If a new product irritates your skin, stop using it. You do not need to keep applying it to prove that it is working.
Do not diagnose from a sensation
A product name or ingredient category cannot tell you why your skin stings. Neither can a store infer the cause from a short description. Products, combinations and individual sensitivities all make a difference.
What matters first is your experience. Set the product aside, wash it off if it is still on your skin, and avoid testing it repeatedly on the irritated area.
Keep a useful record
Write down the name, when you applied it, where you used it and what happened. Keep the packaging and batch information if you have it. If several products were involved, note them too.
Speak with a qualified healthcare professional for a severe or persistent reaction. Seek urgent care for serious symptoms rather than waiting for a brand to reply.
Tell us if it was ours
Our product safety page explains how to report a reaction. Your report helps us keep an accurate record and respond to the product concern. Reporting to us does not replace medical care.
Further reading: American Academy of Dermatology: testing a new skincare product
Photography: COPAL / Unsplash. Editorial photograph.