5 Makeup Shopping Tips When You Have Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, then you’re well aware of how difficult it can be choosing a makeup product that doesn’t lead to itchiness and skin inflammations. It can be a struggle choosing the right makeup product knowing there are so many options available on the market—and most of them you may not be able to use. This can be enough to discourage you from buying makeup altogether.

We’re here to let you in on some shopping tips for your sensitive skin that will restore your confidence when it comes to shopping for makeup.

Understanding Sensitive Skin

Before we go into the shopping tips, it’s important to lay some foundation and define what having sensitive skin really means. Sensitive skin can be a result of a person’s skin type, or it can refer to a side effect caused by a large number of factors both internal and external to the person. At its simplest, it’s a condition in which skin is prone to irritation and itchiness, such as those caused by using toiletries and cosmetics.

Here are practical tips people with sensitive skin should remember when buying makeup:

Check the ingredients.

Always check the ingredients list. This is because some chemicals can aggravate or harm your skin and cause some ugly reactions.

Avoid anything that contains sodium lauryl sulfate. Also, it’s a good idea not to pick up anything that has a strong fragrance. Most fragrances can have toxic chemicals that can make your skin condition worse. If you haven’t done so yet, you may want to verify if you’re allergic to some essential oils, as many cosmetic products can also contain them. Aside from those, stay away from methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone. These preservatives are known sensitizers when used in products that have prolonged contact with your skin.

Choose the right makeup.

Formulas marked ‘non-comedogenic’, ‘hypoallergenic’, or ‘dermatologically tested’ are much safer and are less likely to irritate your skin. These terms can mostly be seen with organic and stand-alone makeup brands that specialize in products for sensitive skin.

One of these safer makeup options is natural mineral makeup. It’s safe and ideal for those with sensitive skin as it doesn’t contain preservatives, parabens, and other harmful ingredients. In addition, mineral makeup gives you a really good finish.

The fewer ingredients, the better.

As much as you want to know exactly what’s in a product, reading those labels can cause anxiety. There are usually enough items to form a lengthy list, and you won’t recognize more than half of what you’re reading.

If you’re aiming at minimizing the risk, try to choose the makeup that has fewer ingredients or products with simple formulations that are less likely to be harmful to your skin.

Mind the expiration dates.

One of the often-overlooked elements of a makeup product’s packaging is a symbol that states ‘6M’ (six months), ‘12m’ (one year), etc. – this indicates how long a product will last after it’s opened. No matter how adorable that package is and how low the discounted price is if the product is too close to expiring, simply move on. In addition, try not to buy those bulky packs of one kind of product to avoid possible wastage if you notice that the product expiration date is right around the corner.

Ask for testers or samplers.

Whenever you’re shopping for beauty products, make sure to check the availability of testers or samples. Testing out the product before making a purchase will save you a lot of money in one go as you won’t end up buying something that might be unsuitable for your skin. Also, make sure that the sales assistant has not touched the product herself and that she uses clean tools.

The right products can make you forget about skin sensitivity

It can be hard, tedious, and may even take a lot of tries until you find the perfect products for your sensitive skin. Keep these tips in mind the next time you have to buy or use makeup and the effort will be worth it.