Creative Director of Wemi Moore Makeovers, Oluwemimo Sam-Aghedo, has urged women to be wary of fake brands of makeup products, citing their potential health risks.

Sam-Aghedo said it had been discovered that some makeup products contain toxic ingredients that could pose great danger to health of users.

She told The Guardian that the qualities of some popular makeup products in the market have lately been compromised and now questionable.

She explained that various cosmetics like cleansers and moisturizers are used by both genders, but usually makeup is associated to women, hence the need to sensitise them on possible harmful effects of some of these products.

Sam – Aghedo noted that despite the protecting role of the skin against external contaminants, some harmful ingredients are being introduced into makeup in forms of preservatives and fragrance, which are hazardous to the skin when absorbed.

The resultant effects, she further said, could range from skin allergies, ageing, acne and risk to reproductive organs, conjunctivitis to chronic skin diseases or even cancer among others.

She pointed out that though those products seem to work effectively inspite of the preservatives’ slowness to bacteria growth, possible infections from old and expired makeup products like lipstick eye shadows or liners may contain Staphylococcus epidermidis which are sometimes resistant to antibiotic treatment and can severely affect the intestines if left untreated.

She added that generally, most ladies through makeup try to enhance their beauty, but are less concerned about safety due to ignorance and lack of awareness.

“They buy and use the product without finding out its chemical components and reactions,” she expressed.

Continuing, Sam-Aghedo said: “The need to raise awareness gave birth to the concept of Safety Health and Environment (SHE) in makeup, as a means of educating both makeup artists and clients on potential dangers these products could pose to their health.”

The makeup expert cited the instance of a friend who was recently hospitalised due to such dangerous effects of makeup products on her lips.

“She applied a lip colour that contained car paint and paraben (cosmetic preservative) unknowingly.”

She said that clients and professionals are also exposed to viral diseases like Hepatitis B in the absence of proper sanitising owed to contact with sweat and saliva in the course of makeup.

“And that’s why it is ideal to use alcohol based sanitizers on hands brushes and tools since they are used on several clients.”