By: Emma Wei
It helps dry out oily skin, repair acne scars, and keeps makeup intact for the entire day. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Wrong. Dermatologists are strictly advising people around the world against smearing calamine lotion all over their faces before applying makeup.
Tiktokers have strongly influenced many to try this new skincare “hack.” The hashtag #calamineprimer has over 3.5 million views. One Tiktoker praised the method, saying, “I cannot see my pores anywhere,” and added that her skin looked “super matte.” Others have even replaced their regular primers with calamine, adding it to their daily makeup routine. The lotion can be applied with makeup brushes and sponges. Some people putit directly to their faces.
Usually used as an over-the-counter medicine for rashes or skin conditions, calamine lotion is not meant to be smeared all over the face. Many dermatologists and makeup experts have announced it can worsen skin and cause long-term damage.
Azadeh Shirazi, a dermatologist practicing in the San Diego area, is a popular Tiktoker who frequently posts skincare advice on the platform. Shirazi goes by “skinbydrazi” on TikTok.
Shirazi is trying to debunk the calamine myth: “It just doesn’t make sense to use calamine lotion and risk drying out the skin and damaging the skin barrier,” and adds that using overusing calamine as a primer may cause “severe irritation and worsening of scars.”
The “matte” effect comes from zinc oxide, one of calamine lotion’s ingredients. However, the real dangers come from the lotion’s ferric oxide and phenol combination. Ferric oxide is used to help relieve itching, and phenol exfoliates. This is why calamine lotion is common for chicken pox, monkeypox, or other skin irritating diseases. Shirazi says, “Combining phenol with an astringent as in calamine lotion can be very drying and irritating, leading to a damaged skin barrier. It can worsen skin conditions such as acne, rosacea, and dermatitis.”
Despite the warnings, influencers are still promoting calamine lotion as a primer. Incidents like this prove that we should not believe everything we hear online.