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15.1.17

Is makeup doing our skin more harm than we think?

Hi everyone,

If you read my posts throughout December you may have seen that I had to have surgery on my cheek. This was to remove an abscess which had started life as a spot but became infected and got bigger and bigger. For the first few weeks after the surgery I was unable to wear makeup or use many skincare products at all. I would simply splash my face with a little water and go over the areas I could with a Simple face wipe followed by the Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water.

During this time, I noticed that my skin became so much clearer and just looked healthier overall which got me to thinking..... We use all these skincare products as they promise to improve our skins condition and keep us looking youthful. On top of that we then pile our face with makeup to get a flawless look and for me, to help me feel more put together and ready to face the world. But what if we are doing more damage than good?

I always make sure that I remove my makeup thoroughly in the evening and if I can take a day off wearing it to let my skin breath a little, then I do. Therefore, I know it's not through a lack of trying to take care of my skin that has caused me problems. Having said that, when I do wear makeup it's always the products with the most coverage that I am drawn to such as Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation and concealer. I have oily combination skin but recently it has been more oily and I have found that only these sorts of products will last throughout a long day at work. I'm sure layering all of this on top of my skin all day can't be doing it a great deal of good but I didn't think it would do much harm either.

Now I'm not saying that skincare products and makeup are the sole cause of all my issues with my skin and I wouldn't give up wearing makeup for the world. I love it far too much, experimenting with different looks and trying out new products in a never ending search for the next best thing. It's more that I have noticed what not wearing makeup or overloading my skin with a long winded skincare regime has done for me. Therefore, I am going to try and think a bit more about what exactly it is that I am piling onto my skin and whether or not it is all really necessary. 

To start with, I am going to cut back on the skincare products that I use as I do think that I am overloading my skin with all the cleansers, toners, exfoliators, moisturisers, serums, anti-aging products, night creams, day creams, the list goes on and on. Also I am going to try and reach for makeup that is a bit more lightweight for every day wear such as the BareMinerals BarePro foundation which I have enjoyed using a lot more recently. Sure for nights out and special occasions I will definitely be reaching for the Double Wear but I have come to realise that my skin could maybe do with a break from such heavy products every now and then.

I know this post is a little different from my usual musings but it's something that I have been thinking about recently and I wondered what you guys thoughts on it were? Do you think a long skincare regime has worked wonders for your skin or do you think there is a risk of makeup and skincare overload? Maybe I'm just using the wrong products! I'd love to know your thoughts :)

Thanks for reading,

Hannah xx


44 comments:

  1. I like to do something that I call 'skincare detox' once a week. I wash, use deep cleansing mask, tone and then only apply facial oil, eye cream and overnight mask. Very minimal products so my skin gets a break from multiple products.

    Shireen | Reflection of Sanity

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    1. I think my skin could benefit from something like this, particularly a deep cleansing mask as I don't have anything like this in my routine at the moment x

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  2. i always like to have a no make-up day every week just to let my skin breath and like to use light skin care products that dont have so many chemicals in x
    www.sonias-style.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. I have definitely seen an improvement in the condition of my skin since including some no makeup days and wearing lighter products so I really do think it helps x

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  3. Very interesting post! I always try and have at least one day a week where I let my skin breathe!

    Darriyan xo
    www.darriyancateland.co.uk

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    1. I have been trying to do this more recently too. Before I would war makeup every day regardless of what I was doing but I think it is important to have some days where you go without :) x

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  4. Such a great post! I do believe that sometime makeup is doing more harm than good and that is why it is important for us to try and use more products that are natural, paraben free and free from all the yuck. Sometimes it's also a good idea to go makeup free. I do that a few times a week because I work from home and don't need to wear makeup everyday. I also like to wear light makeup and rarely wear a full face of makeup. I also try and keep my skincare minimal and not overdo it with 10 different anti-aging products in one night because , just why?

    Face to Curls | http://facetocurls.com

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    1. I definitely think I need to cut back on the amount of heavy products that I use and try to have more days where I don't wear any makeup. I feel like I have been overloading my skin with tons of makeup and too many skincare products so I am really going to think a bit more about what I am using :) x

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  5. I've often thought this too! I think my skin goes a lot clearer when I sort of just leave it alone. I hope you're face is recovering well from your surgery hun

    Rachel xx
    http://www.thedailyluxe.net

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    1. Thank you :) It's getting there, just very slowly! I completely agree, sometimes it's just best to leave alone and let your skin breathe :) x

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  6. I personally think that if you use good formulas there's no problem.

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    1. I do think the products that you use plays a part. I have always used very heavy products but I think my skin would benefit from some lighter ones and also paying more attention to ingredients x

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  7. I always find the more makeup I wear and more products I use that my skin gets worse. I have a really simple routine and use hardly any products and this works best for me. Great post!

    Gemma x
    www.jacquardflower.uk

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    1. I am definitely going to look at the amount of products I use and also the ingredients that are in the products and I'm hoping this will help the condition of my skin :) x

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    2. Sounds like a good plan. x

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  8. I agree, I like to go make up free when I can. I try and do a face mask once a week to either hydrate or deep cleanse my skin depending on what its like at the time. Great post :) x
    A Blushing Beauty Blog

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    1. I go through phases with masks and will be really good at doing them and then forget. It might help if I get into a better routine :) x

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  9. You know what, I think you're right and here's why. My mom has a face full of freckles (she's half Irish) and has never worn foundation because she loves her freckles and doesn't want to conceal them one bit, so the most she'll wear on her face is blush. She's 50 and has not one wrinkle, bags, or puffiness, so she doesn't wear under eye concealer either. When it comes to skincare, she only washes her face with water and applies some essential oils to her face and that's it. My mom has never had acne and again, has no wrinkles. It's made me consider not putting all of what I do on my face, but I get torn because I see other women who have an extensive beauty regimen have such gorgeous skin, too. I'm curious to know what you notice in your skin's condition as a result in cutting back, so do keep us updated! Thanks so much for sharing, beauty, and I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    www.thestylecontour.com

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    1. I guess everyone is different and when it comes down to it, it's how your skin reacts to different products. It was similar for me though as I was noticing that my friends that used less makeup and skincare products or used products with more natural ingredients had really good, clear skin where as I use so much and my skin has not been great. I will definitely keep an eye on it though and see if continuing to cut back and thinking about the products I am using makes a difference :) I hope you're having a great week too! x

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  10. I find it's some of the ingredients that aggravate skin as opposed to the amount, like fragrance or silicone. I do go without anything sometimes, but it never makes a difference, but I have dry skin, so I have to wear something, hehe.

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    1. I am definitely going to pay more attention to the ingredients that are in the products I am using and see if there are any in particular that cause an issue. Maybe I'm just using the wrong things for my skin! x

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  11. Omg, lady- what a nightmare! I can totally see why you're thinking about scaling back- it's smart, for sure. I'm trying to pay more attention to ingredients these days, and giving my skin a break from all products/makeup a few days a week.

    -Ashley
    Le Stylo Rouge

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    1. It has been such hard work so I'm glad it's getting there now (fingers crossed!). I think it's a great idea to give your skin a break when you can and this is something I will definitely be doing more of going forward x

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  12. I didn't know that a spot could turn into an abscess, you poor thing. Hope that you're feeling better now. I need to go through my makeup too and get rid of a few things I'm no longer using

    Suze | LuxuryColumnist

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    1. To be honest you could tell it was a different kind of spot which started quite deep under the skin. I'm getting there now though thank you :) Just glad to be getting back to normal! x

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  13. Sorry to hear about your cheek, that must have been so unpleasant for you! It's great that you found a silver lining in the situation though, being that you were forced to stop wearing makeup and so you could see how your skin copes naturally! Your new routine/approach to skincare/cosmetics sounds very wise :) I try to have a few make-up free days each week.

    Gabrielle | A Glass Of Ice x

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    1. Yes definitely, it has really made me think about what I am putting on my skin and just after Christmas I had a massive clear out of all the makeup that I have had for ages and had probably gone off! I'm trying to have more makeup free days too so that my skin can get a little air x

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  14. Replies
    1. I really like Estee Lauder Night Repair too but have been using it only a couple of times a week now instead of every day x

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  15. Wow, this sounds like a bit of an eye opener! I often think I ought to have more makeup free days. I'm a Double Wear fan too! x

    Kate Louise Blogs

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    1. I do love Double Wear and I'll still use it for nights out and special occasions but I think it is a little heavy to use on my skin every day with it being so sensitive. x

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  16. I do think there is a trend of layering skincare products but personally I don't think its necessary. Skin is very personal and different people react differently to products. For me a face oil and an eye cream is all the skin care I need. I do love to use face masques and chemical exfoliators once in a while but I don't want to load my face with skincare products.
    As for foundation I do think that having oily to combination skin you could try to use a lighter foundation in order to let your face breathe. Thick foundations tend to make skin oilier during the day.
    Great post by the way!

    Vanessa x | www.springlilies.com

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    1. Thank you :) I'm glad you liked the post. I think I should probably stick to one or two skincare products too as I feel like I was going a bit overboard before trying to use a different product to solve every little issue or potential issue! I'm glad I have realised that I need to cut down a bit more :) x

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  17. I have dry skin and for me I've found that putting a base on everyday does lead to my skin drying out more, and eventually breaking out. I'm better off going with a hydrating skincare routine and wearing concealer where I need it. It did take me a bit of time to find out what works for my skin but I think I'm getting there. My skin's also better where I have gone in with exfoliators, hydrating serums, oils and creams (not all at the same time though haha), so I don't think all skincare is bad, but it's finding the products that fit better with your skin.

    Also, I recently brought my Mum that Estee Lauder serum for some pigmentation issues, but she has mixed doubts about it so far. How are you finding it? xx

    Velvet Blush

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    1. I completely agree, I think it takes time and a lot of trail and error to find skincare products that work for you. I am definitely guilty of changing things when I don't need to as well just because I am a sucker for marketing and like trying new products. I like the Estee Lauder serum but don't use it every day anymore, just a couple of times a week. My mum on the other hand tried it and really wasn't impressed which just goes to show again that what works for one person might not necessarily work for another x

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  18. I actually quit wearing makeup years ago, and people always go nuts over how young and clear my skin looks! I just wear it for special occasions now... - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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    1. That's really interesting and the type of thing that has intrigued me recently. A lot of my friends that don't wear makeup also have really good skin and seem to have less problems than me. I think it can become a bit of a cycle as if you have a breakout or something like that then it might make you want to use more makeup and skincare products but this may just make it worse, especially if you use the wrong type of product x

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  19. i cannot seem to reply to your comment on my blog but im obsessed with the addidas gazelles too x

    www.sonias-style.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. I have been so tempted to buy them so many times since seeing them on your blog haha. I just can't get them out of my head! x

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  20. I do love the garnier micellar water too <3<3
    ANyway, I've following your beautiful blog, I hope you don't mind to following back :)))

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    1. Thank you :) I'm glad you enjoyed the post x

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  21. Great blog!
    Have a nice week-end!
    Gil Zetbase

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    1. Thank you :) I hope you had a lovely weekend too x

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  22. Beautiful eye look! Hope you had a great weekend!

    Xx,

    || FLOORTJELOVES ||

    www.floortjeloves.com
    www.bloglovin.com/blogs/floortjeloves-12198253

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