Growing up, I found most products irritated my sensitive skin so I went without a lot of make-up. I envied the girls that could put a full face of make-up on without a problem. I wish I had known back then that most of the products I was using contained harmful chemicals that were causing my skin irritations. As I got older and stayed at home with children, I used less products. I wore make-up only when necessary and would wash it off as soon as I was able. The journey to heal my skin was long and took a lot of research and label reading. If you have sensitive skin, rosacea, or other skin conditions, I hope you will read my story and find some of it helpful.
I heard the word rosacea for the first time in my 20’s when I visited a dermatologist for my red skin. I was surprised to hear that they couldn’t help me get rid of the redness. They had advice for controlling the redness which I didn’t find very successful. I found my skin getting more red and more reactive to products as the years passed. So, I learned to limit my product usage and wash my skin often to keep it clean and make-up free as much as possible.
During this time, my health was also declining and I was looking for answers anywhere. You can read about my chronic fatigue recovery in another post. Mid 2014, I decided to try a gluten free diet hoping it might help with any of my symptoms. It seemed to help a little. I would still react to various products, but at least my skin wasn’t quite as red. Once I went gluten free and saw some improvement, I realized the answer to my problems might be found in unconventional means. I discovered functional medicine and I was on a mission to learn everything I could. In 2015, I had an ELISA test done which is a functional test designed to show sensitivities. It showed I was sensitive to many chemicals including chlorine and silicone. I was advised to get a filter for my bath and shower and to avoid all silicone based products. Most commercial hair, skin, and make-up products have a form of silicone in them. There are a lot of other names for silicone, but basically, anything that ends in -one is a silicone. Dimethicone is a popular choice for lotions and make-up because it helps products have a silky glide to them. I was advised to avoid this too. I was on a mission to find products that I could use. At this point, I was a little skeptical, but I was hurting and sick and I didn’t have another option. I began researching organic products and reading labels. I couldn’t find anything locally that did not contain dimethicone, not even at Whole Foods Market!
Online shopping became my hero! I found various sites and products without harmful chemicals or silicones. I ordered several things to try. I suddenly found I was able to use products and wear make-up again without reacting and turning red or itching. My skin finally felt nice after washing it and applying moisturizers.
Ok, so there is a whole other side to healing my skin which involves an elimination diet, clean eating, more functional medical tests, phytonutrients, and more. You can read a little more about this in my post on how I healed from Chronic Fatigue. But, for the purpose of this post, I wanted to focus on products that I love and can use successfully!
These are the products I have tried in the last year:
I discovered Keys skincare products on another functional practitioner’s site and I decided to order and try them out. This was my first attempt at chemical free products. Upon arrival, I liked the products, but the moisturizers were a little thick for me. I found adding a drop or two of frankincense essential oil (wonderful for skin!) to the moisturizer thinned it out enough for me to love it! I like to use the Luminous moisturizer daily, the Tortuga in extreme cold and dry weather, and Solar Rx for moisturizer with sunscreen. I use Dr. Bronner’s to wash my face in the morning and at night which I buy from Thrive Market. I have used the Keys skincare face wash. I like it, but I find Dr. Bronner’s cleans my face better and it is much less expensive. I love a good bargin!
Next, I discovered 100% pure fruit pigmented make-up. I love this brand. I use their make-up exclusively. None of it has irritated my skin, eyes, or lips! I can not wait to try their skin care and hair care when I run out of my current products. I think if I would have discovered 100% Pure before Keys, I would have tried their moisturizer and hair care first. That is how much I love the make-up!
My favorite products are:
Fruit Pigmented Foundation Powder: It is light but covers well. Gives a natural look but finished. I can’t feel it on my face and can wear it a long time without it bothering me. There is NO itching!
Fruit Pigmented eye shadows: They stay on and do not irritate. Most of my colors are discontinue, but Gold Espresso and Sugared are on my list to try ASAP!
Eyeliner: The color I have is discontinued, but the Dark Cacao looks very nice. It doesn’t make my eyes red or itch at all!
Eyebrow: The eyebrow powder in taupe works well for me. It is subtle and stays on. I have a scar mid eyebrow where I fell and got stitches at 2 yo. This eyebrow powder covers the scar and missing eyebrows without a problem.
Lips: The Gemmed lip gloss in Aura Rainbow is my favorite. It is sheer and glittery, perfect for holidays! Don’t let the picture on the website fool you into thinking it is orange. It is very sheer and glittery. Beautiful! I also like the fruit pigmented lip glaze. I am not much of a lip color person. I tend to like lip balm and lip glass more. But, I do like the lip glaze and it has persuaded me to try a little color. I have the Lychee, Velveteen and Cabaret. While we are on lips, I have tried a brand called Vapour organic beauty. Their Elixir plumping glass is wet and doesn’t not stay on and I do not like it at all.
Ultra lengthening Mascara: Black! Need I say more?
I plan to try their skin care, nails, and hair care when I run out of what I have now. I love the make-up and am sure I will love the other products just as much! After a long time without using much make-up, I am slowly getting back into products. I would love to hear about your favorites.
I do not link to products that I don’t use or have not tried. If you like a product not listed here, I would love to hear about it!
I sincerely thank you for reading my post and would love to hear your comments.
If you are interested in an ELSISA test, feel free to contact me.
If you are interested in Melaleuca essential oils, feel free to contact me.
If you are interested in 100% Pure make-up, click the ad to shop!
Caroline Gilmore, RD, LDN, IFNCP 