TikTok Calamine Lotion Craze Among Teens Damages Skin Barrier, Dermatologists Warn

TikTok users among teens and young adults are going crazy over a new beauty craze using calamine lotion, a popular cream for skin itchiness and redness relief, as a makeup primer. However, dermatologists are sounding off on the trend's risk of skin damage.

According to WebMD, the TikTok calamine lotion trend has amassed over 20.8 million views on the video-sharing site as of mid-August. Young women have been praising the cream for its beautifying effect as a base foundation.

TikTok user Tia Samudaa was one of the first influencers to use calamine lotion as a makeup primer in 2021 but her video grew popular just last spring. Another TikTok user, Brittany Bowmann, tried the calamine lotion trend and noticed how fast her active pimples dried out. She said the calamine lotion had a solid staying power as a makeup base. However, she won't advise its regular use for people with dry skin.

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What's in calamine lotion?

Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist to the stars, said that skin dries out faster because calamine lotion works as an astringent. It's good to use for bites and other itchiness because it provides that drying effect, without the need for medication.

However, the board-certified expert said that calamine lotion for daily use will "disrupt the skin barrier," which is this protective shield against irritants that trap moisture so the skin remains hydrated. A compromised skin barrier may lead to blotchy skin, breakouts, and dry patches. A damaged skin barrier may also lead to accelerated skin aging. For young people, skin aging is quite easy to avoid if they are careful with product use.

Dr. Stacy Chimento explained that the ingredients of calamine lotion, such as zinc oxide, iron oxide and calcium oxide, are quite harsh and could worsen skin conditions like rosacea, acne and seborrheic dermatitis. While it also contains glycerine, which is found in most primers, she advised against too much use because the lotion's anti-inflammatory capability isn't for beauty purposes. It has been formulated for healing and soothing irritated skin.

The dermatologist said via Teen Vogue that girls should stick to products specifically developed as makeup primers and avoid experimenting with calamine lotion, especially if their skin is already dry. However, the hack may work for those with severely oily skin.

Shortage of calamine lotion in beauty and drugstores

Even those who work in drugstores are asking TikTok users to hold off on using calamine lotion as a makeup base because of supply shortages.

Speaking with Wales Online, Ifti Khan of Well Pharmacy said that she thought people have been stocking up on this skin relief due to the spike in chickenpox cases for the summer. However, Khan realized that the social media trend has been driving down the stocks as well.

The pharmacy had to put up a sign advising consumers not to use this skin relief as a makeup product. It is cheaper than actual primer but other people who actually need it for treating their skin conditions are having a hard time sourcing the product.

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