Every product page on this site asks you to patch test before first use. It is the least glamorous step in skincare and the one most often skipped, so this short guide explains what it is, how to do it, and why we ask.
A patch test is a small trial of a product on one place on your skin, left alone for a day, before you use it anywhere else. Skin is not the same everywhere on the body and not the same from person to person. A product that a friend uses daily can feel different on you, and a formula with plant extracts and essential oils, which is what most of the products here are, carries fragrance components that some people know they react to. The test lets you find out on a coin-sized patch rather than on your face.
How to do it
Choose the inside of the forearm, near the elbow. The skin there is thin enough to be representative and easy to look at. Wash and dry the area. Apply a small amount of the product: one puff for a spray, a pea-sized amount for a lotion or the body butter, one drop for the serum. Let it dry and do not wash it off. Leave it for 24 hours. During that time look at the patch two or three times: once after an hour, once in the evening, once the next day. If the skin looks and feels exactly as it did before, use the product as directed. If you see redness, or feel itching, warmth or stinging that does not settle within a few minutes, wash the area with lukewarm water and do not use the product. Tell us at support@lavylitesusa.com; we keep a note of every report.
A few practical points
Test one product at a time; if you test three at once and something happens you will not know which one it was. Test again after a long break, because the same product can feel different after months in a cupboard or after a change in your own routine. Test the same size you bought: the 50 ml and 150 ml versions of a spray are the same formula, so one test covers both. Do not patch test on broken or freshly shaved skin. And keep the product away from the eye area during the test as you would in normal use.
Which products need it most
Sprays such as Lavyl Auricum contain alcohol and essential oils, so they are the first candidates. Lavyl Auricum Sensitive is the alcohol-free version of the same herbal blend; it still carries the same essential oils, so it still deserves the test. The rinse-off products (the hand wash, shower gels and shampoos) stay on the skin only briefly, but a patch test is still worthwhile if you know you are reactive to fragrance.
What a patch test does not do
It does not tell you whether you will like the scent, the texture or the finish, and it says nothing about how the product performs; it only tells you whether your skin accepts it. For everything else, the product page lists the full ingredients and directions, and our How to use and safety page explains each product type.