Scientists have figured out how makeup affects your skin during workouts
Makeup is an essential attribute in many people's lives. Given the high role fitness centers play in forming social bonds in modern society, many people can't completely give it up there either. However, researchers from Korea and the US have recently found that having makeup on your face when you go to the gym can have a negative impact on your skin health.
43 university students were invited to participate in the experiment, the results of which were published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Slightly more than half of them (23 people) were girls aged 23 years (plus or minus five years), and the rest were men (average age 26 years, plus or minus 6.7 years). In a questionnaire before the study, participants confirmed the absence of serious health problems and any allergies.
To minimize the risk of bias, the subjects pre-cleaned their faces with micellar water. They were then measured for moisture, skin elasticity and oiliness, as well as pore size.
After that, one half of the face in the T-zone (forehead and nose) and U-zone (lower part of the chin, cheeks, cheekbones and temples) was sponge-applied with foundation cream - the base of makeup. The other half was left clean and served as a control. The volunteers were offered a 20-minute workout on a treadmill, after which all measurements were repeated.
Comparing the results showed that skin moisture and elasticity increased on the entire face after the workout, but the effect was stronger on the areas with foundation. The researchers attributed this to the fact that makeup prevented moisture from evaporating from the skin.
In addition, exercise contributed to an increase in facial pore size. On the half without foundation, they enlarged more. This suggests that makeup is able to block pores.
Skin oiliness in the control areas increased after exercise, while in contrast, skin oiliness decreased in the areas under foundation. A decrease in skin fat can lead to dryness.
As a result, the authors concluded that the use of foundation during aerobic exercise can worsen facial skin condition, especially if it is prone to dryness, and advised to remove makeup when going to exercise.
Although the experiment did not look at the chemical composition of the foundation and the potential health effects of its components, the researchers cited the name of the product (Maybelline Fit Me Matte+Poreless Liquid Foundation) and its ingredients. On that list, for example, is the preservative phenoxyethanol, which has strong allergenic and irritant properties. It is known that it can cause eczema and hives, and when orally exposed to infants can disrupt their nervous system functions.
The cream also contains titanium dioxide. Although this white pigment is widely used in various cosmetics, dermatologists do not recommend using products with it to people with problem skin. There are among the ingredients parabens and alcohol, which also can not be called useful. Of course, in the cream these substances are present in small doses, recognized as safe. However, it should be taken into account that during sports pores expand and more actively absorb substances from the surface of the skin, which for people with hypersensitivity can be critical.
Based on the findings of the study, makeup on the face may also worsen heat dissipation from the human head during sports (by reducing moisture loss - because it is the evaporation of moisture from the skin that realizes the main part of heat dissipation during exertion). However, the authors did not compare the average heart rate of subjects in the same shape with the same load without and with makeup, so it is impossible to understand the scale of such an effect quantitatively from the work.