Are you sensitive to eucalypytus oil? That is one of the worst culprits for sensitivity. DH is sensitive to menthol so uses a lot of my stuff - most male stuff has menthol or eucalyptus oil in it for the manly "invigorating" effect. That effect is just the skin telling you it doesn't like it!! I have the worst reactions to lavendar oil and camphor.
This is why I really don't get the rabid reactions to using one of the least reactive skin products on the planet (yes, you L'Occitane Lover! - I AM aware that it isn't absorbed, but you won't get a better product for holding moisture in the skin either. If you actually want to LEARN something instead of talking to me like a child, read the extract below).
Mineral oil. Clear, odorless oil derived from petroleum that is widely used in cosmetics because it rarely causes allergic reactions and it cannot become a solid and clog pores. Despite mineral oil’s association with petroleum and the hype that it is bad for skin, keep in mind that petroleum is a natural ingredient derived from the earth and that once it becomes mineral oil USP (cosmetics- and pharmaceutical-grade mineral oil), it has no resemblance to the original petroleum. Cosmetics-grade mineral oil and petrolatum are considered the safest, most nonirritating moisturizing ingredients ever found (Sources: Cosmetics & Toiletries, January 2001, page 79; and Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2000, pages 44–46). Yes, they can keep air off the skin to some extent, but that’s what a good antioxidant is supposed to do; they don’t suffocate skin! Moreover, mineral oil and petrolatum are known to be efficacious in wound healing, and are also among the most effective moisturizing ingredients available (Source: Cosmetics & Toiletries, February 1998, pages 33–40).
Vaseline was actually discovered when the oil-riggers wounds healed better after coming into contact with the white ointment produced on the pipes when drilling. So it doesn't exactly do nothing either. It was also rec'd to me by a maxillo-facial surgeon to avoid scars and promote better healing after I'd had facial injuries. I have minimal scarring (only visible under magnification) and have Vaseline to thank for it. So much for it not doing anything!
Elise, you may find the following interesting: eucalyptus extract. Extract that may have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties on the skin (Source: Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology, January–February 2000, pages 60–64). It also may be a skin irritant, particularly on abraded skin (Sources: Clinical Experimental Dermatology, March 1995, pages 143–145; and www.alternativedr.com/conditions/ConsHerbs/Eucalyptusch.html).
