Have you ever gotten a rash from makeup or skincare products? That might be a cosmetic allergy! It happens when your skin has a bad reaction to an ingredient.
Cosmetic allergies are generally of two types. They are either irritant contact dermatitis, which happens from direct irritation of product on your skin usually from a sunburn. The second is allergic contact dermatitis. In this case, the immune system overreacts to any ingredient in the product resulting in redness, itching or inflammation.
It is necessary to follow a safe usage of cosmetics for multiple reasons. To keep skin healthy and strong and to protect yourself from harmful irritations are the most obvious ones.
Identifying Cosmetic Allergies
Let’s start by understanding allergies. By understanding cosmetic allergies and applying makeup safely, you can keep your skin looking and feeling great!
Symptoms of Cosmetic Allergies
Cosmetic allergies, also known as contact dermatitis, can manifest in various ways. Common symptoms include:
- Redness and inflammation: The skin may appear visibly irritated and swollen.
- Itching: A persistent itch that does not subside with regular moisturizing.
- Rashes: Bumpy or smooth rashes that may spread beyond the area of application.
- Blisters or welts: In severe cases, clear fluid-filled blisters or raised welts can develop.
- Dry, flaky skin: The affected area may become dry and start to flake or peel.
- Burning sensation: A feeling of burning or soreness upon application of the product.
Allergy Testing for Cosmetics
If you suspect a cosmetic allergy, it’s important to identify the specific allergen. Dermatologists can perform various tests:
- Patch testing: Small amounts of common allergens are applied to the skin and covered with patches. The skin’s reaction is observed over a few days.
- Prick testing: A diluted allergen is pricked into the skin’s surface to check for immediate reactions.
- Use testing: Also known as a repeat open application test (ROAT), where a product is applied to the skin twice daily for a week or more.
Reading Labels for Allergen Information
Understanding labels is crucial in avoiding allergens:
- Look for common allergens: Ingredients like fragrances, preservatives, and certain metals can cause reactions.
- Check for ‘hypoallergenic’ claims: While not regulated, these products may be less likely to cause allergic reactions.
- Identify botanical ingredients: Natural doesn’t always mean safe. Some plant extracts can be potent allergens.
- Be aware of the ingredient list order: Components are listed from highest to lowest concentration. Those at the beginning of the list are present in higher amounts.
By being vigilant about symptoms, getting tested for allergies, and reading labels carefully, you can minimize the risk of cosmetic allergies and use products safely.
Safe Practices for Using Cosmetics
Cosmetics are artificial products at the end of the day. We do not recommend shunning their use, but choosing good quality ones with beneficial ingredients is highly recommended. Following are some safe practices for using cosmetics you should incorporate in your lifestyle.
Fragrance Sensitivity
The first thing to remember is the less fragrance the better. Perfumes and perfumed cosmetics are the major allergens. Besides the usual redness and irritation, they can do strange things in sunlight. A brownish or smoky streak may appear where perfume was applied to the skin, usually behind the ears or on the neck – a reaction unique to fragrances. Certain lipsticks and deodorant soaps, too, have been known to cause burning and irritation only under exposure to sunlight. If you still want to splash on a pleasant scent, make your own scented water by packing rose petals or lavender in a jar of cold water. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice. After ten days, strain and use as a subtle, refreshing perfume.
Lipstick Application
Lipsticks are usually made of oil, waxes, dyes and perfumes. If you like the ‘wet look’ on your lips but react to the lanolin in lip gloss, smooth petroleum jelly over applied lipstick. If the perfume causes trouble, look for unscented lipstick.
Application Tools
Use a sponge applicator, not your fingers, to apply foundation, lipstick and eye shadow. (Rubber-sensitive people should use latex or natural sponges.)
Nickel-sensitive people should use only stainless steel eyelash curlers and tweezers. They may also have to avoid nail polish with a metal mixing ball – solvents in the polish may leach out nickel.
Eye Makeup Tips
Eye irritation is less likely if mascara is applied just short of the inner and outer corners of the eyes. Also, brush mascara only on the outer two-thirds of your lashes.
When applying eye shadow or liner, leave a thin makeup-free zone along the edges. Never use liner on the inner rim of the eyelids.
Wand-style applicators should be used for no longer than four months, to avoid the build-up of bacteria and the risk of eye infection. Also, do not spit on liner, mascara or eye shadow to moisten it – that, too, fosters growth of bacteria.
Makeup Maintenance
If your makeup starts to wear off during the day, it’s safer to patch it up than to remove it and start all over again. This minimizes exposure.
Use plain mineral oil to remove eye makeup. Commercial eye makeup removers are generally composed of mineral oil and fragrance. Non-oily removers, on the other hand, are harsh and drying.
General Makeup Hygiene
Never go to sleep at night without removing your makeup. Above all, don’t use any eye product that irritates your eyes in the hope that you will get used to it. The irritation will only get worse.
Product Consistency
If you find a product that agrees with you, stick with it. Jumping from one brand to another only increases the likelihood of exposing you to a new allergen.
Alternative Astringent
For a non-drying, alcohol-free astringent, combine four parts water to one part apple cider vinegar. Swab on with cotton balls. This will be more beneficial for you.
Specific Allergies
People allergic to corn should not use powders containing cornstarch.
Apply nail polish carefully, to avoid bumping it against cuticle or skin. Also, nail polish is not allergenic once it has thoroughly dried, so allow ten to fifteen minutes before touching anything – especially your eyelids, face or neck.
Be wary of cream and lotion collecting under your rings.
Mouthwash Caution
Mouthwashes can create all kinds of problems on the soft, delicate tissues inside the mouth, including redness, ulcers and even ‘bald spots’ on the tongue. The reactions disappear as soon as the mouthwash is discontinued. If you feel you need a breath freshener, chew on a sprig of fresh parsley or suck on a whole clove.
Hair Dye Precautions
The hair dyes most likely to produce a reaction are the oxidation type and those containing the chemical paraphenyl-enediamine. The allergic reaction may occur a few hours after application and usually becomes full blown after one or two days – so a patch test done just before your hairdresser is about to dye your hair is really no predictor of reaction.
Other coloring methods – progressive dye, semi-permanent organic dyes (like henna) and hair rinses – seldom cause trouble. Ask your hairstylist to help you choose a less allergenic product.
Sunscreen Selection
Sunscreen lotions are a must for sunbathing. But have you ever used a sunblock and got a reddened, blistery rash anyway?
You could be allergic to the fragrances or benzocaine in the product – or even to PABA, a highly effective and otherwise safe sunscreen ingredient. An effective alternative is sunscreens containing benzophenone.
Deodorants and Antiperspirants
Fragrance-free deodorants and antiperspirants with aluminium chlorohydrate are less likely to cause allergic reactions.
It’s crucial to be proactively aware about cosmetic allergies. Educating oneself and others on the potential risks and safe practices can lead to better health outcomes. By making informed choices through understanding the ingredients of your cosmetic products, you can ensure a healthy skin safe from allergens.
Cosmetic Allergies: FAQs
What is the most common allergen in cosmetics?
The most common allergens in cosmetics include fragrances, preservatives like parabens, imidazolidinyl urea, Quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, phenoxyethanol, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and formaldehyde, as well as certain metals like nickel and gold.
What are the symptoms of cosmetic allergies?
Symptoms may include rashes or hives, puffy raised areas of skin, small red spots, swollen lips and eyes, red itchy eyes, and watering eyes.
How to treat a cosmetic allergy?
Mild reactions often resolve without treatment when the product is avoided. More serious reactions may be treated with over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream. If the reaction is severe, a doctor may prescribe a stronger medication.
What is cosmetic intolerance?
Cosmetic intolerance, often referred to as ‘Cosmetic Intolerance Syndrome’, describes a condition where the skin cannot tolerate the use of cosmetics, leading to discomfort or irritation. It is sometimes associated with sensitive skin and can manifest as hypersensitivity or hyperreactivity.
Featured Image Credits: Freepik