It’s Not The Brush; It’s The Blush!

If you have ever experienced breakouts along your cheekbones that just won’t go away no matter what you do or use, you may have concluded that the pimples must be connected to your blush. After asking around, or perusing Pinterest, there's no doubt that you've come across the advice to wash your makeup brushes. It only seems to make sense that your dirty makeup brushes would cause breakouts, right? 

Actually -- no.  As I always tell my clients, "It's the blush, and not the brush!"

A few facts:

The bacteria that fall on your brushes all day are the same that fall on your face all day. We also have a natural mechanism connected with the oil of our skin that protects us from bacterial invasion. If breakouts were associated with bacteria on our makeup brushes, not only would we be breaking out all the time without makeup, but we would also be erupting in terrible infections all over our skin! 

The truth is, many blushes and bronzers contain several 

problematic ingredients that are actually the cause of your breakouts.

Here’s how:

1)  Quite a few blush and bronzer ingredient lists begin with Talc. Always look for this in makeup! Talc is extremely pore clogging for acne-prone skin. If any makeup contains Talc, leave it on the shelf -- Talc basically mixes with the oils of your skin to make something like spackle. When applied to your skin, the Talc and oil combination blocks pores, oils begin to back up within, and you're left with a crop of breakouts! 

2) There are certain red and yellow dyes that can be irritating to pore linings, which can then create impacted breakouts along the blush-line and chin. Many blushes contain these irritating dyes in order to be highly pigmented, especially from product lines that are preferred by and marketed to makeup artists. 

3)  Many pressed bronzers contain very pore-clogging ingredients that are meant to hold the cake together but also help to spread the product around, since for some reason this is especially challenging for bronzers. 

The best blushes and bronzers for acne-prone skin are obtained from pure mineral lines and from lines crafted specifically to be non-irritating to pores as well as non-clogging (these makeup products are often sold in skincare salons).

Daniela's exclusive mineral makeup collection
(with Mark Lees liquid foundation)

Breakouts due to makeup application are never about bacteria on makeup brushes. Instead, these breakouts are almost always connected pore-clogging or pore-irritating ingredients in the makeup itself. For hygiene purposes, it's okay to clean your brushes with diluted dish-washing liquid or baby shampoo once every 8-12 weeks (more frequent washing will ruin the quality of your brushes!).

When you switch to non-clogging foundation, powder, concealer, blush, and/or bronzer products, your breakouts will start to subside regardless of how seldom you wash your brushes.  Of course, you must wash the pore-clogging makeup off your brushes and start again fresh. But once you start fresh, you’ll be amazed at the difference in your skin!

Do you think your current makeup or skincare products might be contributing to your Adult Acne or skin sensitivity? Unsure about the ingredients in your makeup? Please feel free to contact me or visit my acnewhisper site and check out my Adult Acne Clearing Programs so we can get you started on a regimen for clear, radiant skin! :)

Looking to replace your makeup?

The Daniela’s handcrafted mineral makeup line includes powder foundations, bronzers, and blushes, along with handcrafted non-clogging lip balms in tinted and non-tinted, plus lip colors that apply like pot lipstick but feel and heal like a balm. If you prefer liquid foundation, there is a great liquid-to-powder foundation from Mark Lees Skin Care, a professional-only fully tested line specializing in acne and sensitivity issues.  Rounding out the collection is an amazing oil control setting powder that calms as it evens out skin tone and controls oil for hours.

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