That time a client in Austin had a full-on allergic reaction to a 'clean' brand mask

I was doing a facial in my old treatment room, using a popular clay mask from a brand everyone said was super gentle. Halfway through, my client's face got bright red and puffy, like a balloon. She had to take Benadryl right there. It was the aloe vera extract, which I learned can be a major irritant for some people. Now I patch test EVERY new product, no matter how 'natural' the marketing is. Has anyone else had a client react to something that was supposed to be totally safe?

2 comments

2 Comments

dixon.daniel1mo ago

Honestly, that's why I don't trust "clean" labels at all.

ryan6531mo ago

That's a good point about labels, but it's not the "clean" part that's the problem. It's the idea that any single ingredient is safe for everyone. Aloe, lavender, even chamomile can cause big reactions. The real lesson is that skin is unpredictable. Patch testing is the only safe bet, no matter what the bottle says.