How to Choose the Best Concealer for your Skin
Many people neglect to consider what ingredients are in concealer and what effects it may have on your skin. Another big issue with concealers is that many of them crease in unwanted places, making you look wrinkly. This post will touch on what ingredients to avoid as well as how to apply concealer for a flawless look.
Ingredients to Look Out For...
These are the top 5 most toxic ingredients commonly found in concealers to look out for.
PEGs
Polyethylene glycols are petroleum-based and used to soften or thicken cosmetics. The reason to stay away from it is because it contains carcinogens and can be dangerous to the nervous system.
Parabens
Parabens are used to prevent products from growing bacteria. That may sound like a good thing, but it is actually something to be wary of. Parabens can actually lead to hormone imbalance, reproductive issues, and even possibly breast cancer due to the high levels of estrogen in parabens.
BHA / BHT
BHA and BHT are used as preservatives in cosmetics. They are synthetic antioxidants. They come with a risk of reproductive issues and other skin allergies. It has also been proven to cause liver damage in animals. Best to steer clear due to its heavy effects on animals and humans.
PFAS
PFAS are filled with thousands of chemicals, including the same ones used in many non stick sprays for cooking. You definitely don’t want to use the same chemicals on your face that you are using in the kitchen. Some of the effects of PFAS include cancer, hormone imbalance, and immune system disorders. They also can be incredibly harmful to fetuses so you definitely want to stay away if pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant.
Phthalates
Phthalates is a binding chemical used to make plastic. This chemical has been shown to cause developmental and reproductive issues, as well as cause breast cancer. It was also banned in Europe, but is still heavily used in cosmetics all over the United States. If it was banned in another country, it is probably safe to stay away from it.
These are just a few of the ingredients that are heavily present in concealers that you want to make sure you avoid. Now don’t stress, because there are plenty of brands that use natural ingredients, so don’t think you have to stop using concealer completely. Just make sure you are looking into the ingredients in your makeup before potentially putting yourself at risk.
All the toxic chemicals aside, concealer is such a fun type of makeup to apply and there’s so many ways to do it. The main issue people encounter with concealer is that it tends to crease in unwanted places.
Here are five tips on how to apply your concealer for a flawless look...
1. Start small, you can always add more!
One of the main causes of concealer creasing is too much product build-up. Remember that less is always more. Start out slowly, only adding a little bit. Too much concealer causes your face to look “cakey” which ends up making you look worse off than you started and will cause even more creasing.
2. Place your concealer in the right spots
You want to make sure you are placing concealer in specific spots where the light touches. Under your eyes is where most people have the darkest spots on their face that they want to brighten up. But you have to remember that the skin under your eyes is really thin, so you have to apply only a small amount and blend it out gently to avoid creasing. Another great place to add concealer is on the bridge of your nose where the light hits it, and in between your eyebrows as well.
3. Use blotting paper to remove excess product
Sometimes, you apply too much product and it feels like it’s the end of the world, but trust me, it is not! Instead of spending five more minutes removing everything and starting over, try using blotting paper. Gently press it into your under eye area and excess product will come up, as well as excess oils, which will help the concealer last all day long. Removing the oil is super important because oil is the main cause of under eye creasing.
4. Bake, Bake, BAKE!!
Baking your face is an important step in your makeup routine, especially for people with oily skin. However, you can overdo baking very easily. Instead of caking it on your face, lightly tap the powder under your eyes where you placed the concealer and let it sit for 2-3 minutes. After it sets, lightly sweep it off with a brush and you will be crease free and oil free all day!
5. Choose the right application tools
Choosing the right tools to apply concealer is an absolute must. For a lighter look, use a tiny brush to tap it into your under eyes only in the areas that create shadows on your face. Another amazing tool is a beauty blender, but this will give you a heavier look. The third and final tool is something that everyone has and it costs no money! You can actually use your own finger to apply concealer and it works wonderfully. The oils from your fingers actually blend the product better than any other tool, and it’s super convenient when on the go!
As you can see, concealer is the holy-grail makeup product. It covers those dark under eye spots and other unwanted skin blemishes. Though there are some ingredients to look out for, there are so many concealers that will do exactly what you are looking for. So once you find the perfect one, use the tips above to apply it seamlessly and never have to worry about creasing or cakiness. Remember that creasing isn’t always preventable because it is a natural thing our body does when we produce oils, but it is definitely avoidable.
Now, go out to a local makeup store, find your perfect concealer and start messing around with it. The possibilities are endless!
Sources
https://cosmeticsinfo.org/products/concealers https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/chemistry-cosmetics https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-prevent-concealer-from-creasing-4686878 https://becomingaunaturale.com/ingredients-to-avoid-in-concealer/
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