Makeup is an essential part of daily life as it helps people look more attractive and, most importantly, it covers up all their flaws. However, while many people think they are doing themselves good by using makeup, the truth is that this habit can have some pretty scary implications, especially when it comes to face skin. So, if you have already been using makeup on your face or if you are planning to start doing it, here are 8 facts about the impact of makeup on your face that you should know before you do so! Read these facts before applying any type of makeup on your face!
Fact 1: Long-term use makes your skin
more prone to damage
There’s evidence that makeup can clog pores, preventing skin from breathing and releasing toxins. In turn, it can lead to pimples and cause skin conditions like dermatitis, or eczema. Additionally, chemicals like dyes may irritate your eyes or enter your bloodstream through your capillaries (the vessels that transfer oxygen-rich blood from arteries to veins). This is also why you should never use a mascara wand more than once. Even clean mascara wands harbor disease-causing bacteria in their nooks and crannies.
Fact 2: Long-term use can lead to
dangerous side effects
According to a report by The Skin Cancer Foundation, 69 percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 wear makeup every day, while 41 percent said they do not wear sunscreen. The combination can lead to cancer. Our body is a self-healing machine, but when we’re bombarded with carcinogens every day, our body has no chance to fight off cancerous cells and mutations caused by these chemicals. Researchers from Rutgers University have discovered that certain parabens present in makeup can act as endocrine disruptors (chemicals that mimic or alter hormone levels). A new study from UC Berkeley has found that certain parabens present in personal care products have been detected in human breast tumors. Other research has linked them to skin allergies and contact dermatitis.
Fact 3: Most makeup products contain
toxic chemicals
You might think that wearing makeup is harmless and even good for your skin, but it’s actually not. Most cosmetics contain toxic chemicals that can cause cancer as well as disrupt hormones and cause birth defects. One study found that wearing makeup regularly was associated with a higher risk of early death, which is particularly true for women who wear products containing oxybenzone, which caused an increase in several types of cancers. The risks may be greater if you put these toxins directly into your bloodstream by ingesting them through your lips (and possibly tongue) while applying lipstick or gloss. Many lipsticks contain lead acetate and other heavy metals, which are neurotoxins that impact brain function and contribute to nervous system disorders like ADHD.
Fact 4: Women are pressured into
buying makeup from an early age
As early as five years old, little girls begin to ask their mothers for a bottle of pink lip gloss or a matching set of nail polish. For many moms, there’s no harm in indulging their daughters’ requests—it is, after all, just a tube of lipstick or some nail polish. But children are impressionable. They look up to their parents and mimic everything they do; without even realizing it, parents may be setting a bad example for their kids by wearing makeup themselves. What’s more is that parents likely aren’t making an effort to educate themselves about what kinds of chemicals go into makeup products.
Fact 5: Choosing the right products
matters
Avoiding bad products is not enough to keep your skin safe. Experts recommend that you choose products based on their ingredients. For example, look for water-based moisturizers instead of oil-based ones, which can block pores and cause acne. Choose lightweight formulas if you have oily skin and heavy cream if you have dry skin. Skip products with fragrance (fragrance irritates delicate facial skin), dyes, and lanolin, which comes from sheep’s wool. Products containing preservatives may also cause irritation or allergic reactions. If a product says it’s all natural, it probably doesn’t contain ingredients known to be toxic or harmful to your skin so you should avoid them anyway. [1]
Fact 6: It’s addictive
Women spend more than $15 billion a year on cosmetics and skincare products. It’s a largely unregulated industry: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t review most personal-care products before they hit store shelves. Even if you avoid animal-tested makeup, those brands are likely to have come into contact with some animal byproducts during production—either because of ingredients used or due to testing performed at another facility for food safety. If a lipstick shade was not tested on animals, it might be that a perfume or soap was instead, which can contain trace amounts of animal-derived ingredients like castor oil, carmine and lanolin.
Fact 7: Long-term use causes
breakouts
This is probably because makeup acts as a barrier between your skin and natural oils, clogging your pores over time. For most people, makeup is not harmful, says Dr. Sherer. But it can cause breakouts or worsen existing breakouts if you already have acne-prone skin. Those with oily skin may want to consider mineral-based foundations that absorb oil rather than adding more to an already oily face.
Fact 8: We spend too much time and
money in buying it
To sum up, we often pay more than $9 for a tube of mascara which is less than an inch in length. Do you know that our face care products can last for as long as 5 months or even more if we take good care of them? If you use and discard one product every week, it means that in a span of 10 years, you will have spent approximately $3500 just buying face care products. That’s not all! You will also spend another $3000 or so on beauty services like eyebrow shaping and facials. That makes it a grand total of almost $7000 in spending money. I think we can all agree that there are better things to spend our hard-earned cash on right?
