Can Makeup Be Harmful to the Skin? Experts Take

On more than one occasion we will have heard that makeup is harmful to our skin. And really this statement can be true, but provided that a series of facts or circumstances are met.

Makeup, by itself, is not harmful to the skin if it is used well, so in principle, the alarm should not go off; but it is convenient to know what are those bad practices or bad habits that are going to be able to generate a long-term problem in our body.

Many times we think that we are doing something correctly when in reality we are making small (or big) mistakes that little by little are undermining the health of our skin.

As main errors we find:

Not cleaning the skin properly

Whenever makeup is discussed, emphasis is placed on how important it is to cleanse the skin before applying any type of product to, on the one hand, allow the cosmetic to be used to adapt perfectly and not suffer variations or problems during the following hours; and on the other, to eliminate the possible presence of impurities in the skin that would be trapped between it and the applied cosmetic.

Likewise, once the makeup is removed, it will also be convenient to clean the skin of the face to remove any remains that may have remained on it, thus preventing the pores from clogging.

Keeping the skin clean at all times is essential if we want to preserve its good health, and for this it will be necessary to use suitable products, such as micellar water.

Sleeping with makeup

Many times, due to lack of desire or time, we decide to go to bed with makeup applied to our face, leaving the task of removing makeup for the next day. This is common, especially when the makeup we have put on is not excessive.

During sleep time, our skin takes the opportunity to breathe and recover from the aggressive actions suffered during the day (action of cold or heat, wind, rain, sun, friction…).

When makeup is on the skin, the pores become clogged, preventing this breathing and replenishment process. As a consequence, the dreaded blackheads will be generated, acne will increase, and some more sensitive areas may become irritated.

Therefore, and although it involves a great effort, taking into account the time of day in which we find ourselves, it will always be not necessary, but mandatory, to remove makeup before going to sleep.

Using brushes of poor quality, or too dirty

One of the main elements used to apply makeup on the skin are brushes.

It is essential to have good quality material, since it must be taken into account that we are talking about a product that we are going to put in contact with the skin.

The hair of the brushes or brushes can be natural or synthetic, and it is in the seconds where more problems usually appear. Synthetic hair tools are much cheaper than natural hair, and this often leads to looking for the cheapest brush or brush in order to save a few euros on something that we are going to use for a long time.

This type of cheap brush may end up causing some type of allergic reaction, eczema, hives, redness …

On the other hand, these materials require regular maintenance and cleaning over time. A dirty brush is a storehouse of bacteria and dirt that, we remember again, we put in contact with the skin of our face.

We constantly renew the skin, through its pores we expel oil, sweat and other organic residues… which end up on the brush every time we use them. For this reason, and from time to time (one or two weeks) it is convenient to clean these tools.

Using expired or spoiled makeup

Makeup, like many other products, is susceptible to deterioration, either by the passage of time, or by being stored in inappropriate conditions (excess heat, cold, humidity…)

In the same way that we have said before that brushes and brushes with which we apply makeup should be taken care of, the same thing will happen with makeup itself.

Using, for example, a makeup base that has passed its appropriate use date can have negative consequences for health and good skin condition.

Any expired makeup is likely to cause skin problems once applied, but those with a liquid or creamy texture will present the greatest risk, since they will allow a greater proliferation of bacteria, fungi or other elements.

Storing this type of product in conditions of excessive heat or humidity (for example, in a cupboard under the bathroom sink, which has water leaks), can also alter their texture and condition.

Do not cover the products well

When we buy a cosmetic, it is well closed inside a case, jar, box… The purpose of this packaging, in addition to serving to contain the product itself, is to protect against the entry of bacteria, other substances, and that of prevent the cosmetic from deteriorating.

It is not uncommon that many times, either due to haste or ignorance, many cosmetics remain open inside the toiletry bag within the reach of all kinds of bacteria and other elements that, once again, will end up on our skin, potentially causing problems.

Sharing makeup with other people

Makeup products and tools should be something personal, and when we say personal we are referring to the fact that they should always be used by a single person.

Sharing a sponge with another person, a brush, a blush, a lipstick… will be a risky action, since any contagious problem or pathology suffered by either person may be transferred to the person who “receives the favour” of power. use that tool or cosmetic.

There will be times when it will be much more beneficial not to put on makeup, than to risk contracting any type of fungus, styes, conjunctivitis, herpes…

Using the same makeup after having suffered an infectious disease

If we have talked before about sharing makeup with other people who may suffer from a contagious disease, the person who suffers from those same diseases will also have to take a series of precautions once they have overcome said disease.

Getting fungus, herpes, or any other mild infectious disease is not uncommon. It is also likely that during the time in which we are suffering from this disease we use cosmetic products and different tools to apply them to the skin.

What will happen if we use the same makeup and the same tools once we have managed to heal ourselves? Well, it will be very likely that we will end up contracting the same disease again, since we will be in a case similar to the previous one, but with only one person.

For this reason, it will be very necessary to replace all the material that has come into contact with the affected areas to avoid entering a loop, because of which the infectious process can be unnecessarily prolonged.

Using products that are not suitable for the type of skin you have

There are different types of skin depending on the amount of fat they produce naturally (normal, dry or oily), their sensitivity, their texture…

Depending on the type of skin that a person has, they should use one type of cosmetic product or another, since the use of inappropriate products can generate various problems.

For example, oily skin types should avoid using oil-based liquid foundations, as this will aggravate the problem of sebum production. However, these foundations are suitable for dry skin.

The opposite is the case with powder foundations, which are suitable for oily skin, since they allow the sebum production to be regulated.

As for sensitive skin , we must know that there is a wide range of products on the market aimed at them, free of aggressive components that will end up causing irritation.

Using cosmetics that contain dangerous or harmful components

Within this section, mention can also be made of using poor quality makeup. We are therefore in the same case as the one referring to the use of cheap tools for wanting to save a few euros.

Cheap makeup, in general, tends to be of poor quality (there will always be exceptions), due to the elements that are included in its composition to lower the final cost.

Many of these elements can end up clogging the pores, causing allergies, offering little durability, causing different reactions… in short, a series of problems that will end up making cheap things expensive.

As examples of these compounds we can mention parabens, formaldehydes, sulfates, perfume components, different petroleum derivatives…

Applying excessive amounts of makeup

When a cosmetic is applied to the skin of the face, it is done with the idea that it remains there for a high number of hours.

There are people who tend to think that “the more, the better”, not only in terms of durability, but also in terms of aesthetics (obtaining a result of dubious taste…)

The greater the amount of product placed on the skin, the worse it will breathe and the greater the chances that it will end up generating any type of problem, from hypersensitivity to more visible problems such as acne, dermatitis, blackheads…

But in addition to the skin, we apply makeup to other delicate points of the face such as the eyes, an area in which you must know how to apply the product properly. Abusing eyeliners, mascaras … will irritate the eyes, causing them to become red, making them cry (with what this implies for the makeup applied), and it may be quite uncomfortable for those who use contact lenses, since they may become produce what is known as dry eye and also infections.

Using makeup at a very early age

Currently, there is a trend that the use of makeup is spreading among adolescents at a very early age.

At this stage of life, the skin presents a very great sensitivity, in addition to the fact that other problems such as acne are frequently suffered naturally.

Those adolescents who suffer from acne and abuse makeup may aggravate this problem, since the pores will be clogged.

Therefore, in these cases, makeup can be used, yes, but taking into account the characteristics of this type of very young skin, acquiring suitable products, and not abusing it, both in terms of quantity and frequency of use. use.

In short, makeup by itself, and as long as it is used properly, will not cause any type of problem on our skin, nor will it pose a danger to it. However, the cases that we have exposed will be familiar to more than one… and it is probable that from time to time a little problem derived from them has occurred.

Read Also: Full List Of Banned Skin Lightening Creams To Avoid

Following the appropriate guidelines, and being aware that a good use of makeup will make us have a radiant and attractive appearance, we should not have any problem when it comes to showing off our best image.