Life
At some point in their lives, many women will go through a love/hate relationship with makeup. You love the way it can make you feel, but you hate how your skin seems to have to pay the consequences for a glittery night out. If you're noticing breakouts, irritation, or sensitivity despite your best efforts, you might be using makeup that is hurting your face. If you're like me, though, it's not as simple as just cutting makeup out of your routine and calling it a day. For many, myself included, cosmetics can be empowering, transformative, and fun, too. Still, for the sake of your skin, you should consider what makeup mistakes you might be making.
You might already know the beauty basics and feel fairly confident in your cosmetics knowledge, but every person is susceptible to unknowingly committing bad skincare habits. This doesn’t mean you have to throw out all your favorite products and live a makeup-free lifestyle, though. It may sound like a myth, but it is possible to have healthy skin and wear makeup, too. By making some simple changes to your beauty routine, you can avoid causing unnecessary damage to your skin. You also don’t have to break the bank and waste money on expensive products, either. Just check out these makeup items that are actually harming your face and you’ll be on the path to happy, healthy skin.
1
Expired Products
You may not have known that your makeup has a shelf life, but it does. You probably knew that wearing old foundation isn't a great idea, but mascara can actually cause real damage. Cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer told Allure that using expired mascara can cause redness, irritation, and even pinkeye.
2
Makeup In Jars
If you apply anti-aging products or cosmetics containing antioxidants as part of your beauty routine, you shouldn't use ones in jars. Bryan Barron, research and content director for Beautypedia, told Elle that antioxidants are affected by exposure to light and air and can become irritating and less effective every time you open that jar.
3
Makeup Wipes
Chances are, you probably take your makeup off with wipes and may even carry some around with you to touch up throughout the day. But dermatologist Joshua Zeichner told InStyle using wipes aren't enough to rid skin of pollution, bacteria, and heavy makeup. And all that extra buildup can cause breakouts, which no one wants to deal with.
4
Dirty Tools
Sure, it might be a no-brainer that you should clean your makeup brushes, but did you know there are other, equally important, items that need to be cleaned, too? Makeup artist Stella Kae told Glamour that dirty tweezers, eyelash curlers, pencil sharpeners, and sponges can all carry harmful germs if left unwashed.
5
New Products
Turns out, there's a reason why classics are classic. It's because they're tried and true and have been tested thoroughly. Jeanette Graf, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, told Allure that using new, trendy products can be harmful because they haven't been around long enough to know how safe they are.
6
SPF Foundation
You might think that you're doing a pretty good job with this whole healthy makeup thing if you wear a foundation with SPF in it. But according to dermatologist Anne Chapas told Marie Claire that wearing only an SPF foundation can still lead to sun damage. You need to wear an actual sunscreen as well.
7
Shimmery Products
Everyone loves to add a little sparkle and sheen to their makeup game from time to time, but you may be doing more harm than good. Dermatologist Zoey Draelos warned Today that glittery, shimmery makeup containing mica, ultramarine blue, and bismuth oxychloride causes irritation, itchiness, and redness especially for sensitive skin.
