Article by Jennifer S. Brown
Living with eczema can be extremely difficult. This chronic, inflammatory skin disease is known to affect 16.5 million adults in the US, according to AAFA, causing great pain and physical discomfort to those affected. Additionally however, having dry, flaky, skin –– especially on your face –– can lower your self-esteem and by extension affect your mental health. But with the right approach, you can use makeup to cover up your eczema flare-ups. Here, we’ve drafted up a short guide to help you do just that.
Avoid triggering ingredients
Eczema can be triggered by a lot of things, but you have to be especially careful with the products you apply on your face. An article at trusted health website SymptomFind explains that a type of eczema called contact dermatitis in particular flares up when your skin comes into direct contact with irritants or allergens — including ingredients found in many makeup and skincare products. Because of this, it’s essential to do a patch test before applying makeup to your face. If you experience hives, a rash, or flaking or peeling skin, skip the product and be sure to take note of any particular ingredients that stand out for future reference.
Calm down your skin
Before putting makeup on, you should prep your skin by using products with active calming ingredients. One such ingredient to apply is cica. According to a post on news portal NewsBytes, products with cica in them can help to calm down eczema-induced redness and itching thanks to their anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Niacinamide products are also great skincare items that you should consider applying before makeup, as they can help to reduce redness and strengthen your skin barrier.
Protect your skin with a barrier
Part of the specific impact of eczema is that the flaking, redness, and irritation the condition brings about can compromise your skin barrier. For this reason, you should strive to maintain a barrier between the makeup and your skin. When preparing your skin, try to reach for barrier creams such as petroleum jelly, which can effectively retain the moisture of your skin as well as keep irritants out of it. Hydrating silicone primers are also great options, and can act as buffers between the makeup and your skin. Whatever the product, when you use a primer, you can mellow down the stress of the makeup and help fill in the cracks caused by eczema, resulting in a more natural and smoother finish.
Use cream products
Powder products can further dry out your eczema-prone skin, and worsen its texture. So instead, try to use cream products exclusively when doing your makeup. However, do keep in mind that you have to find a moisturizing formula and stay away from those that further dry out your skin. You can typically fare better with stick and cream foundations, blushes, and bronzers, which do not compromise your skin’s texture. Such products are easily buildable as well, so you can freely add more if you feel like the coverage is lacking.
Don’t forget to take your makeup off
Of course, it’s important that you remove your makeup at the end of your day as well. Doing so will prevent the makeup from exacerbating your eczema symptoms. However, stay away from harsh cleansers and wipes, which may be too much for your eczema-prone skin to handle. Instead, use gentle, oil-based cleansers, which effectively break down your makeup while removing the dirt and grime from your skin.
Having eczema can take a toll on your emotional wellbeing. If you want to regain your self-confidence by wearing makeup, be sure to follow the advice we’ve discussed above. In doing so, you’ll be able to cover up effects and look your best, all without further irritation to your skin.
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