by Melissa D. Ing

Created on: May 09, 2011   Last Updated: January 28, 2012

Today's woman is bombarded by cosmetic choices from every angle, with cosmetic makers screaming at us that their products are good for our skin. Drug stores with cosmetic counters have become supersized, cosmetic mail order campaigns compete for our attention, and department stores boast hi-tech personalized cosmetics. With all the available choices and the trend toward healthy mineral make-up, how is our skin still getting damaged from make-up?

Damaging effects of make-up in ancient times

Despite the fact her make-up was not only ruining her skin but killing her, Cleopatra in ancient Rome kept right on using it. Ancient make-up contained healthy ingredients such as olive oil and rose water oil, but also included lead and tin oxide in the facial powders designed to whiten women's faces. Eyeliners often included lead, and women's skin literally rotted away beneath the make-up.

Early day problems with modern make-up

The 1950's ushered in a new era of affordable make-up for the average housewife. Max Factor cosmetics created a reasonably priced line of heavy pancake foundation, thick black mascara and heavy lip color, to help the everyday woman imitate the look of nineteen fifties movie stars. The pancake foundation and concealer were thick and chalky, and resulted in dry skin, fine lines and premature aging. Lips became sore and cracked from the heavy lipstick, and while no serious ailments came from this make-up pores did become clogged and more heavy make-up was needed to cover up pimples.

Modern day problems with make-up

Make-up in the new millennium has gone hi-tech. Vegan make-up, hypoallergenic make-up, customized blended make-up, make-up with moisturisers, have made the choices more complicated. While there is little likelihood of make-up now rotting your skin, choosing the wrong make-up can result in clogged pores leading to blackheads and pimples, or an allergic reaction causing swelling or hives. While neither problem represents serious health risks, being an informed cosmetic consumer in the modern age, will eliminate the possibility of choosing damaging make-up.

Making informed cosmetic choices

Knowing your skin type, and choosing the right foundation is the first step in avoiding any damaging effects of make-up. If you have oily skin, choose a water based or mineral powder foundation and not an oil based one. If you have sensitive skin, make sure any make-up you buy including eyeshadow and mascara is labelled as hypoallergenic by a registered Dermatologist.

Severley acne prone and acne scarred skin needs special care; specialized cosmetics can actually aid in the healing of acne, or cover up scarred skin without causing it any further damage or irritation. Make up at the lower end of the price spectrum is often high in additives such as wax, so choose the best make-up you can afford to buy, and always try and get samples before investing in any major cosmetic purchase.

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