What Happened After I Stopped Wearing Makeup For a Week
A normal part of many women’s daily routine is makeup application. Women spend time and money to acquire products that promise to make their skin look younger and blemish free. Makeup is also used to increase confidence since many women believe they aren’t presentable to the world without it. Most women haven’t stopped wearing makeup long enough to know what, if any, benefits, there would be. However, some have and we can see what happens to skin after a women stops wearing makeup for a week.
Day, 1
Brooke’s Story
Brooke Shunatona, who spends her days working in beauty and fashion, decided to stop wearing makeup for a week. She confesses that this wasn’t an easy task. There were times she slipped up and put on makeup during her week-long detox. However, what she learned was eye opening.
Day, 2
First, Brooke was able to see the positive effects on her skin. She noticed her skin looked healthier the week she stopped wearing makeup. There was also the truth of what happened when she broke her detox and put on foundation: she suffered breakouts. Within days of not wearing makeup again, the breakouts cleared up.
Day, 3
Day, 4
By the end of her experiment, her skin looked better than she could remember seeing it look for a long time. In fact, Brooke decided not to go back to wearing makeup full time. She learned to test her motives before applying makeup. She makes sure she is wearing it for herself and not for the approval of others.
Day, 5
Day, 6
Day, 7
There was also the psychological side. Brooke received positive comments about her makeup-free skin. However, she noticed she received more compliments on her appearance when she was wearing makeup. That’s exactly what made her rethink her motives. She started feeling confident without the makeup and decided that should be more important than other people’s opinions.
Why Try a Makeup Detox?
When we see advertisements for makeup, we see half-truths. They try to boast that they moisturize and build up our skin to make it both beautiful and healthy. So why is that many people report clearer, healthier looking skin after makeup detoxes?
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In a word, chemicals. Safecosmetics.org lists a long line of chemicals contained in today’s cosmetics and the possible side effects of exposure, including cancer and endocrine interruption. Besides the risks of long term damage, many of the chemicals in makeup are hard on skin. They are caustic enough for women to build up allergies to them over time, resulting in skin irritation and breakouts.
EWG even runs a Skin’s Deep product rating system. It allows users to see what chemicals are in their makeup which helps women avoid known allergens. However, since FDA approval is not required for all makeup, there are still chemicals that cause damage to skin.
How Do I Do a Makeup Detox?
Many women don’t want to give up makeup full time. There is still a way to give your skin a breather, and that’s through a detox. Women’s Health reports that the 5:2 skin diet is taking hold in some parts of the world. With this detox, women wear their usual makeup for five days and detox for two. During the detox, they don’t apply cosmetics.
This allows skin to retain moisture and get rid of leftover makeup without having more applied on top. It gives women the ability to continue wearing makeup, just not every day.
There is also Brooke’s option: an entire week without makeup. This should help a woman identify allergens in her cosmetics. As she reapplies makeup a week later, she will be able to see what she reacts to.
Whether a woman decides to detox, it’s essential she remove her makeup each night. Skin needs a chance to breathe, whether it is for overnight or for a full week.
Any woman who wants to see how her skin will change should consider a makeup detox. Just like in Brooke’s case, she may come to embrace her beauty even more without any cover.
