When you think of key products for beautiful skin, you probably think serum, moisturizer or sunscreen—never would you come up with makeup as the key to healthy skin. However, new research is now suggesting otherwise.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Dr. Phillip Artemi presented a paper at this month’s Annual Scientific Meeting claiming that “cosmeceuticals,” such as foundation, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick, are the second most important anti-aging products behind sunscreen.
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It may sound kind of crazy, but when you think about it, it actually makes a lot of sense. While sunscreen is of course the most effective product to protect skin against UVA and UVB sun damage, specific makeup products also have protective qualities, especially around the eye area, which is frequently missed during sunscreen application. Through this protection, you are reducing visible signs of aging such as dark spots and wrinkles.
“We now know that it isn’t just solar radiation such as UVB and UVA that is bad for the skin,” Dr. Artemi explained. “The sun also emits infrared radiation and visible light, which can lead to damage, resulting in dull skin, wrinkles and unsightly pigmentation.”
He further explained that makeup products’ unique blends of pigments, reflectors of radiation, and SPF ingredients make them anti-aging and cancer-preventive.
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This information is all well and good—the more protection the better! However, that doesn’t mean you can start skipping your daily sunscreen application. Dr. Artemi explained, “A combination of sunscreen, foundation, eye shadow, and mascara can reduce the incidence of skin cancers especially around the eye better than the use of sunscreen alone.”
So there you have it—just in time for summer—makeup with your sunscreen is a skin care win.
