Makeup has been used for centuries to cover blemishes, hide acne scars and make women appear younger. However, regarding the last point, some women fear that the reverse is true in that makeup also ages the skin.

So is there any truth to the anxieties about makeup aging your skin faster? Let’s look at a few different aspects of makeup to find our answer.

Makeup & Your Skin

Does makeup age your skin? Many wonders, and here is the answer to this question, how makeup and if it affects your skin.

Under the Surface

To determine if using makeup causes the skin to age, your first stop should be learning how and why skin ages.

Your skin ages because collagen and elastin production slows down, which causes your skin to become less supple, tight and smooth.

These two nutrients also work to keep the skin from loosening, which prevents wrinkles and saggy skin from happening.

Inside the Jar

According to some people, the most alarming thing about the use of makeup is the ingredients that are found in makeup products.

Certain skin experts have raised concerns about what makeup is composed of, and have claimed that some of the ingredients could break down collagen; as we covered in the point above, less collagen leads to skin aging.

However, this is only the unproven opinion of some experts, so don’t get alarmed yet.

Clogged Pores

Makeup can clog pores if the user doesn’t cleanse and exfoliate properly to clear off an excess build-up that causes acne and other things. This starts a pattern where people use more makeup to cover up acne that was already caused by makeup.

However, many products being offered today are non-comedogenic, meaning they shouldn’t block your pores.

Even if the labels on makeup products seem to be written in a foreign language, it is important to read them to find products that aren’t going to cause skin damage. Beware of products that claim to be “all-natural” because sometimes they aren’t all-natural.

Get to Know Talc

Talc is an ingredient that has been surrounded by controversy because of its link to uterine and lung tumors. The FDA has yet to ban Talc, which is a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) that was also used as a diaper rash powder many years ago.

In all reality, the possibility that you’ll get cancer from using a product containing Talc is small, unless you inhale it or something extreme.

Even still, be careful when using makeup products that contain Talc.

Sunblock

There are some people out there who think their makeup is excellent because it doubles as a sunblock. After all, overexposure to the sun is a well-known cause of cancer.

However, you also have to consider that not getting enough sun can rob you of Vitamin D, which is important for healthy skin. One great way to get that daily dose of D is by exposing yourself to natural sunlight for 15 minutes a day.

Also, keep in mind that your makeup isn’t doing you any favors as a sunblock unless it’s SPF 15 or higher.

Staying Ageless

When everything is taken into account, evidence still needs to be found proving that makeup ages the skin.

So as long as you are cleaning your face before putting makeup on, and after washing makeup off, you shouldn’t have to worry about either aging or damaging skin with makeup products.

Instead, the most damaging things you can do to age skin include over-exposure to the sun, using products that clog pores, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and eating too much junk food, there are many bad habits that cause your skin to age faster.

As one final note, if you notice that your friends look tired and old without makeup, it’s probably because you’re not used to seeing them without their “face” on; it doesn’t mean that the products your friends use are making them look older.

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