Discover What’s Causing Your Makeup & Skincare Allergies

So many women have approached me after having suffered difficulty with their makeup. Some were fine for years and then suddenly developed swelling around their eyes or on their face, or illness where previous they never had a problem.

Makeup and cosmetics are part of most women’s daily routine. It’s a ritualistic thing that gets us ready to go out and face the world. It can be very alarming and really knock a woman’s self esteem if she suddenly has to go out with no makeup due to blotchy skin, rashes, and red eyes or in worst cases actually lead to depression!

So here’s a heads up on what symptoms you may be suffering from and what may be causing it along with advice on how to prevent yourself from developing problems in later life. Now I’m not a medical doctor, just a natural makeup and cosmetics enthusiast, so this article is based on my own research of what information is already out there, so consider it practical, useful but not gospel.

Manufacturers put chemical and synthetic ingredients in makeup, such as fragrances and preservatives, parabens, petrochemicals, formaldehydes and fillers that can act as allergens and trigger an allergic reaction. They don’t always cause a reaction in everyone, but it has been shown that 60% of what we put on our skin is absorbed, similar to the method by which nicotine patches work; therefore what we put on our skin does matter. (Please note it is worth mentioning that some people are also allergic to natural ingredients, but the numbers are much lower).

How do you know you are having a reaction?

Two types of allergic reaction are typical of makeup and cosmetics; irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis.

Irritant contact dermatitis: This is more common than allergic contact dermatitis and develops when an irritating or harsh substance actually damages the skin. Irritant contact dermatitis usually starts as patches of itchy, scaly skin or a red rash, but can develop into blisters that ooze, especially if the skin is irritated from scratching. It mostly occurs where the makeup has been in contact with your skin. Where your skin is thinner such as the eyelids, or where it is cracked and dry, irritant dermatitis will be more common. The skin actually breaks down when it comes into contact with the harsh chemicals substances in the makeup, most often these chemicals directly injure the outer layer of the skin, resulting in symptoms of a cosmetic allergy.

Allergic contact dermatitis: This is an allergy to a specific ingredient or ingredients in a product. Symptoms include redness, swelling, itching, and hive-like breakouts. In some cases, the skin becomes red and raw. The face, lips, eyes, ears, and neck are the most common sites for cosmetic allergies, although reactions may appear anywhere on the body. The body's immune system is reacting against a specific substance (the allergen) that it considers foreign and harmful. This may be a specific ingredient that doesn’t agree with you, it could be a chemical ingredient or even a natural one. Everyone is different, and every ingredient is a possible allergen

Neurological Problems

It has also been reported that some of the chemicals in makeup can cause neurological damage, inducing depression. These and other reactions are so insidious that you wouldn’t know that they are because of an ingredient in your lipstick or eye shadow for instance. ME sufferers have reported relief from switching to organic cosmetics, however studies are ongoing.

It can take seconds or minutes for a reaction to occur to really strong triggers, or alternatively it may take weeks or years for low levels of exposure to toxins to finally create a level of sensitivity that will result in a reaction. Hence, prolonged use of makeup containing harsh chemicals is not a good idea for anyone. Your skin and body needs a break!

Studies show that up to 10% of the population will have some type of reaction to a cosmetic over the course of a lifetime. Reactions to cosmetics occur more often in women, most likely because women tend to use more cosmetic products than men, and where your skin has been damaged by prolonged use of makeup containing toxins, it will need to time to heal and recover.

Safe or not safe; who’s telling the Truth?

Although government agencies such as the FDA permit a lot of these chemicals in the makeup to be used, they do not directly test all the compounds, products and chemicals themselves. Instead they allow this multi million dollar cosmetic industry to regulate itself. Across the UK the situation is much the same with the multitude of chemicals within each of the toiletries and makeup products used everyday not being tested to see how they react in the cocktail we use them in.

What to do If you have an Allergy

Although it may sound drastic, the first step is to stop using all makeup. When your symptoms are gone and your skin has calmed down again, then start using them again, one product at a time. Give each product at least a few days trial, even a patch test will do. If you are allergic immediately then stop using it immediately, if you aren’t allergic, use it a couple of days more to check it’s really ok. This may help you determine which product or products are responsible for the reaction. If your skin flares up, you will have to give it a few days to calm down again before you start testing the other products.

If you cannot identify the source of the reaction or if your symptoms do not go away after you stop using the cosmetics, consult your Doctor/Nutritionist as it may be a nutritional problem or infection. Your doctor will assess your skin and could do a patch skin test to find out what is causing the problem. Although your Doctor may prescribe you a steroid cream, this will only temporarily relieve the symptoms, but it will not remove the cause of the allergy. The only way you can avoid further allergies is by avoiding the ingredients that you may be allergic to.

Preventing an allergy to makeup and skincare?

There are several steps you can take to try and avoid cosmetic allergies, including:
Read the list of ingredients on all cosmetic products. If you find an ingredient that has caused a reaction in the past, don't use that product. Keep track of ingredients that have caused reactions, and look for products that do not contain those ingredients.

When considering a new product, even a natural one, do a "mini-patch test" first to see if it causes a reaction. Put a sample of the product on your inner wrist or elbow and wait 24 hours to see if a reaction occurs.

Keep it simple. Choose natural organic cosmetics with simple formulas. More ingredients mean more potential allergens. With fewer ingredients, it's also easier to pinpoint the source if you do have a reaction. Even some organic and natural products have to have some preservatives in them to keep them safe to use.

As makeup stays in contact with the skin for a long time look for products that are natural or organic and that do not contain the harsh chemicals that may cause an allergy such as formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP, Propylene Glycol, AHA’s, phthalates, parabens, fragrances and BHT’s. Natural and organic makeup formulas use milder and naturally sourced preservatives and ingredients and are therefore much better for sensitive skin people. This doesn’t entirely remove the chance of having an allergy, as any of the one ingredients, however natural, may trigger a reaction.

Mineral makeup is all the rave because it doesn’t need preservatives and is so mild as to suit even the most sensitive of skin. But not all mineral makeup is equal. Inika for example is excellent from using it myself and from friends and customers who have given it positive feedback.

Being a little cautious and testing any cosmetics or makeup before use will in the long run provide benefits and help protect your skin from allergic reactions and discomfort.

I'll be following up this blog with some tips on how to prevent allergic reactions to cosmetics getting the better of you.

Sonia