A Seriously Bad Reaction to a Shaving Cream

Used this during the week on my head with good results.Used it on my face this morning & it has made my skin red & blotchy so its no good for a regular shave for me.It's been a few years since I last used it & now I understand why I avoided it.
 
I work as a chemist and we sometimes deal in cosmetic-esque products (without disclosing too much info we supply various militaries with various things), so have to be careful to keep products as non-irritant as possible. Rather strangely, or rather not the more you see it first-hand, the essential oils and fragrances are the usual culprits for irritant qualities. I know from experience that before long, if not already, companies have to list the oils which contain allergens for the general public. Aside from that I know someone with an allergy to lanolin, so it's oddly the less synthetic 'things' that can cause the most issue!

Hope you're alright after your reaction, Billy. It can be scary having inflammed/uncomfortable skin. Glad it hasn't put you off your razor-fuelled passion!
 
Yeah..Natural Products like Essential Oils can Be Used & Abused by Soap Companies..There are a Lot of Chemicals Used in the Process of Producing Essential Oils & Lanolin these Days as Well..o_O

The Lanolin Allergy by Some Folks has been well Looked into..Its Not the Lanolin Folks are Allergic to..Its the Chemical Process of Insecticides & Chemicals Used on the Sheep..There isn't a Lot of So Called Natural Products that Haven't been Exposed to Synthetic Chemical Process in their Production..That of Course Includes Food..Most Processed Food are So Full of Synthetic Chemical Processes they are NON FOODS..:)

Billy
 
The thing about cosmetics is that the chemicals used need to be 99% purity, if not more. That gives scope for only 1% maximum to be nasties such as dichloromethane, acetone or other solvents which could cause harm. Atop that, they need to be product information registered so as to show they don't contain anything on restricted cosmetics lists in quantities of about 0.1% or higher.

The one thing to bear in mind is that 'natural' on a cosmetics bottle/tub/packaging means 'it is found in nature', not 'it is extracted from a natural source'. Limonene (smell of oranges and/or lemons) is found in nearly every cleaner and shampoo these days. It can be extracted from oranges and lemons but it's far easier/cost effective to synthesise it. That, itself, isn't such a terrible thing because you usually restrict the number/quantity of solvents used.

Penultimately, preservatives are where the most contention is found, or synthetic surfactants such as sodium lauryl sulphate. These are usually new(ish) on the market and not absolutely tested for their properties. That's why you'll have a number of people who exhibit dermatitis-type symptoms when using 'non-irritant' products.

Aaand finally (cheer), what may sometimes look like a rash/allergic reaction may not be entirely the case. If you think you've had an allergic reaction, go and get patch tested. We recently sent out a product to one of our tenders (military) who came back and said they're all having rashes - they were using the product immediately post-shave and weren't taking any time to take care of their skin. Ultimately, pores clogged, triggered an inflammatory response and gave the appearance of a rash!

I do agree with you though, Billy, that 'natural' products are being abused by companies. There is so much marketing behind having a 'natural' product even if every ingredient has been made in a beaker in a lab somewhere.
 
if only 1% is the "nasties" then why is it that if I spilled 1 gallon of these perfume on the floor at my local walmart, the store would have to pay a decontamination crew with space suits to clean it up?
 
Bezoar said:
if only 1% is the "nasties" then why is it that if I spilled 1 gallon of these perfume on the floor at my local walmart, the store would have to pay a decontamination crew with space suits to clean it up?
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Purfumes are going to be a bit different to soaps etc. They can use a carrier fluid and this can be alcohol based - these have the potential to cause irritation but usually not exempt from use in cosmetics (eg hand sanitizers). Aside from this, fragrances are going to be the main culprit for decontamination type cleanup. Oils are incredibly bad for fish etc. if they enter waterways. Plus you'd have the issue of possible allergens in the fragrances in contact with the public - there's large potential to cause legal battles if someone has a reaction in a public shop.

The 'nasties' are going to be nastier than the otherwise permitted chemicals. You need a vast amount of information relating to a product and multiple testing before it can be on the market. If it's skin based and contains allergens it usually requires further testing again.

Atop this, their SDS will likely tell a different tale to the packaging. I've often seen a miniscule clause saying to refer to the msds before use only for it to say to wear gloves while handling and not to apply to skin. If something is sold as a perfume I'd guess doesn't say anywhere to put it on your skin.

Finally, quantities make a huge difference. A small amount of ethanol is fun, a large amount can definitely kill. Same goes for water... Allergens are different in that even small amounts can trigger reactions.

Apologies for the essay!
 
the bad chemicals in that 3 dollar bottle of perfume is very similar to what can be found in an 80$ bottle of ralph lauren "polo" . knock a gallon worth on the floor, call decon teams.

And the funny thing is, the main carriers in perfumes all seem to be the ones that avoid skin contact with.
 
Bezoar said:
the bad chemicals in that 3 dollar bottle of perfume is very similar to what can be found in an 80$ bottle of ralph lauren "polo" . knock a gallon worth on the floor, call decon teams.

And the funny thing is, the main carriers in perfumes all seem to be the ones that avoid skin contact with.
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Of course they are! The differences can be subtle - the amounts of a certain fragrance, the fragrance itself... Both of which go back to the allergens statement! There's no getting away from the fact a gallon is a huge amount of 'stuff' to spill.

Another anecdote - there is a company that works not too far from where I do which produce drinks/beverages, especially fruit based (smoothies/orange juice etc). They had a large-ish quantity (think 100x litres) of orange juice which they no longer needed or could use so poured it down their drains. Few days later HSE knocked on their door with a hefty fine for causing a mass aquatic death in a nearby river!

Take a look at the back of your washing up liquid! New regulations (CLP) have knuckled down on what should be present on the label. Now you'll notice it says explicitly not to pour it down drains under any circumstance. Same goes for drain unblocker, laundry detergent etc. yet that doesn't stop us! Seemingly harmless but some 'nasty' potential.

That's true, they usually cause irritation as they are more volatile (though there may be other reasons). For example, ethanol. It draws water away from the skin leaving it dry. It is also noted as a 'dual solvent' so would likely take some oils away from the skin which form the natural, humectant barrier. Goes back to the point of probably doesn't say anywhere to put perfume on skin!

Apologies for essay #2!
 
I have had really bad burning with OSP Shogun shaving cream. I traded it with guy here and he had exactly the same issue and is going to try and move it on too. I think the ginger extract concentration is too high for sensitive skin. I mentioned this to James but I got an "all soaps have been tested by me" response. I like OSP soap but the Shogun was the first truly nasty experience I have had with any toiletry.
 
matteob said:
I have had really bad burning with OSP Shogun shaving cream. I traded it with guy here and he had exactly the same issue and is going to try and move it on too. I think the ginger extract concentration is too high for sensitive skin. I mentioned this to James but I got an "all soaps have been tested by me" response. I like OSP soap but the Shogun was the first truly nasty experience I have had with any toiletry.
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Like with any scent/fragrance/essential oil there's the lottery that you'll be in contact with an allergen specific to you. Some EOs contain a greater variety of compounds so that risk is increased. Some EOs are less likely to cause issue. Unfortunately there's a luck-of-the-draw element to it. It's a shame you've had such a nasty reaction to it. You may be able to take the cream to someone who patch tests to get their take on it, or to get a more involved picture test you for each individual compound/mixture in the cream? If a few people do it, it might be useful to OSP to see a larger than anticipated proportion of people reacting to a certain chemical - the last thing they'd want is mass exodus based on one 'model' of shaving cream! It'd also give you something to look out for with regards to future purchases!

Alternatively, you could play shaving cream roulette and hope you don't have any more adverse reactions! As long as you're okay that's what matters!
 
Nisse said:
"All soaps have been tested by me" but how?
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It's quite easy to get by, at least initially, by trialling on yourself. I know I've done it in work, but as we're fulfilling orders of the product in 100,000's, it does get microbial limits tested/challenge tested as well as accelerated shelf-life tested and period after opening (PAO) tested if required. All ingredients have to be cosmetics grade minimum and I have to raise an MSDS for the product, COSHH forms for each ingredient used, product information file etc. The initial testing on myself is for new product development for specific military tenders. If I have no adverse reactions, nor do 5 of my colleagues (who are warned about the potential for unfavourable reactions and have their names logged and signed) then it's submitted to the tender on that basis. If said tender likes what they receive, then away to go with further testing.

If the testing at the moment is simply that he's tried it on himself, or that he has scope to do some shelf-life testing at home (with the correct equipment) then that's up to user discretion whether or not they buy/use it. If it becomes more domesticated, such that people who (a) don't know what's in it and/or (b) don't know what it's used for end up buying it, then there could be issues down the line.

Fortunately, cosmetics testing isn't expensive if you look around. Shelf-life testing only needs to be done for a 30-month period for domestic sales (anything more is overkill and you'd need a PAO test thereafter). Companies who do both of these may even submit the seller to the cosmetics suppliers database though I'm not sure of the intricacies of that, personally.

I'd assume that James will have done his research prior to making any of the products he does, especially as they're highly regarded on here from what I can see! Soap making is a well-documented skill so being short of literature isn't an option. I'd imagine it's one particular component of one particular ingredient that has a greater chance of triggering an allergic reaction in the Shogun variant. I'd like to try it myself and see whether I exhibit a rash/burning/stinging of any sort - I'm fortunate to have quite resilient skin!

Hope this helps! Sorry again for the ramblings, I enjoy chemistry and all that's with it...except chemical warfare, obviously.
 
Nisse said:
No standardized EU test for commercially available shaving soaps!
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I was going down the lines of cosmetic testing for products in the UK... Rather that it being a standard is a legislation or something... I'll have to double check this though! Interesting all the same! :D
 
I enjoy your " ramblings " Ben. I should probably, as an attender at numerous skin clinics over the decades, declare an interest in that I have the type of skin whose owners ( wearers ? ) would never volunteer to try out a newly developed product ! So any not too technical chat regarding the preparation and ingredients of stuff intended to be externally applied gets my interest everytime. Thanks.

JohnnyO. o/
 
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