Thread: Argh! Devestating--Allergy to Eye Shadow!

This is the worst news--EVER!

I have developed an allergy to eye shadow. My lids get crazy broken out and swollen after wearing it for a day. I went to my regular doctor and she told me that's exactly what it was. But I didn't want to hear it! So I went to my dermatologist last night with all hope he could prove my GP wrong. No such luck. Sigh.

I LOVE my eye shadow! I (used to) wear it to work every day. And being able to pull out all the stops for performing is just heaven! I refuse to go cold turkey--I'm still going to wear it when performing. I can't not!

Luckily I can wear eye liner and mascara. So at least my eyes don't disappear....

I love eye shadow, so this would be terrible news for me. If you put a barrier (like, 8 coats of primer or something)- would that help lessen the symptoms or anything? Are you allergic to all forms (ie: pressed, mineral, cream, etc)?

I wonder if an allergist could help determine an ingredient that you are allergic to- and then you could look for a brand (on Etsy, for instance) that doesdn't use that ingredient. No idea- just trying to think of possibilities.

Same thing happened to me years ago. I finally realized it was not worth the pain and aggravation of wearing eye shadow. I now wear a double layer of lush eye lashes when I perform. Eyes are emphasized and the next day I do not have to deal with swollen, irritated eyes. When I want an extra splash of color the second pair of lashes will have jewel accents on the strip.

I second Amara that you get an allergy test done. It may be just one ingredient in the eyeshadow that you're allergic to and you can find other varieties that don't have that ingredient.

For example, if you're using standard eyeshadow you may be allergic to a preservative in it that mineral eyeshadow doesn't have.

Is it a specific texture to which you're allergic or anything on your lids in general?

If you're allergic to a powder, try pencils. They come in many colors, easy to work with like shadows, esp. MAC, Make Up Forever, or Aveda b/c they're very soft and spreadable. Or creams.

But if it's putting things on your lids that's what's causing the reaction, then that's a major bummer. Play it up with the liner and lashes, intensify your lips. There are other ways to create balance and enhance your features, don't despair!

Another thought is that you could have accidentally contaminated your makeup, and your eyelids are reacting to that. If you decide to go back and test wearing eye shadow again after your current irritation subsides, get a new package of something of reasonable quality and try using only clean, disposable applicators in the shadow itself (don't re-dip after you've touched your eyelid). Also, don't save your makeup longer than a few months after it's been opened, don't share it with others, and don't store it in humid, bacteria-friendly places like a bathroom--all situations that can affect the purity of your makeup.

if you can find what ingredient or combination of ingredients you're alergic to the EWG's Skin deep cosmetic safety database has a function that lets you search based on products that don't contain x y or z. here's the link, good luck! http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php

Beauty So Clean is also quite effective in sanitizing makeup and brushes. I have several bottles in my kit, never go anywhere w/o it.

I agree, it could be the ingredients within the eyeshadow.....
I use eyeshadow from B never too Busy to be Beautiful, which uses almost all natural ingredients, and is really good quality! True some of their stuff is a little pricey, but if it means that you can still wear make up then it's probably worth it.
I hope you get this sorted soon!
Zoe

I also tended to break out in lid hives, with swelling and itch when I was wearing eye shadow (any kind) daily. I now only use it for performing, and special occasions. Cutting down on the frequency of wearing helped a lot. I also second everything Tourbeau said about using new, clean applicators or at least properly washed and dried brushes for application, and using a primer barrier before application and frequent makeup replacement. Can't be too careful with your eyes!

Something very similar to this happened to me as well. My eyelids would puff up, get horrendously itchy and slightly burned after a day of wearing eyeshadow. My eye doctor suggested I try washing my eyelids daily with Johnson's baby shampoo...and it completely cleared it up within two days. I'm much more reserved about when I wear eyeshadow now, but I can in fact wear it again with little to no reaction.

After taking off your eye makeup, try Ocusoft eyelid cleanser. You can get it at most drug stores next to the contact lens solutions, eye drops, etc. It's gentle, comes in pre-moistened pads, and removes any makeup residue. The cleaner you keep your makeup and applicators, the better, too. Good luck!

This happened to me as well. I got allergy tested and came up negative. So now I suspect that I'm not reacting to an ingredient so much as bacteria. I am now super diligent about cleaning my brushes regularly and throwing away any product that old and/or I starts to make me irritated. Have not had a reaction in a while now and I still wear eye shadow daily.

I am allergic to Estee Lauder eye shadow. I want to say also to Revlon, there is another drugstore brand that I am allergic to.

Lancome is what I usually wear, but I can also wear Almay.

Did you try several brands? Just get the irritation completely die down before you try another.

yes to everything above: and once your eyelids feel back to normal, you might want to try some organic and natural brands that don't have chemical additives.

also, what about your eye cream, etc. have you changed it recently? could that have become contaminated? any other products you apply to your eye area?

Ooooh oooh oooh this happened to me a few years ago! It was sooooo frustrating because eyeshadow is my favorite. I switched to Almay hypoallergenic shadows and have had not a single problem since. You might want to try them. They don't hold up as well as other shadows but they do have some great colors.

Thanks to all for your ideas!

Strangely enough, I never thought about having a patch test done for specific ingredients! And I'm usually such a research kind of girl! I'm going to make an appointment with an allergist right now.

I'll give Almay a try.... I've tried so many different brands of shadows I'm hesitant to spend *more* money on something I might not be able to wear.

Wish me luck!

If you're hesitant about spending more money on eye shadow, buy it at Walgreen's. They take returns on make-up, even if it's been tried!