When you imagine costume makeup, colored contact lenses, and bold face pigments, you can immediately think of Halloween. But TikTok makeup artists are celebrating the winter holidays. Some performers have gone viral with dazzled Ice Queen costumes and green Grinch faces. These designs can inspire social media followers to try out new makeup trends.

Like many people, Natasha Jane Wood loves makeup. But the wood is a makeup artist who won fame from TikTok with his body art. During the holiday season, she transformed into a Grinch, elf, and other festive characters. In one video, she became an Ice Queen who could give Jack Frost a run for his money.

Makeup can be extreme on TikTok, and dermatologists are concerned about extreme skin complications.

How professional makeup artists protect their skin

Wood followed up on her popular Ice Queen video with another clip showing the process of peeling layers of makeup and cosmetic paint from her face and cleavage. Watching this video, viewers receive a rare behind-the-scenes look at how many products and techniques a makeup artist can use for a single look.

The artist begins by peeling the clear teardrop-shaped icicle ornaments from her cheeks. Next, Wood uses a specialized makeup remover to loosen the paint and pigments from his skin. She takes off her eye makeup, false eyelashes and colored lenses. When Wood finds herself bare face and neck, she applies a moisturizing serum.

During this process, Wood takes several steps to protect his skin. The skin on your face is sensitive. Why? The skin cells in your face are smaller than those in other parts of your body. While you can cover your body with clothing, your face should be at least partially exposed so that you can eat, smell, and see. The smaller skin cells help prevent the skin on your face from absorbing unwanted chemicals that you might encounter in your daily life. But when you use thick makeup for long periods of time, you can irritate your skin.

Most makeup products contain a combination of minerals, dyes, waxes, oils, and fragrances. Dermatologist Dr Purvisha Patel said Vogue teens on the potential dangers of costume makeup. In the article, Patel is cited saying, “These heavier products can clog pores and cause allergic reactions.”

To keep their skin clean and clear, artists like Wood avoid wearing their heavy makeup for long periods of time. They also use moisturizers, as costume makeup and face paints can leave the skin dry and inflamed.

For some costumes, artists will change the shape of their face by wearing prosthetics. When Wood imitated the Grinch, she stuck a mask over her nose and cheeks to provide the Grinch’s tell-tale pug wrinkles and nose. These costumes often need special, skin-safe glues and cosmetic adhesive removers.

Potential complications of misuse of makeup

While some viewers may want to make their own outrageous makeup costumes, these viewers may not know about makeup safety. The Try Guys, a popular group of YouTubers, tried to recreate looks from popular beauty bloggers. In the images the Try Guys attempted to recreate, the beauty bloggers have layers of powder and liquids, rhinestones, thick colored pigments, and even paint covering their faces.

One of the Try Guys, Eugene Lee Yang, was comfortable wearing makeup at events and in other videos. But the video gained millions of views (and maybe just as many laughs) because three of the men had no idea what certain makeup products were or how to apply them. As Zach Kornfeld splashes paint on his chest and face to mimic a James Charles look, he asks, “Is this ever going to erase me?” Like always?”

If you are planning to make your own makeup costume, you will likely have more basic makeup knowledge than the Try Guys. However, this video provides an overview of common mistakes a makeup novice can make. Men wear makeup on their faces with their fingers, rub their eyes and mouth with their hands rather than brushes or sponges. Your hands can carry over 3,000 germs at any time of the day. Many of these germs are harmless bacteria and fungi, but some (like viruses) can make you sick. Touching your face with your hands can spread these germs in your eyes, nose, and mouth.

In the Try Guys video, most men don’t know what makeup products are, let alone whether their sensitivity might be sensitive to some of the ingredients in makeup products. Many makeup artists consult a dermatologist before trying new cosmetic products to make sure they are safe to use. The dermatologist may recommend have the artist try new makeup on a small part of the arm or another area that is not on the face. This way, a makeup artist can assess whether a new makeup product is itching, redness, or irritation on the skin before applying the product all over the face.

Even if you are not allergic to makeup when you first buy it, old makeup can make you pop. If you wear outdated mascara or eyeliner, your eyes may cry. Patel cautions against using old make-up or face paints: “You want to make sure there hasn’t been enough time for bacteria to build up on the makeup, so you don’t have to. not contaminate the skin. Products, such as makeup and creams that are not used, can incubate bacteria over time. Make sure all of your products are always up to date before you reuse last year’s Halloween face paints or eyeshadow palette you haven’t touched since Pride Month.

Tips for safer costume makeup

You might want to celebrate the holiday season by infiltrating yourself as Santa Claus, the Grinch, or other holiday characters. Follow these safety tips to stay on your dermatologist’s “Good” list:

• If in doubt, throw it out. Never wear expired makeup.
• Inspect all prosthetic devices, masks, and other disguise cosmetics for latex if you are allergic to latex.
• Apply moisturizer before your makeup.
• Apply moisturizer after removing makeup.
• Consult your dermatologist before trying any new cosmetic products.
• Test new makeup products on a small area of ​​skin before applying them to your face.
• If you tend to have sensitive skin, consider having an allergy lab test to find out if you have any skin allergies.
• When you need to apply false eyelashes or prosthetics, ALWAYS make sure your glue is non-toxic and safe for your skin.
• Consult your optometrist before trying any new cosmetic contact lenses.
• Use a clean makeup brush or sponge to apply your makeup.
• Wash your hands before touching your face.
• Limit your time wearing your costume or makeup; the longer you wear it, the more likely you are to get skin irritation like acne.
• Although baby oil can loosen makeup, use makeup remover to avoid adding too much extra oil to your skin.