even so I still use gloves cleaning with this. I get eczema on my hands first so I'll do all I can to protect them. I've been warned that I could possibly become allergic to rubber which will cut down on the selection of gloves that I use. I don't want to return to worst of my teen days when my hands got so bad that I couldn't use my hands that much. I ended up missing a week of school.

Simple is best for me. Using stuff with just 1 or 2 or 3 basic ingredients that can be controlled works. That's why I have do things like banana hair mask with just the one ingredient.

I've thankfully found a washing powder I can use :disco: I might try the E45 cream idea as a leave in as I don't react to that
That sounds great Ponymad. I've used E45 on my skin before but it wasn't long before the doctor prescribed something thicker, aqueous cream. I use that to as a soap substitute for hand washing now, once I tried it as a shampoo. I use Cetraben to keep my skin moisturised. Coconut oil/olive oil/almond oil (food grade, cosmetic grades sometimes add fragrance) work well in hair and in a bath to help skin.

[01]

Welcome to my world! I almost faint from most conditioners (I don't loose consciousness... Just almost...), the ones that don't make me faint give me a rash. Yeah. Simple, cheap, sls shampoo doesn't do that but gives me weird sight problems. So I stopped using these and wash my hair with egg yolk. I comb with horn comb before a wash, that distributes sebum all over and makes my hair super oily, that works like pre-wash treatment/conditioning. Then I wash it out with egg yolk. Alternatively you can oil before a wash. Oiling before a wash works with egg yolk or diluted sls shampoo. You can also add herbal tea to your diluted sls shampoo. Or my mom adds henna powder to diluted sls shampoo. Good luck. Interesting about catnip... I haven't tried that, hmm.

[BexArt1994]

I'm not fully sure if this would work but from looking at your list, maybe a silicone free conditioner would be worth a try? I'm from the UK also and I use the Body Shop's Rainforest Radiance Conditioner with good results. It has no silicones, no parabens and no colourants. Here's a link https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/hair/conditioner/rainforest-radiance-conditioner/p/p000783

[lapushka]

I somehow strongly doubt it's the conditioner(s), though, as they don't touch her scalp. I think the culprit is the shampoo. Anything that doesn't touch your scalp can't be causing this. So I'm thinking it's the "detergents". Are you using a regular sulfate shampoo? If so, it might be worth it to try and switch to a detergent-mild cleanser. I'm sure there are sulfate-free or mild products in the UK? Anyone?

[Hairkay]

I'm not fully sure if this would work but from looking at your list, maybe a silicone free conditioner would be worth a try? I'm from the UK also and I use the Body Shop's Rainforest Radiance Conditioner with good results. It has no silicones, no parabens and no colourants. Here's a link https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/hair/conditioner/rainforest-radiance-conditioner/p/p000783

The Body shop is not the place to go if you've got allergies. I recall shopping in there for a gift for a friend and a person enquired if they have stuff for sensitive skin. The shop assistant said nothing they had would help in fact it would make things worse. This product does contain fragrance.

[Anje]

The Body shop is not the place to go if you've got allergies. I recall shopping in there for a gift for a friend and a person enquired if they have stuff for sensitive skin. The shop assistant said nothing they had would help in fact it would make things worse. This product does contain fragrance.

No kidding. We have to hurry past it on the infrequent occasions we go to the mall because the scents are so strong and irritating to my husband. Terrible place for the allergic.

[Ponymad21]

I somehow strongly doubt it's the conditioner(s), though, as they don't touch her scalp. I think the culprit is the shampoo. Anything that doesn't touch your scalp can't be causing this. So I'm thinking it's the "detergents". Are you using a regular sulfate shampoo? If so, it might be worth it to try and switch to a detergent-mild cleanser. I'm sure there are sulfate-free or mild products in the UK? Anyone?
I've done a patch test, I don't react to the shampoo at all, but reacted badly to conditioner

[lapushka]

I've done a patch test, I don't react to the shampoo at all, but reacted badly to conditioner

Odd, and that doesn't touch your scalp? So how come there's this reaction? I don't get it, I think.

[Hairkay]

No kidding. We have to hurry past it on the infrequent occasions we go to the mall because the scents are so strong and irritating to my husband. Terrible place for the allergic.

For some reason some people seem to think that "natural" products and ethnically produced stuff is somehow magically allergen free.

[Tosca]

Because peanuts and shellfish are obviously made in a lab. *sarcasm*

[Monsoonu]

I have very sensitive skin too, it reacts to all kinds of things. Before I wash my hair i rub sweet almond oil into my whole body as a barrier to the shampoo and conditioner. As a bonus my skin loves the oil and it moisturises my skin beautifully.

I only use SLS free shampoo and at the moment alternate between Shea Moisture (from boots and superdrug) and Marrakesh (from Amazon and capital hair and beauty) - the last one is not for everyone due to the natural earthy herbal scent. I also use conditioners the the ranges too.

[catasa]

I don´t have sensitivity issues but for other reasons I´ve gone off commercial conditioners, I use pure liquid honey as a rinse out conditioner and it works rather well. I also use pure mineral oil/liquid paraffin (bought at the pharmacy for internal use for indigestion) both as a rinse-out-oil/ROO (a few drops on wet lengths before applying the honey) and then a few more drops as a leavein on lengths after shower. I don´t know if you have tried mineral oil but reading about it it is touted as very non-allergenic. Maybe something to try! :blossom:

[lapushka]

Mineral oil from the pharmacy is heavier than baby oil, just so you know. When I talk about MO, I'm always talking about regular baby oil, not the heavier product.

[catasa]

Mineral oil from the pharmacy is heavier than baby oil, just so you know. When I talk about MO, I'm always talking about regular baby oil, not the heavier product.

Ah OK, I didn´t know, thank you for making that clear! I can´t find baby oil with only mineral oil in where I live, there is always at least one other ingredient (that I don´t want). The pharmacy one works great for me personally though.

[lapushka]

Ah OK, I didn´t know, thank you for making that clear! I can´t find baby oil with only mineral oil in where I live, there is always at least one other ingredient (that I don´t want). The pharmacy one works great for me personally though.

I use the Johnson & Johnson baby oil and that is totally OK to use. It's normal that there's other ingredients in baby oil; it's fine! I'm glad the pharmacy one isn't too heavy (because that can happen and gives a totally skewed view of MO in that case).

[catasa]

I use the Johnson & Johnson baby oil and that is totally OK to use. It's normal that there's other ingredients in baby oil; it's fine! I'm glad the pharmacy one isn't too heavy (because that can happen and gives a totally skewed view of MO in that case).

Oh yes of course it is OK, I didn´t mean to imply that it wasn´t good, sorry. It´s just that I have tried a few and they didn´t work as well for me personally as the pharmacy one. My hair does not seem to be very sensitive to "overdosing" the MO, maybe that is why the heavier one works for me. I do use it as leave in on dripping wet hair, not on damp/towel dried hair as many seem to do, maybe that is a factor too.

[lapushka]

Oh yes of course it is OK, I didn´t mean to imply that it wasn´t good, sorry. It´s just that I have tried a few and they didn´t work as well for me personally as the pharmacy one. My hair does not seem to be very sensitive to "overdosing" the MO, maybe that is why the heavier one works for me. I do use it as leave in on dripping wet hair, not on damp/towel dried hair as many seem to do, maybe that is a factor too.

Oh it's fine! :) If you're doing well with the heavier one, by all means!!! :D Could be that because you use it on dripping wet hair that it seals the moisture in better than on damp hair. I'm glad it works! :)

[ghanima]

The baby oil of Johnson and Johnson is great, it's just mineral oil, but the baby shampoo is very harsh, I tried it once and will never do that again. Maybe they have changed composition now, I hope so, for reference I copied the present composition, so the more knowledgeable can verify if it's ok:
Water (eau), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, PEG-150 Distearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyquaternium-10, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Acrylates Copolymer, Yellow 6, Yellow 10, Parfum

Have you tried ACV+water (proportion of 1 part of ACV in 100 parts of water) on the scalp? I have cured a lot of skin problems with just that. Could be worth a try. At the right pH the skin takes good care of itself.

[Hairkay]

I don't get baby oil because they add fragrance which will cause me problems. I sometimes get a bath oil that is mostly composed of liquid paraffin. Though I've changed to just using coconut oil/olive oil/almond oil which is more readily available and economical.