Soy Allergy and Dimethicone Allergy: A Makeup-Artist's Dilemma

Food allergies and eczema affect every aspect of one's life. For people with an allergy to something like soy, you not only have to look out for things you eat or drink, but anything you touch.

I became a makeup-artist soon after high school and continued to work in the cosmetics industry for about thirteen years. During those last few years, the trend of companies using soy as a filler and turning it into everything from crayons to foam carried over into the cosmetics world and soon, soy was turned into many various chemicals used to do practically every conceivable thing under the sun, including binding, preserving, texturizing, thickening and of course as a filler so companies could get more bang for their buck. The list of soy derivatives used for cosmetics and beauty products is literally exhausting.

Is there silicone in your face products?

Add to this the fact that I am severely allergic to dimethicone and silicone derivatives; a discovery which started back in the late 90s when I first applied the new and exciting Colorstay lipsticks and makeup by Revlon.

With oily skin, I was their target demographic of a teenager who just wanted makeup that stayed put, but little did I know which ingredient was actually causing the reaction until years later. Over the years, allergic reactions to makeup were hit or miss and the biggest wake-up call to this allergy was when face primers were first introduced to the public.












For those of you who don't know, a primer is a base used before the foundation makeup. The silicone microspheres have a silky, slippery-smooth feel which softens the look of very fine lines and pores. It is this immediate visual gratification that caused many skincare companies to jump on the silicone bandwagon.The first really well-known silicone-based primer was introduced by Smashbox and many other companies soon followed suit. In hair products, it 'smoothes' down the frayed cuticle giving it a smooth outer surface under a microscope like we used to see in those old Infusium and Pantene ads. People think nothing of using all these products on a daily basis, but are they really safe?


What Is Dimethicone?

We know that dimethicone is a silicone derivative. It is used as an emollient, skin protectant (since it forms a clear barrier, (basically suffocating the skin) and keeping any moisture bound underneath. But of course, I figured I'd entertain myself and ask another question. Is this same silicone ingredient going on people's faces, in their hair and in their skin the same exact material that makes up silicone gel breast implants?

The answer is YES. Dimethicone's scientific term is polydimethylsiloxane also known as PDMS. This is the same filler used in silicone gel breast implants and a few minutes of reading about its toxic effects on the body makes one wonder, what is this stuff doing when I apply it all over my body every day? Or worse, to open/broken skin?

Right now, it has a slightly low rating (3) on Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep website for toxicity, but this is not taking into consideration the vast amount of people with severe skin disorders like psoriasis and eczema who are putting it on broken, open skin.

I started realizing that whenever I applied this primer, my face would itch. Then as the day would progress, the itching would become much more intense and after washing my face the itch would continue for days! Silicone does not easily wash off. Since the particles are so fine, it hangs on to cracks, crevices and dry areas. Having to use these products on clients, my hand eczema would act up and although I would try to avoid using the likely culprit, there were just so many products and ingredients popping up all the time, allergens became hard to avoid.

Fresh organic salads do more for your complexion than any primer can!

Now dimethicone derivatives and soy are used in higher concentrations in practically everything; foundations, lipsticks, eyeliners, hair products and even powder eyeshadows! It is revered in powder eyeshadows, because it lends an almost airbrushed look to the application and also makes the color adhere better to the skin.








The unpredictability of contact dermatitis in such a risky setting made me realize I couldn't work in the cosmetics industry anymore. So I took a huge risk and pursued portrait painting for several years, exhibiting in a few shows. Then later, I took a huge risk; I opened up about my spiritual abilities since childhood (which I kept secret for a long time), started doing private mediumship readings and started a channel on YouTube.

Don't let circumstances get you down, because most of the time, those circumstances are only temporary. Don't focus on what you can't do anymore; focus on what you can and do what you are most passionate about. Because in the end, its those things you are most passionate about which will garner you the most success because they are something you actually enjoy doing. These things are the 'Vein of Gold' Julia Cameron talks about in an amazing book I read a long time ago called The Artist's Way. Hopefully if you haven't found your 'vein of gold' you will try to. It is never too late to be the person you were meant to be.