Dermatologists Skeptical of Calamine Lotion TikTok Trend

Aug. 16, 2022 — A rising bandwagon of TikTok influencers has been utilizing and selling calamine lotion as a make-up primer below basis. While this will work as a base layer for some individuals, dermatologists have considerations about this pattern, notably the danger of dryness.

As of Aug. 12, the # calamine lotion tag had greater than 20.8 million views on TikTok, with a whole bunch of movies hailing the cream for its opaque pink tint and matte impact when used below basis.

Calamine lotion has been used to deal with itchy rashes, insect bites, and ache from chickenpox and poison ivy for years. It’s bought over-the-counter and is a typical remedy for pores and skin discomfort, says Doris Day, MD, a dermatologist in New York City. It can be on the World Health Organization’s record of important medicine, she says.

“This is something that has been around for a long time. It’s recognized as a drug that has importance. So every now and then I guess somebody comes across it and says it’s a ‘new panacea’ for something, but it’s really not. It’s just an old-time simple product.”

Calamine lotion is manufactured from ferric oxide and zinc oxide, which supplies it its antiseptic and anti-itch properties, along with its attribute pink shade. Zinc oxide can be generally utilized in mineral sunscreens, Day says.

Though these substances are secure with momentary, localized use, excessive concentrations and persistent use of calamine lotion may be irritating to the pores and skin, says Pooja Sodha, MD, director of the Center for Laser and Cosmetic Dermatology at George Washington University in Washington, DC.

At these excessive concentrations, calamine lotion may be drying, which can trigger pores and skin clumping and may be abrasive, says Sodha. She additionally cautions that the astringent properties of the zinc and the excessive pH could disrupt proteins on the pores and skin, which breaks down the pores and skin’s pure defenses. Using calamine lotion everywhere in the face day by day can “potentially damage your skin barrier to a point where you’re going to have to do a lot of extra work … to bring it back.”

Day also worries about this trend resulting in dry skin. Even in situations where using calamine lotion is appropriate, like treating poison ivy, its drying effects can sometimes irritate the skin.

And dry skin can be more than an aesthetic issue: It can lead to breaks in the skin, which can result in infections and scarring, she says. While this may not occur in someone with extremely oily skin, most people don’t have extremely oily skin, says Day, so this will be ineffective at best and damaging at worst.

If someone is looking for a good makeup base layer, Sodha recommends something that’s non-comedogenic and non-sensitizing, like silicon-based primers.

“The great thing about these products is that they are non-comedogenic, so they won’t clog your pores. They’re synthetic, so they’re not going to cause some sort of allergy,” she says.

In normal, each dermatologists warn their sufferers to be cautious of the TikTok developments they see on-line and warning about potential results with long-term use of calamine lotion on the face, even when it seems to work with one use.

“Consumers have to think about this like they do with any sort of product that they come across, just thinking about the long-term effects of something like this and how it works for their own skin,” says Sodha.