Makeup Ingredients You Should Avoid If You Have Dry Skin

When it comes to shopping for the perfect foundation, blush, highlighter, or beauty necessities, there are a number of options to suit any skin tone or texture. Despite this variety, professionals and amateurs alike don't often take the time to read the labels on their makeup staples to ensure that they are not applying cosmetics that contain ingredients that are harmful for their particular skin type.

Those who suffer from dry skin have to be extra careful with their makeup choices, especially during the winter months, as the wrong ingredients can result in flakes or irritation that only draw more attention to dry or dehydrated skin (per Vogue India). 

Obviously, any makeup that contains ingredients that pull moisture away from your complexion, or worse, are likely to further irritate the skin, and should be avoided by those suffering from dry skin. According to Byrdie, ingredients include denatured alcohols (like you might find in mattifying foundations and lipsticks) and fragrances that could cause redness and irritate the skin.

Aside from alcohol, which can actually pull water from your skin, glycolic and salicylic acids that work to clarify and rev up cell production and regeneration only aggravate and dry out skin that is already suffering from excessive sensitivity and dryness (via Vogue India).

Parabens, preservatives, and other synthetic ingredients that are added to lengthen the shelf life of cosmetics, can also be harmful to those with drier skin as they are more likely to cause irritation or allergies in those with dehydrated skin. In this case, opt for items that only contain natural ingredients that won't irritate the skin (per Byrdie). 

When shopping for foundations or concealers, look for products that have ingredients like ceramides and glycerin, which will help control moisture and rehydrate without clogging your pores. Natural ingredients like aloe vera and jojoba oil are also perfect additions to your routine, as they reduce blotchiness, redness and the appearance of fine lines (per Vogue India).