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Feb 15, 2024

Top 6 Makeup Tips for People With Atopic Dermatitis

Wearing makeup can help boost your confidence and help you feel more comfortable in your skin with severe eczema — but without the right precautions, it can aggravate a flare. Makeup is supposed to

Wearing makeup can help boost your confidence and help you feel more comfortable in your skin with severe eczema — but without the right precautions, it can aggravate a flare.

Makeup is supposed to hide your flaws and help your skin look good — but when you have a visible skin condition like atopic dermatitis, applying makeup may actually worsen your symptoms. However, when used properly, makeup can help conceal or lessen the appearance of dry, red skin.

“Makeup is used by a lot of people in general to feel more confident in their own skin — and when you have a chronic skin condition like atopic dermatitis, makeup certainly helps with that,” says Joy Wan, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.

However, it’s important to practice caution. “When you have atopic dermatitis, you have a disrupted skin barrier, which means you can react to different ingredients that are in a variety of products much more easily than others,” says Dr. Wan. “Special considerations do have to be taken so that the eczema does not get exacerbated by the products you use, and rather, the makeup can help to support your psychosocial well-being.”

These tips can help you find the right atopic dermatitis-friendly makeup products and routine.

Moisturizing regularly is one of the most important things you can do when managing atopic dermatitis. Doing so helps protect your skin barrier and keep symptoms like dry, itchy skin at bay.

The National Eczema Association recommends these tips for applying moisturizer properly as the foundation to your skin-care regimen:

You may also need to reapply moisturizer throughout the day. “I’m always carrying creams — my bag is prepped with my mini skin-care first-aid kit fit to serve any occasion and ensure I can always prioritize fun with comfort,” says Katie Mackie, who shares her journey with atopic dermatitis on her Instagram accounts @mackies_moments and @itch_n_bitch.

When you have a disrupted skin barrier due to atopic dermatitis, you’re more likely to react to products that come into contact with your skin.

It can be hard to know which types of skin-care and makeup products to try. You can ask your doctor if they have any recommendations. However, it can also help to focus your search on products that have the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance, which was created in 2008 to help make it easier to find skin-care products that are safe for sensitive skin. In order to obtain the seal, products must be free of various allergens and irritants, many of which can worsen atopic dermatitis symptoms or trigger a flare.

“Read carefully through the ingredients and any other information on any product you’re going to apply to the skin to ensure it doesn’t contain ingredients that you might react to,” says Wan. At the very least, she advises, you’ll want to choose products that are fragrance-free and hypoallergenic.

Choosing the right products can be especially important for people with darker complexions. “A lot of individuals who have darker skin often have much more pigmentation or discoloration as a result of eczema,” Wan says. “So it’s probably even more important for those individuals to make sure that they’re picking gentle products that are not going to further irritate the skin, which then can lead to additional discoloration.”

Before using a new makeup product on your face, Wan recommends testing it out on an area like your inner forearm to give you a sense for how your skin might respond to it. “If you don’t react or have much irritation after a day or two, that suggests you could probably tolerate it elsewhere as well,” she says.

Makeup brushes collect product residue along with dirt and oil from your skin. As a result, they become a breeding ground for bacteria, which can aggravate sensitive skin.

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your makeup brushes every seven to 10 days with warm water and gentle soap. But some people opt to forego makeup brushes altogether and simply apply and blend products with their fingers (after washing their hands first).

Another good rule of thumb? Don’t share makeup brushes with others.

“If you have an active flare, be very cautious about putting products directly onto affected skin,” says Wan. “It’s more important to treat the inflammation from that flare first before you apply anything else to it.” Once your flare subsides, it’s safe to start using makeup again.

Of course, you don’t have to wear makeup if you don’t want to. “Ditch the narrative that looking a certain way will make you happier. You are beautiful,” emphasizes Mackie, who has learned to worry less about what other people think about her skin. “Feeling comfortable in your body is a process … changing your physical appearance doesn’t create true happiness.”

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