A new “beauty hack” has gone viral on Tiktok where people have been spreading calamine lotion on their faces before applying makeup. The lotion supposedly helps keep the makeup in place for a long time, heals acne scars, and helps oily skin, but health experts are warning against the practice.
Calamine lotion is a pink-colored lotion that is typically used for rashes, poison ivy, and other skin irritation infections such as chickenpox.
Many tiktokers have begun to use the lotion as a primer and noted that it helped them keep their makeup in place during hot summer days and long workouts. One tiktoker who used the lotion said that it made her skin seem “super matte”. Calamine lotion is also cheaper compared to regular makeup primers.
However, dermatologists and health experts say that overusing the lotion can cause skin irritation, aggravating skin conditions, and everlasting damage. Azadeh Shirazi, a dermatologist on Tiktok, made a video after many of her fans asked her for medical guidance.
In the video, she educated her viewers about the ingredients in calamine lotion, “Calamine lotion is made up of zinc oxide, ferric oxide, and phenol. Zinc oxide is an astringent that can help absorb excess oil and have a mattifying effect, Ferric oxide helps with itching and the phenol is also a powerful exfoliant, combining phenol with an astringent as in calamine lotion can be very drying and irritating, leading to a damaged skin barrier. It can worsen skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, and dermatitis.”
Kourtney Hammett, a makeup artist in England, expressed that using the lotion as primer might induce wrinkles and fine lines in the future.
“You should be using makeup that is suitable for your skin type,” she advised.
Since the use of calamine lotion has become a trend, many stores and pharmacies are often now sold out of the product, meaning that the people who need the product for medical reasons won’t be able to conveniently access it. Parents in the UK have stated that they have not been able to find the lotion anywhere near them to help their chickenpox-infected children.
“I have to use this when my lupus flares up, now it’s sold out in Walmart.” someone commented on a calamine lotion video.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/24/tik-tok-calamine-lotion-primer-beauty-trend/
Calamine lotion is a pink-colored lotion that is typically used for rashes, poison ivy, and other skin irritation infections such as chickenpox.
Many tiktokers have begun to use the lotion as a primer and noted that it helped them keep their makeup in place during hot summer days and long workouts. One tiktoker who used the lotion said that it made her skin seem “super matte”. Calamine lotion is also cheaper compared to regular makeup primers.
However, dermatologists and health experts say that overusing the lotion can cause skin irritation, aggravating skin conditions, and everlasting damage. Azadeh Shirazi, a dermatologist on Tiktok, made a video after many of her fans asked her for medical guidance.
In the video, she educated her viewers about the ingredients in calamine lotion, “Calamine lotion is made up of zinc oxide, ferric oxide, and phenol. Zinc oxide is an astringent that can help absorb excess oil and have a mattifying effect, Ferric oxide helps with itching and the phenol is also a powerful exfoliant, combining phenol with an astringent as in calamine lotion can be very drying and irritating, leading to a damaged skin barrier. It can worsen skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, and dermatitis.”
Kourtney Hammett, a makeup artist in England, expressed that using the lotion as primer might induce wrinkles and fine lines in the future.
“You should be using makeup that is suitable for your skin type,” she advised.
Since the use of calamine lotion has become a trend, many stores and pharmacies are often now sold out of the product, meaning that the people who need the product for medical reasons won’t be able to conveniently access it. Parents in the UK have stated that they have not been able to find the lotion anywhere near them to help their chickenpox-infected children.
“I have to use this when my lupus flares up, now it’s sold out in Walmart.” someone commented on a calamine lotion video.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/07/24/tik-tok-calamine-lotion-primer-beauty-trend/
