Women and make-up are virtually inseparable today. Reportedly, 70% of Thai women wear make-up on a daily basis. Fanned by a flurry of beauty blogs, make-up tutorials, beauty features and cosmetic advertisements, make-up has become an integrated part of a woman’s life. Unfortunately, it is also found that it has become an integrated part of our health, in a bad way.
Photo: Nivea
On average, make-up products contain 80-90% chemical ingredients, some of them harmful. According to Nivea, our body absorbs 2kg of those chemicals each year, causing our skin to age faster and perhaps even causing health problems.
Dermatologist Dr Worapon Sukeewatana said: “Each time you put on make-up, it is possible that 60% of the ingredients is absorbed into the body, causing the skin to become dull and wrinkly because it does not get enough of the much needed oxygen. If you put on heavy make-up regularly, your skin ages faster. Therefore, it is recommended that you only use make-up where necessary, and remove it as soon as you go home. Leaving make-up on for too long can cause bacterial build-up, pore clogging, skin irritation and acne.”
Lipstick is a good example of how chemicals in make-up can get into our body. While it is only a myth that women swallow 3kg of lipstick each year, a statistic from the European Scientific Commission on Consumer Safety stated that the average daily aggregate exposure to lipstick is 60mg per day. That’s 22g a year, not an alarming number considering the enzymes in our saliva and stomach can break down most of the chemicals in lipstick anyway. Still, low quality lipstick can contain dangerous levels of lead, which cannot be flushed out naturally by the body.
Some make-up products are absorbed through the skin, and some ingredients are not well-received by the body. There are many ingredients that women should look out for in make-up, including paraben, talc, petroleum derivative, lead and mercury.
Even seemingly safe products like baby powder can lead to health risks. The talcum powder cancer risk has been documented in major medical journals and there have been lawsuits claiming that baby powder has the potential to cause ovarian cancer. Essential oils used in some spas are also made from petroleum derivative.
The best solution is to avoid these potentially harmful ingredients and always cleanse your skin thoroughly on a daily basis. Using a chemical protective shield before putting on make-up is another wise move to prevent the skin from absorbing too much of the risky ingredients. When possible, opt for organic and natural products to curb the risks.
Nivea Makeup Clear effective removes make-up and cleanses the skin, while Nivea Makeup Starter works as a moisturiser and skin protector.
Panpuri Siamese Water Uplifting Massage and Body Oil is 100% natural, made with certified organic ylang-ylang and refreshing peppermint oils.
Pupa Extreme Matt Powder Foundation is oil-free, fragrancefree, paraben-free and non-clogging.
Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Dusting Powder’s 100% talc-free formula uses cornstarch and is paraben-free.
Protect and perfect
Japanese make-up brand Canmake introduces Highlight & Retouch Concealer UV SPF 40 PA++, a pink-tinted concealing pen that will brighten the skin, reduce dullness and cover up dark circles around the eyes to make your face brighter and more youthful. This highly blendable concealer contains ultra-fine pink particles that boost translucence of dull areas while its SPF-enriched formula protects the skin from UV damage.
Bright as a light
Developed by the first BB cream creator in South Korea Dr Cho Hun Da, Bisous Bisous Love Blossom BB Brightening Cream offers matte texture and weightless pigment soft as cashmere. The oil-controlling formula instantly improves skin tone, reduces redness and helps minimise the appearance of enlarged pores and fine lines. It also contains vitamin C to help fight free radicals and brighten skin.
