DOHA: A Qatari woman used services of a make-up artist only to wake up the next morning with a skin inflammation, which took a lot of money and almost a year to treat.
Sara Darwish consulted a dermatologist after the inflammation and was told to her shock that she had a skin fungus caused by using expired cosmetic products for the make-up.
“It affected my psychology so much so that I didn’t host any social event for a long while nor did I attend any as an invitee,” Sara told the local Arabic Al Raya in comments published on Saturday. Large quantities of low-quality beauty products are circulating in the local market, causing allergies and skin infections to users.
Many women have cautioned against this, saying some shops are showcasing anonymous make-up brands. They called for improved monitoring to ensure that beauty products meet Qatari standards and specifications.
Several affected women have cautioned against using cream samples and lipstick testers, saying many individuals have used samples, which can transmit infections and skin diseases. They claimed that they also had experienced side effects like pimples and skin inflammation, which indicates transmission of infections and bad components of such samples.
Studies also caution against using make-up and beauty products for long periods of time. Their ingredients affect skin health and vitality and make it more sensitive to sunlight.
Experts say ingredients of beauty creams and other products can accelerate aging and produce wrinkles, which can heighten the skin’s sensitivity to sunburns. This eventually leads to more wrinkling and sagging of the skin.
Another woman, Sheikha Al Kuwari, said she does not allow her daughters to buy any unknown beauty products, or try them.
She used make-up for 15 years despite her mother advising her against it, which made her look older than her age.
She called for increasing awareness about good beauty products and especially counterfeits available widely in the market for symbolic prices. In return, these products ruin girls’ skins.
Dr Mohamed Allam, a dermatologist, told the daily that facial skin is the most sensitive and easily affected by natural and other factors. It can be affected by the weather if not taken care of. Other factors that damage the skin are make-up samples and testers in shops, excessive use of make-up for a long period of time, and using expired beauty products.
He advised against using other people’s make-up, because it could transmit skin diseases and fungus around the eyes and fingertips. He also advised to discard beauty products not used for a long time, and not to keep them for more than three to six months.
He suggested that women should preserve their make-up products, especially lipsticks, away from heat in a make-up drawer or the fridge if it is too hot outside, to avoid side effects and can still use them.
He stressed the importance of closing beauty products to avoid germs and dirt building inside them, and not to leave their lids half open or lipsticks without a lid.
In case any beauty product falls on the floor or any dirty surface, it should be discarded immediately, he added.
The Peninsula
