Ink allergy is a protective reaction of the body to a low-quality cosmetic product due to intolerance to at least one of its components. About 60% of the fair sex use mascara at least once a day, and 40% of women use this cosmetic product only occasionally. But few people know that an allergy to mascara can appear. It arises due to ignorance and incorrectly chosen cosmetics. In this article, we will learn how to recognize the symptoms and implement treatment.
About pathology
An allergic reaction to mascara is quite common. It is believed that most cosmetics, especially mascara, are made from artificial and low-quality materials that can negatively affect sensitive skin.
Causes of occurrence
A mascara allergy appears as a reaction to the product itself or even to one of the ingredients in its composition. According toAccording to statistics, intolerance to cosmetics can be the result of the influence of the following points:
- Misuse. Wanting to make up all the cilia as carefully as possible, the girls often touch the mucous membrane of the eyes. With this behavior, even the highest quality products of well-known brands can cause allergies.
- Poor quality mascara. Before buying, ideally, you need to find product reviews and a description of the ingredients that make up the mascara.
- Violation of storage conditions for cosmetics. The tube of mascara should be sealed tightly after use. Otherwise, lumps begin to form, which can increase the irritant effect.
- Using expired mascara. Before purchasing cosmetics, you should check well.
- Allergists do not advise buying small test bottles in stores that are opened or used as a tester.
Possible allergens
Such cosmetics contain a large amount of harmful substances. Ingredients that may contribute to the development of mascara allergy:
- Aluminum Powder is a pigment that allows you to give cosmetics a certain shade.
- Titanium Dioxide is a tinting pigment that can absorb ultraviolet rays. Promotes the formation of cancerous tumors, allergies, irritation of the skin around the eyes and even the lungs.
- Propylparaben (Propylparaben) and methylparaben (Methylparaben) are popularpreservatives.
- Silicone (Silica) - a tool that does not allow cosmetics to harden quickly. May contribute to the development of allergies and intoxication.
Rules for selecting and applying mascara
Basic rules for choosing and using a cosmetic product:
- The price of mascara should be quite high. Choose products that are free of poisonous preservatives, harmful chemicals, and even animal fats.
- Before applying mascara to the eyelashes, be sure to test for an allergic reaction. To do this, apply a little makeup on the palm of your hand and wait 10-15 minutes. If the skin does not turn red, then there is no allergy to mascara.
- The presence of lumps and friability of the structure speaks of a second-class product.
- Beware of strong-smelling cosmetics.
- Renew your mascara every three months.
- Don't give your cosmetics to strangers. This will prevent the entry and development of pathogenic microflora on the mucous membrane of the eye.
How to confirm the diagnosis?
Only after a visual examination of the patient, the diagnosis is not determined. To confirm suspicions, you should contact an allergist and an ophthalmologist. The second specialist will determine the extent of the immune response, and the first doctor will try to determine its root cause.
An informative method of research, during which a specific allergen (irritant) is determined, which causes an immune response, is considered to be an allergy test. You can resort to it only at the moment when there are no bright symptoms of mascara allergy, a photo of the manifestations of which can be found on specialized resources. Skin tests also allow you to exclude other allergens that can cause severe negative reactions in the body.
Such a study involves the application of several variants of irritating substances in the form of notches on the skin at once. Only in laboratory conditions should such analyzes be carried out. 20 minutes after applying the scratches, the results of the study are evaluated. Signs of irritant intolerance: itchy sensations, redness, rashes around one or more control areas.
Determination of the level of immunoglobulin E
A special study - a blood test for the determination of immunoglobulin E - allows you to determine the level of immunoglobulins in biological material. If the test results are too high, then this only confirms the fact that an allergic response is formed in the body. An increase in the concentration of a substance indicates a pronounced pathology.
The immunoglobulin E test also detects exposure to specific allergens (irritants). Such a test is allowed to be carried out during the active course of allergies. The great advantage of this study is that it does not require the patient to be in close contact with a possible allergen.
Ink Allergy Symptoms
Identifies a range of mascara allergy symptoms that may appear immediately after applicationcosmetics or only after a few hours:
- Itchy eyes.
- Sore throat.
- Redness of the whites of the eyes.
- Burning and tingling in the eyes.
- Teary.
After the first symptoms of an allergy to mascara, photophobia and severe swelling of the eyelids may appear. Such signs occur both in one eye and in both. With severe allergies, acute purulent inflammation of the eyelash hair follicle, conjunctivitis, or even contact dermatitis appears.
Contact dermatitis and conjunctivitis occur when allergens (components of mascara) come into direct contact with the skin of the eyelids and irritate it. After that, a thin wet film “covers” the entire surface of the eyes.
If the allergic reaction is short-lived and is expressed only at the time of using the cosmetic, it is likely that, if the problem is not corrected, the cilia will begin to fall out quickly. Mascara that does not cause allergies - most often products of well-known brands, which contain a minimum amount of allergens.
Safety rules
In order for mascara to fulfill its main task - to be a decoration for your eyes, and not cause a lot of problems, it is important to follow a few simple recommendations:
- keep cosmetic in a dark and cool place;
- an open mascara tube must be tightly closed after use;
- not the best place to store cosmetics is a bathroom withhumid and often hot air;
- when you go to bed, always clean your face - the remnants of mascara on the eyelashes, drying out, then crumble, get on the mucous surface of the eyes, provoke inflammation.
Treatment
To get rid of an allergy to mascara, you must neutralize the negative side effect. To do this, immediately after the discovery of allergy symptoms, it is worth quickly rinsing the eyes. This must be done initially with a cotton pad, which is wetted in micellar water, and then rinse your eyes well with warm water to completely remove makeup residue.
If signs of allergy persist, use occasional rinsing to remove any remaining mascara from the eyes. After thoroughly cleaning the skin, it is important to take restorative measures:
- An allergist may prescribe antihistamines in tablet form and, less frequently, antibiotics. This neutralizes the effect of the infection that was introduced into the body through the mucous membrane of the eyes. Citrin and Suprastin are considered popular medicines for carcass allergies.
- The skin of the eyelids should be gently anointed with anti-inflammatory ointment. To do this, you can use "Bepanthen" or "Panthenol" to restore the delicate tissue of the skin around the eyes.
- In addition to taking pills, the treatment of mascara allergy includes taking home measures to restore the skin. To do this, dry chamomile is brewed with boiling water. Keep the compress on your eyes for 10 minutes up to 5 times a day.
- Applying mascara to the eyelashes until the allergy symptoms completely disappear is not advised by doctors, because this way you can aggravate the allergic reaction. In addition, such actions will lead to the formation of rashes and inflammation on the entire skin of the face.
Does the reaction depend on skin type
One of the main causes of an allergic reaction is sensitive skin. Dry and dehydrated skin cannot resist the toxic ingredients found in mascara on its own.
But still, despite the fact that delicate skin is more prone to an allergic reaction, irritation of the eyelids can occur literally in any person. The frequency of manifestation of such reactions is additionally affected by seasonal and age-related changes in a woman's skin, improper use of cosmetics, expired or low-quality products.
