What is Eyeshadow?
Besides fabulous? Its a mix of chemicals. Emollients to hold the powder together and emulsifiers to bind them. A mix of inorganic colors. Plant and synthetic oils. Stuff like that. They also have texturizers. Not only are these what makes eyeshadow stick to the skin, they also dilute it. It is the ratio of chemicals, I believe that make some eyeshadows more tolerable than others.
Why Do I React to Some Eyeshadow and Not Others?
I kind of already answered this question. Though I have no scientific proof, I think it’s simply in the blend of colors. Some shadows are just more diluted or it’s simply the way they are made. Now of course this is not going to apply to everyone, because like I said, it’s not an exact science. I have reactions to some palettes and not others. I can have reactions to some shadows within a palette and not others within the same palette. It has nothing to do with the brand or the quality. It is simply the formula of the particular shadow. I think.
The reaction I had was so miserable, I was leery to try anything. However, I did. I found out that I actually only react to eye makeup. Which is why it is all I can write about. I cannot tell you what to try if you react to foundation or blush, simply because I do not react at all. This leads me to believe I am less sensitive. This could change. One thing I have learned is that allergies can hit you out of nowhere. However, they can also subside, even though you will have them for life. I find I can eat spinach now with no reaction.
Eyeshadow was the last thing on my list to try because I knew the odds were not in my favor. I decided to buy a single eyeshadow from Kylie Cosmetics, which was very popular at the time. I bought the shade jack frost. It is a pretty shear shimmer. I had no reaction, and started trying other eyeshadows with mixed results, all of which I will share with you.
The DIY Life
Once you are diagnosed you might be tempted to go DIY. (Do It Yourself.) I know I was. At one point I thought I might start a business (Kimmys Kitchen Kosmetics). Now there is a million dollar idea. Right? Nope. Now let me start by saying….there are different kinds of DYI. You can make your own cosmetics using the same chemicals the makeup companies do. I am not sure why you would do this, except it might be fun to mix your own colors. More of a hobby than anything else. You would still be using iron oxides (my idea was to replace these with organic pigments that I would tweak to work. It didn’t exactly go well.) There are plenty of sights out there that sell makeup hand made. They all use iron oxides too.
Then there is the “non-toxic” route. This usually consists of arrowroot and beat powder to make blush. Hibiscus powder or cocoa powder are common too. There are tons of makeup recipes that follow this pattern. Some people consider makeup toxic, and prefer this approach. I do not. For a few reasons. I tried it. It didn’t come out the way I thought and I think is something a lot easier said than done. Maybe I didn’t give it enough of a try, but I lost interest pretty quick. If you are someone who likes makeup, you will probably not be satisfied with this. Just my opinion. There are DIY recipes for just about every kind of makeup. Please keep in mind you will still or should use a preservative. Unfortunately, when I was researching the subject, I did not find that this was emphasized. Powder products you can get away with a little longer, but liquid makeup, such as mascara, you would have to make daily if you are not using preserve. Otherwise it is a haven for bacteria. Mascara recipes are usually something like jojoba oil and activated charcoal. Like I said, it is not my thing, and I do not really recommend it, but I’m sure some people like it. I’ll link a few sites in my “Recommended Links” section (yes I realize I just said I do not recommend it) if you want to check it out.