Leave-in hair products like Hair oils, gels, sprays, conditioners, and jellies are meant to be left in the hair after they are applied.
Some of these products may contain ingredients that can be pore-clogging (comedogenic), and this is an issue because when you apply products to your hair, you can inadvertently get some of the product onto your skin, especially at the hairline.
You can also transfer them to other parts of the face if you touch your hair and then touch your face.
Hair products might also come into contact with your skin from your pillowcase. When you sleep, your hair products can rub off on your pillowcase. Then, when you toss and turn while you sleep, your skin can pick up this hair product.
There are several ingredients that scientists have determined will likely clog pores and result in acne, many of which are found in hair care products. A list of these comedogenic ingredients can be found below
It is wise for people with acne to avoid the ingredients in List 1, as these are highly likely to cause acne. The ingredients in List 2 may cause acne in some individuals, but there is less research on how comedogenic these ingredients are. Products that contain higher concentrations of these comedogenic ingredients are more likely to cause acne than products that contain lower concentrations. A good rule of thumb is to look at the ingredient list on the back of a product and avoid the product if a comedogenic ingredient is listed in the first seven (7) ingredients.
6 Way to reduce the risk of Acne Caused by Hair Products
- Avoid comedogenic ingredients: Always check the product labels on leave-in hair products and, if a product contains comedogenic ingredients, particularly in the first seven ingredients on the label, avoid that product or limit its use. To be extra safe, you can do this when selecting rinse-out hair products like shampoos and rinse-out conditioners as well.10
- Choose products through trial-and-error: If breakouts occur after using a new product, discard that product and try a different one.
- Change your pillowcase regularly: Leave-in hair products can rub off on a pillowcase during sleep and then transfer to the skin. Changing pillowcases on a regular basis decreases the chance that ingredients left on the pillowcase will come into contact with the face.
- Cover your hair before bed: Wrapping the hair with a cover, like a hair scarf or bonnet, before bed will limit hair-to-skin contact.
- Minimize hair-to-face contact: Certain hairstyles, like bangs, cause hair and leave-in hair products to contact the face more regularly. Choosing hairstyles that minimize hair-to-face contact decreases the chance that comedogenic ingredients from hair products will contact the face and cause acne.
- Avoid touching hair: Touching the hair can transfer a leave-in hair product to your hands. Then, your hands may touch the face, transferring some of the leave-in hair product to the face. Avoiding touching the hair can prevent this.