Are Your Cosmetics Products Harming Your Skin Too?

Hello Everyone!!

Cheers to my first blog post as an Immaculata University alum. I officially hold a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Merchandising with a minor in Visual Merchandising and concentration in Public Relations. I cannot explain the overwhelming feeling of success and accomplishment I felt after completing that final presentation during my second semester of my senior year. As many of you may know- this blog begun as a class project. All of the Fashion Merchandising seniors were required to take Senior Seminar, where our department head prepared us for, well, the "real world," or... "THE INDUSTRY" as the Fashion Department liked to call it. Throughout my 4 years at IU studying trends, flat patterns, Adobe, Photoshop, Interior Design, textiles, etc. I also worried about what most college kids worry about- the social aspect. Although I enjoyed the fact that I ran into a friend the second I stepped out of my dorm room, it also made me feel like I needed to PREPARE to be seen at all times... you know what I mean? Yes, I am your typical girly girl. And yes, you are correct, I wouldn't have been caught dead makeup-less by a fellow student. I was that girl with full coverage foundation and winged liner on in your 8 A.M Spanish Class. I have to admit, I was insecure without it, but I also had a true love of makeup and self-expression. In my field of study, my classmates and I did everything from constructing Visual Merchandising displays to working runway shows at New York Fashion Week. In exploring different segments of the Fashion Industry, I learned that hair and makeup were essential in every domain to assist in portraying an overall "look." Although embroidered bell sleeves and step hems initially grabbed my attention, I found myself falling more in love with cosmetic artistry. So what did I do? Aside from getting lost in the realm of YouTube Tutorials, I applied to be a Beauty Advisor at my local Macy's. And yes, there is a time and place for purple lipstick. And yes, for me, that was only at work or some random "rave" event in Philadelphia that my friends wanted to go to. (Ugh, those raves were soo not my thing, but what college kid passes up ANY opportunity to dress up and drink?) Anyway, my new job at Macy's gave me every excuse to buy more and more makeup... especially because of that employee discount! Every cosmetics shopper knows that coupons on makeup are merely non-existent- so I just couldn't pass it up! Not only did my bank account suffer from the excessive purchases, so did my face. Up until 4 months ago, when I purged my makeup collection, I owned over 10 different face primers, 15 different foundations, and nearly 20 setting powders. Too much? Probably.

During my sophomore year of college, I started having trouble with acne. And not just your typical 1 or 2 "period" pimples. I'm talking 30-40 clogged pores on each cheek- during the worst of it, at least. Not only did this cripple my already suffering low self-esteem, it meant countless Dermatology appointments to find out what was going on. I tried every solution in the book, from medicated topical creams to a complete diet change- nothing was working. After about a year or so- I gave up trying to find a solution. I just assumed that I was one of those kids that was cursed with bad skin.

WRONG.

I was doing it to myself! And I had no idea! Not until I graduated college in May of 2017 did I realize that the chemical ingredients in my cosmetic products was causing my dreaded acne. And to think that I was utilizing my makeup products to cover the bumps, but little did I know that my makeup products were actually creating the bumps. What a vicious cycle!

I will post a few raw, unedited (shitty iPhone) photographs below of my skin prior to this conclusion.

And this is a photo with foundation & powder on

It's funny though... what a little bit of editing can hide... (the "smooth" edit was always my go-to... lol)

Is it the WORST thing you've ever seen?! Maybe not. But for someone who had never really struggled with acne throughout high school... it was pretty tough.

However, that was then, this is now.

The photos below were taken roughly 2 hours ago. They are unedited. (Wearing NO face makeup)

Want to hear something crazy? Cosmetics and their ingredients, other than color additives, do not require approval of the FDA before they go on the market. The FDA can however regulate labeling of the products.

If you were to Google search "pore clogging ingredients in cosmetic products" (like I've done a million and one times) you will come across an overwhelming list of words with 10+ syllables. To put it simply, there are 6 ingredients that I recommend (or attempting to) steer clear of- dimethicone, algae extract, silica, oils, talc, and mica. Like I mentioned before, I recently went through my entire makeup collection and tossed about 75% of my makeup products into the trash. The worst part was knowing that I also tossed a good $700 into the trash can, as well.

What has been working for me? I have learned that less is more. Everyone's skin is different and reacts differently to different products. (Should I say "different" one more time?) So, let me reiterate... What has been working for me is using oil-free makeup wipes, Cetaphil Oil Control Foam Wash, and a topical cream prescribed my dermatologist- ONLY on my problem areas (i.e.- cheeks, chin, and nose... no forehead). I am prescribed 1.2% Clindamycin Phosphate and .025% Trentinoin Gel. I haven't even been using a moisturizer! It's funny because when I worked at Macy's and was having these full-blown skin issues, I was buying more and more products that claimed to be "resurfacing" and "acne fighting." My skin care regimen used to be face wash, toner, eye cream, serum, moisturizer, and then a facial oil. No wonder my skin became angered and rebellious. Let me tell you this- all of those skin care products you see on the market... you do NOT need them! Don't fall for their trick! They're just money-hungry marketers. Lol.

As for makeup, when I DO wear it- I have been using Clinque's Acne Solution Foundation mixed with equal parts of a water-based moisturizer (still testing a few) to thin out the coverage. I refuse to use a primer anymore because most of them include silicone to fill your pores and give a more "airbrushed finish." And if you remember my 6 steer-clear ingredients- silicone is one of them. It is extremely comedogenic. After watching Beauty Gurus on YouTube, I found myself using concealer to highlight my entire face. However, now, I use it strictly for its purpose- to cover my dark circles. I never really struggled with acne on my under eyes, so it's safe there. And lastly, I set my face with Maybelline's Superstay Better Skin Powder. Don't get me wrong- this is not necessarily my favorite makeup regimen, but for now- it keeps my acne under control. My skin is not perfect. I am human. But it is far better than what it was.

I challenge you to read the ingredient lists on your primers, concealers, foundations, and powders. I guarantee that you will find at least one of these ingredients in every product. Unfortunately, that's the problem. You won't find a makeup product that does not contain a potential pore clogging ingredient. But you can chose products with limited pore clogging ingredients. Thankfully, I have gained much more self-confidence since my skin has cleared up. Now, I rarely wear makeup and if I do- I like my natural skin showing through. 

Remember- your skin is your largest organ. Take care of it!