Best Natural Skin Care Products for Sensitive Skin and Allergies

Our skin is our largest organ – a barrier from, yet also a gateway to, the many things in our environment. It’s easy to forget that what we put on our skin can be almost as important as what we ingest. Yes, dairy does exist in make-up, lotions and potions (particularly “natural” ones!), not to mention, many of us who follow a dairy-free diet (especially those with allergies or intolerances) tend to have sensitive skin. And though there are tons of lotions, cremes and balms claiming to be the best natural skin care products, many still contain irritants.

Skin care and sensitivities are certainly a personal thing, but as someone who grew up with eczema and has the lingering reactive skin that can result, these are the best natural skin care products that I’ve found to date and that I purchase with my own hard-earned money. I will update this post when I find additional great products, so be sure to bookmark/pin it, and please do feel free to share your favorites in the comments.

Borage Therapy Facial Care by Shikai

Gentle, virtually scent-free, calming and light enough for every day, I instantly became a fan of select items in the Borage Therapy Facial Care product line for dry and sensitive skin. They use borage oil, which has been shown to reduce inflammation and increase skin hydration. I’ve trialed all items, except for the yellow one with SPF, and keep going back to the Facial Cleanser, which is soap-free yet thorough, the Facial Moisturizer, which penetrates but doesn’t provoke bumps or breakouts, and the Eye Cream, which I can’t say necessarily reduced fine lines, but it does hydrate without irritation. I’m not a big fan of the Facial Scrub as I find the sand-like grit difficult to fully cleanse away.

Hair Care Bonus: If you have fine hair, I can personally recommend ShiKai Color Reflect Mist & Go Conditioner (it is my go-to detangler) and their Everyday Shampoo. I’ve tried many of their other shampoos, including the Color Refelct (Gold), but always go back to the Everyday.

Little Pip Body Care by Pharmaca

I actually had the chance to trial a few Little Pip products when seeking out some kids items for Allergic Living. I highly recommend them for kids, but also found myself falling for their Body Wash. Technically, it is Shampoo + Wash, but it wasn’t effective for me as a shampoo. However, it worked great as a gentle all-over cleanser and for shaving my legs. I also thought the Baby Lotion was nice to have on the counter – it isn’t extremely hydrating, but offers good daily moisture, and no, it doesn’t smell like baby powder!

Jason Moisturizing Creme

Though I sometimes find it a bit too heavy for my face, Jason Revitalizing Vitamin E 5000 I.U. is an amazing “pure natural” moisturizing creme that provides extra, soothing hydration. I really like it for those extra dry days, which seem to happen often in our climate.

Alba Botanica Un-Petroleum

If you want to avoid petroleum jelly, but find aloe vera just sits on your skin, Alba Botanica Multi-Purpose Jelly is a great compromise. In terms of consistency, it’s a hybrid between the two, but contains just castor oil, coconut oil, beeswax, and vitamin E. Just as the packaging states, I find it very soothing, moisturizing and softening.

Best Natural Skin Care Products with ONE Ingredient

Vitamin C Crystals

I buy the Trader Joe’s brand, but assume that most Vitamin C Crystals would work the same since there is only one ingredient! This is my personal magic weapon, but please note that this could potentially be irritating for you. My physician actually recommended it – his wife who is a gorgeous medical esthetician uses it – and I’ve not read any issues on safety, but this isn’t a widespread practice, so I am not recommending, just sharing my personal experience. I gently use vitamin C crystals as a scrub a few times per week while in the shower. The first time I did it, I thought I was burning my face off. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that reacts very quickly to any bacteria on your skin. Fortunately, even when it burns, my face emerges without redness and quite soft. To minimize the burning sensation, I cleanse my skin first, then pat the crystals on and very gently massage in during a hot shower. I then rinse away. My physician said it is like a mini-peel, but doesn’t tend to leave any irritation, and that Vitamin C is a powerful collagen builder. Again, just sharing one of my personal secrets!

Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil

I used to avoid wearing make-up simply due to the irritation of removing it – soap drying my skin our and harsh removers. But a simple swipe with Extra-Virgin Coconut Oil gently removes residual make-up – even from the eyes – with ease. Note that coconut oil is actually quite astringent, so I do not rely on it as moisture for my eye area.

Raw Honey

If a blemish begins to well-up, a simple dab of Raw Honey (in the evening – when no one will see me!) typically prevents it from surfacing without drying the skin like many home remedies can. In fact, honey locks in moisture and is naturally healing. However, this is not a vegan option – honey-flavored agave does not have the same effects.

Please note that at last check, all of the items in my list of best natural skin care products were dairy-free and generally hypoallergenic. Most are also gluten-free and vegan. However, some may contain wheat, another ingredient that is allergenic to you, or they may contain a non-vegan ingredient such as beeswax. This post is for informational purposes only; always check ingredients on skin care to make sure it is appropriate for you!