All ingredients, even natural ones, contained in cosmetic and skincare products can cause allergies and irritations. For this reason, before using any new product, a skin patch test should be performed.
What is a patch test?
A patch test is a way to determine if a product will cause a negative reaction to your skin. This way, if you get an irritation the damage is limited to a small zone and can be more easily treated. This is particularly important for people who are prone to allergies or have sensitive skin.
Most products have instructions on the labels on how to do a patch test, yet they are easily ignored. Are you guilty of this? I admit I am, most of the time. I tend to do a patch test before using a new depilatory cream as some of them made my skin all red and itchy, but usually I’m too lazy to do one. I know, that’s really bad of me, esp because performing a patch test is really easy.
How to do a patch test
1. Select a free and dry area to perform the test on. I usually do it on the inside of my wrist.
2. Apply a small quantity of product to the selected area and wait 24 hours.
3. Keep checking for signs of negative reactions: swelling, redness, itching or burning.
4. If so, wash it off with water immediately. Otherwise, the product is safe for you to be used.
What do you think of patch tests? Do you do them or are you as lazy as me?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the tips Gio! It’s very useful.. I’m pretty lazy to do a patch test myself
Luckily my skin is not so rebellious most of the time lol
.-= Shuu´s last blog ..Super Late NYX mini haul =-.
I’m lazy to do the patch test and I know I should
.-= Dao´s last blog ..Hair of the Week =-.
Shuu: you’re welcome. Lucky you! I am the same, I rarely have negative reactions so I often think I can skip doing a patch test. Hope I won’t have to regret it one day though.
Dao: me too. I know it’s important but still I don’t do it.
Errr…..I know it’s always good to do a patch test especially when trying new products, but I am lazy. My skin has been quite good to many products I have tried and tested.
But my 1st Origins sample I tried(it’s supposed to be suitable for sensitive skin, so I took it for granted though I don’t have sensitive skin) and my skin reacted quite ‘violently’ to it. I wrote an account of this in my blog under label “Origins”.
I don’t know the lazy me would learn from this or not
but I’ll definitely be more careful with products from Origins in future. I will definitely do a patch test with subsequent Origins products that I am going to try out!! 
.-= Vonvon´s last blog ..Bobbi Brown Makeover – EOTD: Soft Smoky Look =-.
I’m sorry to hear that Vonvon. I read your posts and I’ve had the same experience with a Bottega Verde cream. My face was all warm and flushed, it was scary! Do you know which ingredient caused it? But being more careful with Origins products is probably a very good idea
I tend to think that because my skin doesn’t get irritated easily and most products work for me, I don’t need to do a skin patch test. We should both learn from our mistakes, but somehwo I don’t think it will be so easy.