With many cosmetic products, whether commercial or homemade, it is recommended that you do a patch test on your skin prior to use. This is to ensure that you do not have an allergic reaction to the product and if you do, it will only be confined to a small area of skin and thus treatable with ease. This article describes how.


Steps

1. Pour or squeeze out a little of the cosmetic preparation, essential oil etc., onto a saucer dish.
2. Dab a small amount of the preparation on the pulse of your wrist or the crook of your elbow.
3. Leave the preparation unwashed for a period of 12 hours.
4. Possible signs of adverse reaction - red rash Watch for signs of an allergic reaction. Typical signs will include redness, a rash, any form of breakouts on the skin, itchiness, pain, flaking etc. Some people may also experience nausea or respiratory reactions. If any of these signs present themselves, cease use immediately. See your health professional to discuss the reaction.
5. Continue to use the product if you do not have a reaction. If you do not have any allergic reaction symptoms, it is likely that the preparation is all right for your skin type. Keep vigilant, however, because sometimes it can be the level of application that can impact you adversely and in this case, it is important to cease immediate usage if any signs of an allergic reaction occur.

Tips

• Be aware that commercial preparations can change over time. Long-term usage is no guarantee that a preparation will always remain safe for you; one slight ingredient change can make a previously safe product for you turn into an allergic nightmare. Do not doubt your body's symptoms but seek immediate advice from your health professional.
• Homemade herbal preparations require much vigilance; whilst many herbs are safe to use, some people are highly allergic to certain herbs and may even suffer respiratory attacks or other potentially dangerous reactions. Always know what herbs you are using and if you are making the preparation yourself, follow the instructions carefully. Care should also be taken when using essential oils. If you do have an allergic reaction to a homemade cosmetic, you may need to do some detective work to unearth which herb or which combination of herbs has caused the reaction for you.
• This test applies to a wide range of cosmetic preparations (cosmetics are widely defined by drug administration agencies around the world), including perfume, makeup, shampoo, deodorant, aftershave, sunscreen (also considered a "drug" by some jurisdictions), hair removal creams and other cosmetic items placed directly onto the skin.

Warnings

• Take care not to wash it off when washing dishes, clothes, kids or the dog!
• If testing essential oils or distilled plant products, always know the properties and contra-indications in advance. There are some items that must never be used on infants, toddlers, children, pregnant women and those who are immuno-suppressed and skin patch testing will not alleviate the need to know this in advance.