Hypoallergenic Makeup

Makeup products make use of cosmetic or natural ingredients to enhance your beauty. Oftentimes, these ingredients may not be compatible with your skin. As a result, you may have to endure mild to severe allergic response due to a particular makeup ingredient. Hypoallergenic makeup is a comparatively new concept in the cosmetic industry, which refers to a range of makeup products formulated in such a way that they induce minimal allergic reactions. Since its introduction in the market, hypoallergenic makeup products have become a huge hit, especially among women with sensitive skin.

Hypoallergenic Makeup: Real or Hoax?

The common ingredients in makeup products that act as allergens are:

• Waxes and fats, mostly cocoa butter, in lipsticks.
• Metallic compounds in eyeliner, mascara or eye shadow.
• Tetrabromofluorescein in hair dyes.
• Tosylamide, formaldehyde resin and nail acrylates in nail polish.
• PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid), hydroquinone or digalloyl trioleate in sunscreen agents.
• Mercury or hydroquinone in bleaching creams.

These are the cosmetic ingredients that are found in various products and are responsible for most of the allergic reactions. Even products that claim to be derived from natural substances have equal potential of inducing allergies. Since, these products are directly formulated using extract of plants or animals, you are likely to get an allergy, if you are allergic to the particular plant or animal. Lanolin, a natural substance obtained from sheep wool is a common ingredient in cosmetics. However, it is known to cause allergic reactions in several people. Surprisingly, the hypoallergenic makeup products also contain all the above mentioned ingredients. So, how can one expect them to have low potential for inducing allergies?

The reason why it is easy to dismiss hypoallergenic makeup products as a hoax is that, the usage of the term 'hypoallergenic' is under the discretion of manufacturers. There are no Federal rules that govern the usage of this term. Same is true for other deceptive terms like 'clinically tested', 'dermatologist tested', 'for sensitive skin' or 'non irritating.' The label that reads any of the above terms does not necessarily imply that the product was tested on human subjects. And even if it was tested upon humans, there is no way to know how many people were tested for the same. Thus, there is no scientific evidence that supports the claim that hypoallergenic makeup products actually induce fewer allergic reactions as compared to their non hypoallergenic counterparts.

Hypoallergenic Makeup Products

Since it is evident that hypoallergenic makeup products have as much potential to induce allergies as non-hypoallergenic ore regular makeup products, one might as well give them a try! If you have a sensitive skin which irritates easily when you apply makeup, you may go for natural or organic makeup products. The market is full of products like eye makeup, makeup remover, foundation etc., that are hypoallergenic. You might have to dabble with a few brands before you find out which one works best for you. Reading the labels carefully and keeping a track of ingredients that cause allergies, is of utmost importance if you wish to minimize the allergies due to makeup. If a particular ingredient in makeup products is responsible for causing allergies, then opting for a brand that uses a substitute ingredient might work for you. The point is you must be always thorough with labels, no matter what type of cosmetics you use!

Thus, hypoallergenic makeup seems nothing more than a marketing gimmick. Whether you want to fall for it or you prefer to stick to your favorite brand is all up to you. No matter what you choose, just keep checking the labels.