If you enjoy putting your best face forward and making sure that you always look your best, you’ve probably got a few tricks up your sleeve when it comes to prepping for the day ahead. Many people like to use an application of primer on their face before applying their makeup to help create a smooth canvas for their cosmetics. Calamine lotion is often recommended as an alternative or a cheaper alternative to other brands of primers, but is it that great?
Calamine lotion is known for its ability to soothe skin conditions like hives, poison ivy and nettles. It does this by creating a coating over the area that calms irritation and itching. However, using this lotion as a primer is not a good idea because its properties in it make it terrible for use under makeup. Here are some reasons why you shouldn’t use calamine lotion as a primer:
Why You Shouldn’t Use Calamine Lotion as a Primer
Calamine lotion is primarily used to treat conditions of the skin, so it doesn’t have any of the benefits that a primer would provide. Using this lotion as a primer can cause damage to your skin. A primer is supposed to provide a smooth, even base for makeup, but since calamine lotion is so thick and sticky, it can have the opposite effect by weighing down your makeup and causing it to collect and flake off.
Other primers are designed to create a smooth, even base for makeup, so they are lightweight and have no added ingredients that could hurt the skin. Calamine lotion doesn’t have any of these benefits, so it’s not a good choice to use as a makeup primer. It can actually cause more damage to your skin due to the ingredients in it.
It Can Cause Irritation
Due to the high amount of zinc oxide in calamine lotion, it can cause more damage than it does good. Zinc oxide is a common ingredient in topical creams for treating skin irritation, but it is too high of a concentration in calamine lotion, so it causes more irritation. Calamine lotion also contains other ingredients, like carbolic acid, that can be damaging to the skin, so even though it is soothing, it can also cause more damage than good.
Using a product that will cause more damage than good is not a good idea. You should only use products on your skin that are designed for that purpose, and calamine lotion is not a good option for skin irritation or for creating a smooth base for makeup.
It Doesn’t Provide a Coating Protection
People often use calamine lotion as a primer because they think it will provide a smooth base for their makeup, but it doesn’t do this. One of the benefits of using a primer is that it creates a coating over the skin to protect it from environmental damage, like pollutants and other impurities.
However, calamine lotion does not have any of these properties, so it does the opposite and leaves the skin more exposed to potential damage. Most primers are designed to create a smooth, even base for makeup, but calamine lotion is too thick to create a smooth finish. It can cause more damage to your makeup by causing it to flake off, so it’s not a good idea to use this lotion as a primer.
It Can Cause More Breakouts
Some people like to use calamine lotion as a primer because it is soothing, but it can cause more damage than good by clogging pores and causing breakouts. If you have acne-prone skin, using calamine lotion can cause more breakouts due to the high zinc oxide concentration in it. Many people with acne-prone skin also suffer from oily skin, so they may think that a thick, creamy primer is best for keeping their makeup from sliding off their faces.
However, when a primer is too thick, it can cause more oil to be produced, so it ends up being more likely to slide off your face. A primer that is designed to be lightweight and smooth can be helpful for those with oily skin since it will minimize the amount of oil that is produced. Calamine lotion is too thick to be beneficial for acne-prone skin or oily skin, so it’s not a good choice of primer.
It Doesn’t Provide a Smooth Base for Makeup
As we’ve already discussed, calamine lotion is too thick to provide a smooth base for makeup. It can cause more damage to your makeup by causing it to flake off, so it’s not a good choice for those who want their makeup to stay in place. A thinner primer is less likely to cause damage to your makeup, and it will be easier to work with when applying cosmetics to your face. Calamine lotion is too thick to provide a smooth finish for your makeup, so it will make it harder for you to apply your cosmetics. This is not what you want from a primer, so it makes even less sense to use it as a makeup primer.
It Is Too Thick to Apply Under Makeup
Calamine lotion is so thick, that it is almost like a paste, so it is very difficult to try to apply it under makeup. It is so thick that it is almost impossible to use it as a makeup primer since it can’t be applied without leaving a sticky, gooey mess all over your face. Many people have tried to use calamine lotion as a primer and have since realized that it is too thick to apply under makeup. Calamine lotion is not a good choice to use as a makeup primer, since it can cause more damage than good and it’s too thick to apply properly.
It Contains Irritating Ingredients
Calamine lotion contains several ingredients that are quite irritating to the skin, including zinc oxide and carbolic acid. Many other types of primers are designed for sensitive skin, but calamine lotion can cause more damage to your skin due to these two ingredients. Calamine lotion is also very sticky and gooey, so it can get all over your hands and make it very difficult to apply your makeup without getting it all over your face.
Since primers are supposed to be lightweight and easy to apply, using a product like calamine lotion is simply not a good idea. You want a lightweight primer that will provide a smooth finish for your makeup and will not cause more damage to your skin. Calamine lotion is not a good choice for sensitive skin, so it will be too harsh for your face and it will not provide the benefits that a primer is supposed to.
The Drying Effect of Calamine Lotion Will Cause More Flaking
Calamine lotion is primarily zinc oxide, which is meant to be a drying agent. It is commonly used to treat skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis, but it can cause more damage to your skin. Zinc oxide is a common ingredient in topical creams that are designed to dry out and heal the skin. It is a drying agent and can be very harsh on the skin, so using it as a primer can cause more flaking around your face and can cause more damage to your skin.
Most primer formulas are designed to be lightweight and easy to apply, so they are not as drying as calamine lotion is. Calamine lotion is meant to treat skin conditions, so it can be too harsh for your face.
How to Use Calamine Lotion?
Calamine lotion can be quite helpful for treating certain skin conditions, but it is not a good choice for applying makeup. When you use calamine lotion to treat a skin condition, you can use it as a cream, lotion or in a liquid form. It is important to follow the directions on the product to make sure you are applying it properly. If you use calamine lotion as a primer, it is recommended to use a small amount and then blend it in well with your fingers. You do not want to use too much, since it is very sticky and gooey.
