Halloween has arrived and I’ve been hearing some scary skin care stories. Don’t try to trick your skin, treat it well and avoid mistakes as described in these tales.
Horrifying breakouts from heavy makeup
A friend’s teenage daughter left her Halloween makeup on all night and woke up with a shiny, red, bumpy face. Her mom created a scrub using two teaspoons of baking soda and one teaspoon of water to cleanse and exfoliate her daughter’s skin. Oily, heavy makeup left on the skinmixes with dead skincells to clog pores, trapping bacteriainside and causing acne. Halloween face makeup is usually oil-based, heavier and thicker than every day makeup so don’t get spooked by clogged pores. While makeup may be a safer alternative to wearing a Halloween mask, don’t forget to cleanse well before the witching hour and don’t go to bed without washing your face no matter how much fun you’ve had!
Bacteria communities
Here’s a creepy, yet healthy discovery made by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute. Our skin is crawling with hundreds of kinds of bacteria in moist creases behind our ears and under our neck, to the webs of our toes, the navel and the fold between our eyes. Dry areas of the skin also contain bacteria, but it is less diverse. “Our results underscore that skin is home to vibrant communities of microbial life, which may significantly influence our health,” said researcher Elizabeth A. Grice. Another harmless, but unsettling reality is that microscopic mites graze on oils, skin cells and other microbes on our face. This is a good reason we recommend you prep your skin for Halloween by cleansing, moisturizing well and using a primer before applying your Halloween make-up.
Face mask mistakes
If you decide to apply a facial mask, make sure your young children are away or asleep. A friend covered her face with a green, organic facial mask to refresh her skin. When her two-year old son saw her, he screamed and ran away in fear of not knowing what had happened to his mother’s face. She had to wash off the expensive mask in order to calm him down. As a final step to cleansing your skin after removing your Halloween makeup especially for dry or sensitive skin we recommend applying a hydrating, calming mask followed by a vegan night moisturizer.
Check Your Skin Care and Makeup Labels
After finding an old jar of moisturizer in her bathroom, a woman started using it again only to find her skin inflamed with sensations of burning and irritation. If you notice any change in your product’s texture, color, or smell throw it away. For Halloween makeup invest in some professional theatre-level makeup instead of the cheap options at the local drug store this can help you avoid the possibility of a nightmare scenario for your skin.
Check your labels for harmful ingredients such as heavy metals, formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasers and petrolatum. Look for comedogenic ingredients like, acetylated lanolin, D&C red and octyl stearate, as well as, occlusive ingredients to name a few and say no thank you!
Dirty, yucky makeup brushes
Perhaps the most often committed skin sin is not cleaning your makeup brushes. Unwashed makeup brushes can become a breeding ground for dirt and bad bacteria that causes breakouts in the skin. Rashes, blisters, irritation, clogged pores and other skin ailments can occur when using dirty makeup brushes. A friend who admitted to not cleaning her brushes regularly, saw a small cyst forming on her face. She thought it would go away, but years later the bump remains on her face. Dirt also diminishes the performance of your brushes. What was once blending can appear as streaks making makeup application a hassle. For Halloween we suggest purchasing brushes that you can dispose after usage, let them go!
Alternative costumes
Instead of heavy makeup costumes think of Halloween characters or concepts that do not involve a great deal of makeup. Some ideas Cat woman, Wednesday Addams, Cousin It, Men in Black, paper doll costume and Miss Universe to name a few. Think of concepts that may involve building or creating items, using clothes or wigs to enhance your Halloween costume!
Don’t be haunted by these scary skin care stories. Love your skin, use the tips and these potential skincare nightmares will turn into sweet dreams.
(image: Wendelin Jacober/pexels)