Holiday makeup: What products to avoid, what to look out for His relationship is close makeup and psychology, as for centuries it has been a means of enhancing features, covering imperfections and boosting self-confidence.
By emphasizing the beautiful parts of the face with makeup and enhancing their appearance, women feel more desirable and empowered to face any challenge. They also have wider social esteem and acceptance, since they are seen by others as more attractive, competent and more prestigious.
The period of Christmas and New Year is the time when they experiment more with various cosmetic products, in order to discover themselves, renew their style and “communicate” their moods to those around them.
However, everything applied to the skin has positive as well as negative consequences. Make-up products, but also the habits of applying them and cleaning the skin, can become causes of diseases that on the one hand damage the image and psychology and on the other hand require the application of therapeutic treatments.
“The growth of the cosmetics industry and affordable cost have made them very popular, with rates of use by teenage and adult women skyrocketing. Today, it is estimated that 95% of the female population uses cosmetics daily.
At the same time, in recent decades skin problems have also increased because of them, partly because of the insufficient risk assessment tests before the products are made available for sale to consumers, points out Dermatologist – Venereologist Dr. Christos Stamou.
The chemicals contained in them are capable of triggering skin sensitization, especially in people with a history of atopy. The cosmetics that most often cause reactions are skin care products, moisturizers, make up and hair care products. They are less often caused by perfumes, deodorants and toothpastes,” he adds.
The negative effects of makeup are also due to product choices and skin care practices. The regular use of products with toxic ingredients and their incomplete removal from it can cause allergic dermatitis, oiliness and acne, dryness and dehydration, pigmentation and premature aging.
To avoid these problems, especially during the festive season, you should:
Choose the quality of the products with care, otherwise it is possible that:
- Allergic contact dermatitis
Allergic contact dermatitis from cosmetics is extremely common. It mainly occurs on the face, since it is exposed to a greater number of care, cleansing and make-up products, with the eye area being the most sensitive. Those that are most guilty are facial cleansers, makeup remover products, makeup sponges and brushes, mascara, eyelash scissors. Shampoos and conditioners can cause problems on the face as well as on the neck.
A study on the subject found that the condition affects 93.4% of women, mainly those between the ages of 20 and 30 (37.7%). The most common cause was morning cream/sunscreen and night cream, followed by face powder and soap. Patients with cosmetic contact dermatitis who had a history of atopy were 19.7% and 6.5% had a history of atopy.
The substances most often blamed are parabens, formaldehyde releasers and isothiazolinones. In addition to chemicals, contact dermatitis due to cosmetics can also be caused by natural extracts.
Prevention: The first step is choosing products that suit the skin, with gentle or natural formulations, without chemicals including SLES and α hydroxy acids.
Treatment: Discontinuation of the offending product and oral antihistamines, topical steroids, and oral steroids are the weapons for symptom management, and if secondary infection is present, oral antibiotics.
- Dryness – Dehydration
Products containing fragrances are often blamed for causing dryness, and their regular use can worsen conditions such as atopic dermatitis.
Lips are also sensitive to irritants.
Prevention: Any cosmetics that promise quick drying and a matte texture should be avoided, as well as those containing alcohol, glycolic acid or salicylic acid on already dry skin. Ingredients like menthol or citrus flavors in lip products can have serious effects on them and the skin around them, causing dryness and chapping.
Treatment: Hydrodermabrasion is one of the most popular treatments for dry and dehydrated skin worldwide, deeply cleansing, exfoliating and hydrating. In just 30 minutes it rejuvenates the face without requiring recovery time.
- Premature aging
The dryness caused by preservatives and fragrances is a reason for the appearance of premature signs of aging. This is intensified when you skip using sunscreen before makeup or choose products without an SPF.
Prevention: Buying more “pure” cosmetics can prevent this development and keep the skin young and elastic for a longer period of time. Also, a good cleansing of the skin every night offers protection, in order to remove all toxic substances.
Treatment: Deep cleansing to remove impurities, treatments to improve blood circulation in the skin and the use of hydrating serums and masks that penetrate the deeper layers of the skin can correct fine lines and sagging, giving firmness and radiance.
Clean the skin thoroughly to avoid:
- Oiliness and acne
Make-up residue can clog skin pores and lead to acne breakouts – that is, the formation of black or whiteheads. These can appear on the face, neck and scalp. In addition to insufficient cleansing, this skin condition can also be caused by the type of cosmetics applied, which can block pores and thus create oiliness and acne, even in women with no history.
Prevention: The daily removal of all traces of make-up, regular deep cleansing and the purchase of products suitable for the skin type. It is also important to clean makeup brushes and sponges every 10 days.
Treatment: To treat acne there are medicinal treatments, local and systemic. Phototherapy in recent years has proven its effectiveness and safety, since it has antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and anti-acne effects, regulates the amount of sebum secreted by the skin, enhances the production of collagen and elastin, reduces pigmentary lesions, which can also formed by makeup products.
“Makeup catches everyone’s eyes, gives confidence and self-confidence, especially to women with bright, even-toned, smooth and firm skin. Its use is contraindicated only during exercise, since then the pores open to expel sweat and chemicals enter them along with pollutants. Points of attention should be the suitability of the products for the skin type and their expiry date, as after this the products can become a cause of infections”, concludes Dr. Stamos.