Your skincare products may be making your sensitive skin worse. Now what?

Over 60 percent of all women report having sensitive skin. That's an absolutely shocking number -- but many skincare brands don't seem to care.

The next time you're out shopping for a lotion, salve or balm, take a look at what's being advertised. To many people, if they see an extract named after a flower, leaf or tree, it gives the impression that the product must be "natural" -- and natural means healthy, right?

In reality, those extracts and isolates are just chemicals -- and they're totally untested. Skincare brands don't have to prove that anything actually works, or even that it's from the source that they say it is.

The problem is particularly pressing in the Philippines, where rampant air pollution and powerful sunlight are constantly assaulting exposed skin. The ultrafine particles (UFPs) produced by our endless traffic gridlocks have been shown to cause skin inflammation and other issues.

In an environment that's already so challenging, can your skin take yet another hit from harsh skincare products?

A problem with many layers

Skincare products all include several types of ingredients, such as surfactants, preservatives and humectants. Each of these ingredients can potentially cause issues.

Take sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) for example. The surfactant, which can be made from natural coconut oil, makes cleansers foam up nicely in a way that makes users say: "Ahh! Fresh, clean skin!" That's why a huge number of skincare brands use SLS in their products.

But SLS causes skin irritation in many people, which may only appear hours or days after usage. Worse, SLS has been found to be frequently contaminated with carcinogens, which can damage skin and even cause cancer.

And SLS isn't even the active ingredient -- it's just part of the supporting cast.

But most consumers aren't familiar enough with what's on their skincare product's label to know what to avoid. And so many skincare brands feel free to continue using problematic ingredients.

A new trend toward sensitive-friendly products

However, many people -- and their dermatologists -- have now caught on to the idea that a seemingly meticulous skincare routine can cause more harm than good.

That's why some leading-edge brands have started focusing on sensitive skin friendly products. After all, with over half of all people reporting sensitive skin, it's clearly a large market.

One recently launched brand, Croia, has worked with Philippines-based laboratory to assemble ingredient lists that are scientifically proven to work well with sensitive skin conditions.

"I've personally struggled with sensitive skin, and eczema, my whole life," says Erika Castro-Morrison, Croia's co-founder. "My whole family has. I got really tired of having to second guess my skincare routine."

Both eczema and acne are widespread among Filipinas. Croia's before-and-after testers have shared images with the company of their progress after using the milder topicals that the company offers.

For now, Croia is offering a collection of 5 products, ranging from the mild retinol, acne cleansers, toner, and moisturizer.

Croia is also trying to solve problems specific to the Filipino market, like that ever-present air pollution. Methionine, one of the ingredients in the Amino Acid Cleanser, is an amino acid already found in your body, and has been proven to help prevent damage from pollutants.

With any luck, the future of healthy, safe skincare will be bright -- and so will your skin.

Croia products can be found at: Croia-Aoife.com, TikTok Shop, Lazada, and Shopee.