Eye make up allergy

I need some advise on eye allergies for my mom. It seems like no matter what kind of eyeshadow she uses she has an allergic reaction to it. She discribes it as if the eyeshadow is eating away at her skin. She can only wear eyeshadow on very special occasions, but the next day her eye lid feels like it is burning. She uses spounge applicators, i don't know how often she cleans or changes them. But i don't think her spounge is her problem, because the allergy seems to be more on her left eye. I want to know what kind of make up do you think she should try, She is not against spending money so any suggestions will help.

OHH. She already went to the doctor and he didn't help much.

It may be a latex allergy - get a nice brush to apply e/s with. As for eyeshadows, try a mineral eyeshadow. I really like Fyrinnae and Pure Luxe. They have hundreds of colours between them.

xxx

I find it hard to believe that she is allergic to ALL types/brands. She should go to a doctor to maybe find what the exact allergy is to, then find a brand that doesn't have it. I am only allergic to certain colors/certain brands. My eyelids will swell & itch really bad & then for several days after they feel like they were scrubbed with sandpaper. I just make sure I never use the ones I have a reaction to again & I always return or exchange them.

it's possible she can be allergic to some colors or brands, but i find it hard to believe she's allergic to all of them.

maybe it's her eye primer, or her moisturizer (or a combination of the different products she used on her face) that cause the itching.

maybe she should start by using brushes instead of sponge applicators? sponge can absorb easily bacteria, so sometimes it can cause an allergy. besides, you do a better job with brushes than sponge applicators (that's my opinion though).

make also sure her eye makeup remover is very gentle because that's what happened to me in the past.

i'd say she should go to a doctor, an eye infection has always to be considered seriously. what kind of doctor did she went to? was he a specialist? she should go to an ophthalmologist, and if she already went to see one, it might be good to have a second opinion.

i was thinking also, is your mother allergic (dust, pollen, animals' hair...)? because you can have allergies all year round, not just only during spring and summer, and an allergy can cause itchiness around the eyes, trust me i know.

anyway, i hope she'll soon be able to wear makeup more often, i'm sorry she can't play with it much.

She has been to a dermetoligist (I hope that is spelled right) and to a optomatrist since the allegy seems to come up on and around her eyes. All she uses now are cream eye shadow pencils and its just above the lash line. If she puts eyeshadow on her eyelid or brow area that is where the allergy comes up. Just this past weekend we went to NY for my cousins wedding. She wore eyeshadow of course and her eye was all red and raw the next day. She has so many eyeshadows in different colors and types and brands, they all give her a reaction. Besides using a brush and mineral makeup those seem to be the only thing for her to try now. If there are any other suggestions please share.

I'm very sorry, I wish I had an answer........perhaps she should try to an allergist doctor.

Can I ask what brands & colors she has tried?

Just stop wearing eyeshadow. If you cant you cant. I stopped wearing it because its just not worth having to spend money on medication. I only wear fluidline and have had no reaction.

All I can think to suggest is a brush or mineral eye shadow. Or she might be best stopping wearing it completely.

I DO believe she can be allergic to all (almost all) brands and colors. There are some ingredients that can be very problematic that are used in ALMOST EVERY SINGLE LINE AND EVERY SINGLE EYE PRODUCT.

I'd bet money that she's sensitive to bismuth oxychloride, which is a natural mineral derived ingredient. It lends shimmer and a smoothness of texture. She could also have a sensitivity to a colorant, like carmine (natural red pigment) or the D&C dyes. Red pigment is used not only in red and pink colors, but in blue, purple, brown, black, peach, coral, some greens, and on and on. Pretty much the whole rainbow *possibly* could contain carmine.

I agree with the suggestions to try mineral shadows - and to look specifically for those that DO NOT contain bismuth oxychloride.

My own experience is similar to your mom's - I didn't wear shadows for almost 20 years because I was plagued with significant contact dermatitis, red, itchy, weepy, crusty, oozy, painful rash on my lids. Drs. just told me to use cortisone cream, which offered minimal relief.

To soothe her tender skin, I'd recommend using emu oil (find it at health food stores) since it is naturally anti-inflammatory and very healing. It's often used on burn victims and really helps to minimize scarring and to promote healing. Have her avoid all makeup products on her lids until her skin is smooth, supple and comfortable again. THen consider trying mineral makeups, but be sure to read the labels, since many of them are based on bismuth.

(And to clarify, I am not saying that bismuth or carmine are bad ingredients and should be avoided - I think for most people they are fine, and we even ingest them in natural foods. But if you are sensitive or allergic, it's a whole other story.)

-b.

So I happen to be an expert on the are of eye makeup allergies.

It is very possible that she is allergic to colored dyes used in makeups.

That is the case with me, and yes while it it completely annoying, I am not able to wear any colored makeup at all. I have even tried Arbonne- which is an all natural organic brand, and I was not able to wear any eye shadow from their line either. And the only thing that could be more natural than that is mud. The only thing i am able to do it wear all natural, organic eyeliner (a kohl not liquid) and occasionally mascara. and it has to be the blackest black. While some people say "oh well she can't be allergic to EVERYTHING".. its very possible she is. The key is testing products one at a time to see exactly what shes allergic to. And a tip for when she does have a reaction, take some benadryl. I mean yeah it will knock her out, but it should also relieve some of the swelling and discomfort.

hope this helps!

oh. and never ever use makeup sponges. they are a party house for bacteria. use brushes and clean them often with a dish soap.

I think Bare Mineral shadows would suit her well, they are free of talc and fragrance. Clinique products are also always hypo-allergenic, it's their thing!

it seems more difficult to believe that her left eye is allergic to everything but her right eye is more tolerant of it. Usually if you're allergic to something, you're just allergic to it, not allergic on only one half of your body.

I can sympathize.  I also appear to be allergic to all brands of eyeshadow (both powder & creams).  I can wear any mascara & any eyeliner, but no shadows.  A few years ago if I wpre eyeshadow my eyes would get so red & so swollen that people thought I was crying.  I went several years with no eyeshadow and thought I would try it again.  I went to Clinique since they are allergy free.  When I tried their eyeshadow (using a creme that is supposed to make it even safer to use under the powder, I was fine the day of, but the next morning my eyes were all red & watery for hours.

I tried using their creme eyeshadow (which I like better than the powder) but I had the same problem.  I will take someone's suggestion & try Whole Foods.

I got passed down some really crappy genes from my parents.  But one thing I didn't inherit my mom's allergic reaction to any eyeshadow that has pink or red in it.  Really doesn't matter the brand, but Clinique is mainly what she used in trying pinks and reds and found her allergic reaction.  So I got all her makeup that has any pink or red dyes in it! I scored big time!  I feel bad for my mom though.  She was able to wear UD's Hustle from the Naked palette and I believe the description states that it's a reddish brown. So maybe it's just Clinique, but since my mom complains that the red infused makeup makes her lids feel like they are on fire, so she's just steered clear of red/pink shadows altogether.

Originally Posted by Enchantedcameo /img/forum/go_quote.gif

She has been to a dermetoligist (I hope that is spelled right) and to a optomatrist since the allegy seems to come up on and around her eyes. All she uses now are cream eye shadow pencils and its just above the lash line. If she puts eyeshadow on her eyelid or brow area that is where the allergy comes up. Just this past weekend we went to NY for my cousins wedding. She wore eyeshadow of course and her eye was all red and raw the next day. She has so many eyeshadows in different colors and types and brands, they all give her a reaction. Besides using a brush and mineral makeup those seem to be the only thing for her to try now. If there are any other suggestions please share.

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I am sorry but it's spelled "dermatologist". But we get the idea /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I am allergic to some lip glosses. It makes my lips feel like they have been set on fire. The minty ones make it even worse.

Please take care and let your eyes relax from time to time.

I have had the same problem for years!  Really, the only eye shadow that I'm not allergic to is a cream eyeshadow, such as the one that Revlon makes.  Certain liquid eyeliners give me the same problem.  I had used certain brands for years, then suddenly, I deveoped an allergy and can never wear them again.  It is such a challenge trying to find eye makeup that I'm not allergic to.  Any suggestions would be great!

I would recommend taking a look at the ingredients of both the shadows you're allergic to and the ones you're not then try to figure out what's in the ones you're having problems with that's not in the ones you don't have a problem with.

I suffer from the same problem. Everytime I wear eyeshadow, I have puffy red itchy eyelids the next day. I wash my face with Cetaphil, I put gently cream on my face but it's really the make-up. Sometimes the itch begins during the day while I am wearing it. I guess there is not alot we can do about it. I wll try the eye-liner mascara combo and see how it turns out. I will also try the Aveeno Exzema cream and see if it helps.
Good luck to everyone who suffers from this !

hey thanks for sharing the post with us. It describes the a lot about eye makeup allergies. 

keep sharing!!