# Common irritants & How to avoid them If your skin is red, itchy, or breaking out, you’re probably using the wrong products. Many skincare products contain harsh ingredients that do more harm than good. Here’s what to avoid. *** ### **1. Harsh Ingredients That Damage Skin** 🚫 **Alcohol (denatured, SD alcohol, ethanol)** – dries out your skin, causing irritation.\ 🚫 **Fragrance & essential oils** – can trigger breakouts and redness, especially for sensitive skin.\ 🚫 **Sulfates (SLS, SLES)** – found in cheap cleansers, strips natural oils and causes dryness.\ 🚫 **Parabens & preservatives** – can cause allergic reactions in some people.\ 🚫 **Physical scrubs (walnut, apricot scrubs)** – too harsh, creates micro-tears in the skin. *** ### **2. How to Avoid Irritation** βœ” **Use gentle, fragrance-free products.** Look for "sensitive skin" or "non-comedogenic" labels.\ βœ” **Patch test new products.** Apply to a small area before using it all over your face.\ βœ” **Avoid over-exfoliating.** Stick to **2-3 times per week max.**\ βœ” **Moisturize daily.** Prevents irritation by keeping your skin barrier strong.\ βœ” **Watch for reactions.** If a product stings, burns, or makes your skin worse, **stop using it.** If you have bad skin, it might be what you’re putting on it. Fix it. Congratulations, we are done with the face and skin. Let's move on to the body. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://online-guides.gitbook.io/looksmaxxing-guide/skincare/common-irritants-and-how-to-avoid-them.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.