The challenge of suggesting the right make tips for sensitive skin imply special precautions which have to be constantly adopted lest there be drying up the skin, irritation or clogging of the sweat pores leading to acne and blemishes. Also sensitive skin is prone to react to the chemical components of the make up especially when exposed to the sun further complicating matters. Finding the right beauty products that auger well the sensitive skin and will prevent rashes and redness is a matter of knowing your skin type well and understanding the effects of the commercial products.
The gamut of makeup tips for sensitive skin encompasses not only the products but also the means of proper application and the use of the right shades that keep the skin looking flawless.
Identifying the Problems of Sensitive Skin
Before embarking on a discourse about the products for sensitive skin, it would be wise to first check out the products that cause allergic reaction to your skin type. List out the ingredients of products that are problematic for your skin. Once the offending ingredients and chemicals have been identified the solution becomes easier. Old cosmetics are a grey area which many women find difficult to part with. Milking old and expired products will only cause harm rather than aiding your skin look better. Such cosmetics must be thrown away at the earliest. A common guideline for life of beauty products is as follows:
- Foundations : about 6 to 8 months
- Face and eye shadow powders: 18 to 24 months
- Lipstick: 18 to 24 months
- Mascara: 3 to 6 months
Another good indication of expiry of beauty products is strange odors, discoloration or change in the texture of the creams. Regular cleaning of the makeup brushes is yet another handy make up tip for sensitive skin as it prevents formation of bacteria which could lead to infection and irritation. Contrary to popular belief all natural products are not free from harmful side effects. Especially botanical products must be used with caution as certain herbs are extremely reactive on the human skin.
Tips while Choosing Products for Sensitive Skin
While buying beauty products be careful not be swayed by colorful packaging or the enticing smile of the model’s face on the packet. The model may never even have touched that product. Follow the guidelines described in the succeeding paragraphs to ensure that you buy only the lesser reactive products that will not damage your sensitive skin.
- Go For Silicone Foundation: Liquid formulas that contain silicone have been proven to be far safer and compatible with sensitive skin than other ingredients. Silicone helps prevent irritation and acne and is additionally great for the complexion of the skin especially the sensitive types.
- Stay Clear of Waterproof Products: The waterproof products damage your skin in two different ways. Firstly they block the pores and there by prevent the skin surface from breathing which causes irritation and redness. Secondly such products require a solvent for removal which also washes away the essential sebum from the surface thereby exposing the skin to irritants.
- Avoid Colored Makeup for Eyes: Despite the fact that colorful eye makeup lends you a deeper personality, it must be remembered that these are extremely reactive in case of sensitive skin. Colored mascara as well as eye liners are known to cause allergic reaction and irritation even in normal skin and can create havoc on sensitive types. These damages may be even permanent in nature. Choosing black as the color for the eyes is safest bet for most women. Liquid eyeliners contain latex whereas the pencil variants have wax which contains lesser preservatives. It is advisable to use pencil eyeliners for women who have sensitive skin.
- Eye Shadows of earthy Tones: While being extremely stylish in their effect these earth eye shadow tones such as beige or brownish and natural tones are less prone to reactions and irritations. It has been clinically tested that such light tones are less likely to cause irritation when exposed to sun compared to the darker and gaudy ones.
- Get the Right Sunscreen: Currently there are several commercial sun screen products that claim to have a Sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more as is recommended by dermatologists. Apart from physical sunscreen ingredients these products also contain chemicals that absorb the UV rays. These products can be allergic in case of sensitive skin. Only physical blocking agents like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are considered suitable for sensitive skin. Thus one must check the actual ingredients of the sun screen formulas while buying one. Read: How to choose sunscreen.
- Be careful with Blush: Get the right blusher that compliments the tone of your skin. It must be borne in mind that the sensitive skin on its own acquires some degree of redness and may not need too much of blusher.
- Prefer Powders: Whenever choosing beauty products keep in mind that powders go well with sensitive skin as compared to liquids. Powders will inherently have lesser preservatives and chemicals that may cause irritation. Moreover powder based products are easily removable after use as compared to their liquid counterparts.
Chemicals that Harm Sensitive Skin
As a general rule certain chemicals must be avoided whenever found in any of the cosmetics. Some of the chemicals that are more likely to cause reactions are listed below:
- A harsh industrial detergent known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.
- Acetylated lanolin Alcohol which is known to promote blackheads and whiteheads.
- Salicylic Acid commonly found in dispirin may lead to excessive dryness of the skin.
- Beta Hydroxic Acid which is another form of the Salicylic Acid.
- EDTA which is a special preservative that can lead to dermatitis.
- PABA or Para Amino Benzoic Acid an ingredient in sunscreen formulas that facilitates contact dermatitis.
- Petrolatum that can block the pores on the skin surface.
- Parabens which is yet another preservative in many cosmetics.
- Bismuth Oxychloride that leads to severe irritation of sensitive skin.
Tips for Application of the Makeup for Sensitive Skin
Proper application is essential for maintaining the skin clear and hygienic. While making the skin tone even the foundations and associated powders must be used as less as possible only to suppress redness or hide blemishes. Eyeshadow layers must be lightly applied to prevent the clogging of pores by heavy layers. Avoid darker color which may have an adverse impact on the sensitive skin. Every evening after getting back home one must make efforts to completely remove all the layers of makeup that has been applied before going to sleep. This will not prevent allergies due to prolonged contact with the chemicals but also help in unblocking pores for the skin to breathe properly and stay hydrated.
Enhancing beauty through cosmetic products has been an obsession with women throughout the ages. However with the advent of more chemically complicated products the chances of causing irritation to sensitive skin have increased manifold. Thus there is a need to be careful in the choice of products and watch out for ingredients that may do more damage than good to your skin. With a little care one can enhance appearance without exacerbating the problems of the sensitive skin. Watch out for symptoms of reactions and irritations and discontinue the usage of such products immediately. Consulting your dermatologist to choose the right products for sensitive skin is a sensible idea for any women.
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