AIBU to wear makeup to work everyday?

[Nicebucket]

Ok, bear with me! I know it's a silly question but I'm curious to hear your opinions on this.

I wear makeup five to six days a week. I'm very particular about getting it off and I follow a good skincare routine once I'm back home, but I do wear it to work and for special occasions on weekends.

A friend of mine, who has perfect skin, criticised me today and said that I'm ruining my skin, causing it to age and darken. The conversation with her has really terrified me and I'm seriously worried about this now.

Do you agree that wearing makeup everyday is very bad for the skin? How many of you wear makeup to work everyday? Have you found that it has affected your skin badly?

And how much of it do you tend to have on on a daily basis? I wear light foundation, under eye concealer, eyeliner, blush, mascara and lip balm. If I have time I'll do a nice eye makeup, mostly because it's fun!

I have never had the best skin- it's sensitive to environmental changes so tends to go blotchy or spotty in the sun, wind etc. I also have slight pigmentation, so I just feel more confident and groomed with some coverage on. Does that seem unreasonable?

Provided you clean your face well and have reasonably fresh makeup (no ancient mascaras full of bacteria etc) it shouldn't harm your face permanently - although if you are caking stuff into your pores there is time to get spots from clogged-up pores in the time between putting it on and wiping it off again.

The best things you can do to keep your face youthful aren't related to make-up but to health, though - stay hydrated, don't smoke, don't overdo alcohol, don't bake in the sunlight, try not to frown constantly....and make sure you pick parents with good skin genes! :p

YANBU - wear it as much and as long as you like. My colleagues think my skin is really great and thought it was because I looked after it - imagine their faces when I told them I wash my face with soap, use any old moisturizer I can find in the morning, sometimes I even sleep in my makeup and the only time I feel my skin looks bad is one or two days when its my period. So it must be down to my genes.

I think it depends on your skin and if your skin care regime is right for you. I don't think make-up alone makes your skin age and darken. My MIL always wears make-up, she's 65 years old and looks 40, she has spent all her life living in the sun, is active and prone to stress and doesn't always eat the best diet. It's diet, genes and skin care.

Have you considered a skin care consultation? That helped me keep my skin clear and healthy looking.

Whathaveilost me too!

I know of a couple of places in London where female employees got told off if they didn't wear enough (natural) make-up ! It was also forbidden to wear skirts with bare legs, even in a heat wave (very old fashion company, not a strip club must I add!)

Wear what you feel comfortable with! I rarely wore anything, because I couldn't be bothered to take it off and redo it after going to the gym at lunch time. Thankfully, I never seem to scare any client off.

I don't wear make up every day but only because I'm too lazy to put it on every day.
The vast majority of the women in my office wear make up every day.

Some of them have great skin, some of them have dreadful skin. I doubt their make up habits have much to do with it compared to genetics, hormones and skin regimes.

I reckon you're all spot on! I get occasional hormonal breakouts that are due to bad genes... My mum and aunt both have terrible skin.

If I start reacting badly to a product I immediately stop using it. So I guess it makes sense that unless something is causing a reaction, it won't do any harm to wear it regularly.

It's never affected my skin,like another poster has said about make-up protecting your skin from the elements that's what my Mum always told me.

I also have sensitive skin and I'm 40 now,I wear make-up regularly and I can still get asked for ID so it hasn't aged or damaged my skin,my Mum always wore make-up as well and people always thought she was at least 12 years younger than she actually was.

Your friend is selling you a bum steer on this one I think. I don't believe that your skin will be harmed by wearing good quality products and having a great skincare regime that works for you.

I wear moisturiser, foundation, eyeliner, blush, eyeshadow, mascara, lip liner and lipstick every work day and a tinted moisturiser, cream blush and mascara with a lightly coloured lip balm if I'm out and about in the weekends... Wipe it off with a makeup remover wipe at night (mostly to avoid staining the pillow cases) and a rub with water in the morning. My 40 year old skin is pretty clear and has very few lines or wrinkles and I'm seriously pale (like a pp I would love my skin to get darker - perhaps I should start using makeup on my body as well?)

My work makeup is kind of like putting on a uniform - makes me feel ready to work. I have VERY occasionally gone to work with no makeup on and always get asked if I'm okay, that I look unwell (I work in the medical field)!!! So that's good for my confidence!

TLDR? All that to say - wear whatever makes you feel good - if you want to wear no makeup, do that... if you want to wear full make up, do that. If you want to mix and match... well guess what? Do that! But don't be pressured or scared to make YOUR choice for YOUR skin and YOUR circumstances - everyone else be buggered!

Hmm... sorry... ranty!

Agree that it's more to do with diet, genes and skincare. If you want to wear makeup everyday or every other day or just when there's a full moon then that's up to you and you alone not your so-called friend. Personally I wouldn't leave the house without make up on which is something I think I picked up from my mum at a young age. For me it's a confidence thing. But I do make sure I always clean it off properly at night (even after a heavy night out, not that I get the opportunity for many of those these days!) and moisturise well (something else I picked up from my mum) and my skin is in reasonable/good condition.

I wear the MAC studio fix everyday, which has a bit of a reputation for being heavy and generally bad for the skin.

I love the colour and the coverage though.

I wear makeup everyday. If I have a home day I don't. I have beautiful skin. I look a lot younger than I am. Foundation can act to block the Suns harmful rays. My best friends Nana has worn it daily and her skin is incredible.

It's a big myth that make-up ruins your skin- what counts is how you cleanse and what you use to nourish your skin once your make-up is off. My skin is better than it's been in years after following a decent regime and learning more about the biochemistry of what's involved. If you're on Facebook, look up the group MrsGloss&TheGoss for a really friendly and approachable online space to get advice and swap recommendations- there are some well-known beauty editors in there as normal contributors, and there's usually a good giveaway or two to be had. Better than scare stories from a colleague being a snipehound out of likely envy anyway!

When I'm at work M to F I wear No 7 super light foundation, I feel it protects me as it has SPF 15 and it just evens things out without being a face mask. My skin is no better without it.

SPF in moisturiser and foundation is not enough. Wear a proper dedicated sunscreen underneath makeup - Korean and Japanese ones are wonderful, very light and feel like normal moisturisers.

I wear makeup every day and feel bland without it. I have a ridiculously long list of things I put on my face:

Cleansing balm
Eye cream
Serum
Moisturizer
Sunscreen
Illuminator
Foundation
Concealer
Full eye makeup
Blush
Lipstick

I wash it all off every night with my cleansing balm and then more eye cream, serum and a night cream. I don't want to sound vain, but I have gorgeous skin - it is my best feature.

Generally (as a wearer of make up for many many years) I have found that those who don't wear make up like to tell the ones that do that it will ruin their skin/age them/cause spots or whatever they come up with. Those who wear make up, compliment you on yours and ask what you use/tips etc.

Possibly a jealousy thing...

I've worn make up every day since I was 14. Im now 33. Foundation, powder, mascara, liner.

Take it off religiously every night. My skin is pretty good, but I eat well and drink loads of water too.

Your friend is talking rubbish.

My mom wore makeup every day, and her skin was beautiful. She died at 54, but she didn't have a line, a wrinkle, or a crow's foot when she passed away. I think it has more to do with genes than anything else, although I notice a marked improvment in my skin when I drink plenty of water.

I think what set me off into a bit of a panic was the changes I've noticed since I've started wearing heavier makeup. My eyelids are now a lighter, pinkier colour than the rest of my face. And some of my eyebrow hairs are white!!! I don't know if this is more of an internal thing (probably is) or if it's caused by makeup.

I don't know about the eyelids, but I'd imagine eyebrow hairs turn grey just like the rest of your hair.

I'm only 26 bit depressing if I'm already turning grey!!

My mother, woman of the amazing skin, was almost completely grey by 30. I am in my mid-30s, and am just starting to have a few silver strands. My husband is 40, and has had silver hairs in his facial hair for at least the past 10 years. Who knows what causes it?

I know, but it's really depressing!

I was recently diagnosed with severe vitamin D deficiency, and this causes skin and hair changes. So it's probably internal.

Why would you let her comments upset you?

Just. Ignore. Ignore. Ignore.