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| By James Cook |
If you have sensitive skin and would like to avoid eczema rashes, redness, broken capillaries as well as other symptoms that plague sensitive skin while still being able to enjoy all the fun and magic that is the world of makeup. Here are your commandments:
Thou shalt...
1 - Be critical, period. Side note, this may actually be the most important thing in every aspect of life! But I digress...If you have sensitive skin, never assume that a product that is raved about by everyone and their grandmother will work for you. Always exercise caution. And for the love of god, do patch tests in the inner part of your wrist or on your neck below your ear and wait 24-48hours before you slather something allover your face! And if your skin reacts, don't try to make it work, just move on. Be critical of marketing claims. Don’t trust a brand just because they claim to be natural, organic or “green”. A lot of brands use these keywords very loosely and even include them in their brand names for purely marketing purposes when only a small percentage of the product is actually natural. Along similar lines, the label "hypoallergenic" should be approached with extreme care. According to the FDA website "There are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term "hypoallergenic." "
1 - Be critical, period. Side note, this may actually be the most important thing in every aspect of life! But I digress...If you have sensitive skin, never assume that a product that is raved about by everyone and their grandmother will work for you. Always exercise caution. And for the love of god, do patch tests in the inner part of your wrist or on your neck below your ear and wait 24-48hours before you slather something allover your face! And if your skin reacts, don't try to make it work, just move on. Be critical of marketing claims. Don’t trust a brand just because they claim to be natural, organic or “green”. A lot of brands use these keywords very loosely and even include them in their brand names for purely marketing purposes when only a small percentage of the product is actually natural. Along similar lines, the label "hypoallergenic" should be approached with extreme care. According to the FDA website "There are no Federal standards or definitions that govern the use of the term "hypoallergenic." "
Bottom line, be critical, be smart, and increase your chances of being safe.
2 - Get comfy with reading ingredients lists. There is no better way to learn what works for your sensitive skin than to be aware of what you are putting on it. I know ingredient lists can be quite extensive and full of incomprehensible names, but being aware of what you are putting on your skin is the best way to minimise your risk of future reactions. And in general, when it comes to sensitive skin, less is more, that means products with a comprehensive formula, but relatively few ingredients.
3 - Natural is not always better. Notice I wrote "not always" and not "never". I have nothing against natural products and employ them every opportunity when/where it makes sense. That said, there is a lot of marketing frenzy nowadays around natural products and I just want to stress that just because something is natural, it does not mean it's safe for you. For example, peanuts are very natural and yet, for those who are allergic to them, they can be deadly. You get the gist. At the end of the day we've already gone full circle and back to the first main point: be critical.
Bonus tip: Please refrain from trying a new product before an important event, aka, meetings, weddings, traveling (no better way to spend 10 hours on a plane while being red and itchy, right?) You get the point! Consider doing it on one of those nights when you’re home alone in your pj's with no makeup on, probably eating something you’ve told all your friends you’ve cut from your diet. Basically, a time you’re not expecting much human interaction.
