Dermatologist Kristen Hudson Nickles, shares her advice for ELLE magazine, "As
long as you don't have facial swelling, you can do a basic allergy test
at home. If you think that you're allergic to a shimmery blush, for
example, test it on your inner forearm in the same way you would on your
face, applying a thin layer in the morning and removing it with
cleanser in the evening as you would your usual makeup. Do this every
day for a week and watch for a rash to develop. If so, you have your
answer; if not, move on to another product and repeat, one by one. Or a
dermatologist can do a patch test, where little dots of different
topical ingredients are applied to your back in a grid, and she examines
the skin to see which chemicals produced a reaction." - Dermatologist Kristen Hudson Nickles, for ELLE magazine.
DIY patch test is recommended.
It
can be difficult to isolate a single ingredient that is to blame for
skin irritation. Carrying out a patch test is always a good idea if you
are prone to skin irritation. If you can't identify the allergen then
further tests can be performed by a medical specialist such as
dermatologist or clinical Immunology allergy specialist.