7 Natural Ingredients That Can Irritate Your Skin

Last Updated on May 7, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

We waste so much time worrying about the wrong things.

• We scream like women possessed at the mere sight of a spider (or is that just me?) yet we don’t hesitate to jump into a car to go wherever – guess which one is more likely to kill you?
• We opt for fat-free foods and then drink three cans of soda a day – even though sugar is as bad as the worst types of fats.
• We avoid mineral oil like the plague but don’t hesitate to use lemon juice to lighten our dark spots – and then wonder why our skin is all red and irritated.

Truth bomb: just because it’s natural, it doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Instead of making a fuss about all the synthetic things lurking in your cosmetics, start worrying about the irritating natural stuff that’s so common everywhere. Yep. You’ve read that right. Irritating. Natural. Stuff. Natural ingredients can be irritating as hell, too. It’s not my personal opinion. Science agrees.

Here are seven irritating natural ingredients that can irritate your skin and science says have no business being in your skincare products:

The “Natural = Safe” Myth

Because this one is doing the absolute most damage. Somewhere along the line, beauty marketing decided that “natural” meant pure, gentle, and good for you. It doesn’t. It literally just means it came from a plant or a rock or a goat. There’s no safety guarantee included in that. Let’s not forget: poison ivy is natural. Arsenic is natural. Snake venom? Also natural. Doesn’t mean you want it anywhere near your face.

What the beauty industry doesn’t want to tell you is that lots of natural ingredients haven’t been studied nearly as thoroughly as synthetic ones. There’s this false idea that synthetic = scary chemical, while natural = healthy and clean. But synthetics are often more stable, less irritating, and easier to control when formulated properly.

Meanwhile, natural ingredients can oxidize, spoil, or contain unpredictable compounds depending on where and how they were grown. You’re not just putting a nice-smelling flower on your face. You’re putting on every compound that flower absorbed from the soil, the air, and whatever pesticides touched it.

Long story short: “natural” is not a safety badge. It’s a marketing tactic.

Related: Greenwashing: Is Natural Skincare Really Natural?

Stop wasting your time and money on stuff that doesn’t work. Click on the image below to download “Skincare That Works” and finally get your best skin day – every day.

Most Irritating Natural Ingredients Used In Skincare Products

1. Citrus-Derived Ingredients

My heart broke a little bit the day I learnt anything citrusy irritates skin *sighs* Lemon. Orange. Bergamot… all the stuff that smells like a bright and glorious simmer day is bad for your skin.

Some citrus oils also contain compounds called furocoumarins (yep, that’s a mouthful). When exposed to light and air, they can cause a reaction called phytophotodermatitis. Basically, sun-triggered chemical burns (although in the small concentrations used in skincare products, they’re more likely to cause irritations and allergies than severe burns but still – no bueno.)

When you apply citrus oils on your skin, you do expose them to light and air. There’s no getting around that. *sighs again* So that cute lemon toner you saw on Pinterest? It can leave you with literal brown streaks across your cheeks if you walk outside after using it. Not. Worth. It.

Struggling to find skincare products that don’t irritate your sensitive skin? Download your FREE “Skincare Ingredients To Avoid” cheatsheet to find out what the most common culprits are and cut them out of your skincare routine:

2 & 3. Peppermint And Menthol

You know that lovely tingly feeling your lip balm gives you? That’s menthol (or another mint extract). They feel so cool on your lips. But what they do to them ain’t cool. Anything mint is a counter-irritant. In plain English, counter-irritants relieve inflammation in deeper tissues by inducing it locally. You’re just substituting one kind of inflammation for another. Not good.

By the way, that’s how lip balm or glosses make your lips bigger. Menthol and peppermint irritate the lips, swelling them up. It’s not a cool lip plumping trick. It’s irritation!

Menthol can also mess with your skin barrier over time. That “refreshing” sensation can mask the fact that your lips are actually drying out, which is why you need to reapply minty balms again… and again… and again. It’s the lip balm addiction cycle, and mint is often the sneaky culprit behind it.

4. Lavender

Is there a body product that doesn’t smell like lavender these days? This trends needs to stop. And not just because lavender scents are SO boring. Lavender contains linalyl acetate and limonene, two substances that oxidize when they come in contact with air. The more they’re exposed to oxygen, the higher the risk they’ll cause irritations and up the risk of sunburns. Thanks, but no thanks.

5. Witch Hazel

I guess there’s a reason why witch hazel is called witch. Like a witch, it has superpowers: it has both soothing and antioxidant properties. But it also has a dark side. Or three:

• Tannins, the antioxidants in witch hazels, can irritate skin. That’s why, sometimes, manufacturers remove them from witch hazel. But then, what’s the point of using it?
• Witch hazel contains eugenol, another substance that can cause irritations.
• Witch hazel is usually distilled in alcohol. Alcohol can be drying and irritating, too.

This plant is just a mess. Stay away!

Related: Is Witch Hazel Good Or Bad For Skin?

6. Eucalypts

Do your skin a favour and leave eucalyptus to koalas. There’s no scientific proof that eucalyptus oil does anything good for your skin. But there’s plenty of proof that eucalyptus oil can cause contact dermatitis and allergic reactions. Why use it?!

Eucalyptus oil is often hidden in “aromatherapy” skincare products. You know, the ones that claim to be relaxing or “stress-relieving.” That sounds cute in theory, but on your skin? It’s a ticket to red, angry, itchy town. Don’t fall for the vibes-over-ingredients trap.

7. Chamomile

I bet you didn’t expect to see this here, did you? If you’re thinking that chamomile is soothing and calm down irritations, you’re right. But then, why is it here? Here’s the catch: chamomile is soothing for most people. BUT, if you’re allergic to any plants in the aster family, you’ll get an awful rash every time you put chamomile on your skin. 

People with ragweed allergies (yep, the same one that makes your nose run every spring) can also react to chamomile. So if your face suddenly flares up after using a “calming” cleanser or moisturizer, and you also get hay fever… bingo. There’s your culprit.

Related: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Chamomile In Skincare

The Bottom Line

Just because something is natural doesn’t mean it’s safe. Plants can cause allergies and irritations too. Be careful to any natural irritating ingredients lurking in your products. Always check the labels first.