If you’ve been battling stubborn breakouts that just won’t clear up—especially around your hairline, jaw, or neck—your haircare routine might be the hidden culprit. Yes, really. While we often look to skincare products as the root of irritation or acne, hair products can play a major role too. From shampoo and conditioner to styling creams and sprays, what you put on your hair can easily affect your skin.
Let’s break down why this happens—and what you can do about it.
Hair Products and Breakouts: What’s the Connection?
Your skin and hair routines are more connected than you might think. The products you apply to your hair don’t just stay on your strands—they come into contact with your face, neck, back, and even your pillowcase. That means anything irritating or pore-clogging in your haircare can also end up on your skin.
One of the most common breakout triggers in hair products is Fragrance. It can cause redness, itching, rashes, and breakouts, especially in people with sensitive or eczema-prone skin.
Fragrance may smell great, but for many, it’s a hidden irritant. Research suggests that up to 11% of people may react to fragranced products with symptoms like breakouts, eczema, or allergic contact dermatitis. What’s more frustrating? Companies often don’t have to disclose the individual components of their fragrance blends—making it hard to know what you’re reacting to.
Women tend to use more fragranced personal care and cleaning products, which might help explain why they experience fragrance-related skin reactions more often than men. And it’s not just adults—kids, too, are becoming more sensitive to fragrance, with rising rates of eczema and fragrance allergy reported worldwide.
How to Know If Your Haircare Is Affecting Your Skin
Ask yourself:
- Do you get breakouts along your hairline, jawline, or upper back?
- Do your breakouts get worse after wash days or styling?
- Are you using fragranced or heavily occlusive (thick, pore-clogging) hair products?
If you answered yes to any of these, your haircare might be contributing to your skin issues.
What You Can Do
Go fragrance-free – Especially if you have sensitive skin or eczema. Look for products that are truly fragrance-free (not just labeled “unscented”—there’s a difference).
Rinse thoroughly – Make sure you’re washing away all product residue from both your hair and skin.
Clean your pillowcases often – Product buildup on fabrics can rub off on your skin overnight.
Wash your face after styling – Especially if you use sprays, gels, or dry shampoos near your forehead and temples.
Great Hair, Happy Skin
At No Nothing, we believe you shouldn’t have to choose between gorgeous hair and a healthy scalp and skin. Our fragrance-free haircare, designed with dermatologists for sensitive skin, delivers high-quality results—so you can enjoy both happy skin and beautiful hair.