Halloween: watch out for glitter and make-up that can damage your skin
Doctors for the Environment have issued a warning and are launching a research and training project to protect our largest organ
Key points
From ‘cosmetoressia’, which has taken hold of millions of teenagers – mostly girls – who are devotees of ‘skincare’, to the excesses of Halloween – now effectively an early or ‘double’ Carnival – which have normalised the use of face make-up, glitter and masks which, as doctors explain, can have serious consequences for our skin.
Prevention
The warning comes – on the eve of the festival that we have imported from the US in recent years, and which sees young people and others queuing outside shops specialising in fancy dress and make-up – from doctors at the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (Sima): to mark Halloween, they are highlighting the dangers associated with the use of non-compliant products and launching the ‘Sima Skin Health’ project, which aims specifically to improve prevention in the field of skin health and to educate the public about the risks linked to external factors, starting with environmental ones.
The risks
It is precisely during the Halloween period that there is a sharp rise in the consumption of counterfeit cosmetic products, and the market is flooded with non-compliant costumes and masks that may contain irritants, allergens or contaminants, causing skin reactions that can be quite severe – as Sima explains - Among the most common consequences are irritant and allergic dermatitis, redness, itching, a burning sensation, swelling and the appearance of blisters. In non-compliant cosmetics, any irritants or allergens may compromise the skin barrier and aggravate pre-existing conditions, such as eczema, atopic dermatitis and rosacea. Masks can also damage the skin, causing abrasions and inflammation. A further cause for concern is the possible presence of banned and potentially carcinogenic substances in counterfeit products.
Our skin, however, is the most exposed part of the body and therefore the one most at risk, not only at Halloween but all year round – as Sima points out –: air pollution, solar radiation, poor indoor lighting, smoking, alcohol, insufficient sleep and unhealthy lifestyles are all factors that have a direct impact on skin health and contribute to the onset of skin conditions.
