By Michelle Vongphakdy on September 10, 2012 in
Cosmetic companies are known for outlandish promises and we're the suckers for spending our money on the mere hope that this one might finally work. So, it was with a healthy dose of skepticism that I began researching the latest self-adjusting makeup products. As I looked at blog posts and magazine articles, I actually began to get excited. Maybe this stuff actually works ... maybe buying the right shade is going to become infinitely easier. Then I started looking into the science.
It turns out that there really isn't anything new here and -- like most of the marketing behind cosmetics -- self-adjusting makeup is more hype than reality.
The claim
Cosmetics companies like Almay, Physician's Formula, Stila and DuWop market everything from self-adjusting foundation and concealer to self-adjusting lipstick and blush. Manufacturers claim that the products react to your body's unique chemistry and pH levels will adjust to a just-for-you shade.
The reality
According to cosmetics chemists at TheBeautyBrains.com, self-adjusting formulas rely on a few different chemicals and techniques to make them appear like they are adjusting.
- Red 27 -- Self adjusting blushes (including Smashbox O-Glow Blush) and lipsticks (like DuWop Personal Color Changing Lipstick) rely on a colorless dye called Red 27. This dye reacts when it comes into contact with moisture, turning it a bright pink.
- Encapsulated colors -- Some formulas (including Wet 'n Wild Intuitive Blend Shade Adjusting Foundation) rely on colorants that are suspended in a colorless base. These colors gradually appear as the formula is rubbed into the skin.
- Skin protein reaction -- Some sunless tanners claim to be "self-adjusting" but, in reality, all sunless tanners are self-adjusting. They react with the proteins in the outermost skin cells to temporarily bronze skin a shade that is entirely dependent on your natural coloring. All sunless tanners rely on a combination of dihydroxyacetone and/or erythrulose. (For more information about sunless tanners see our corresponding report.)
Skin care expert, Paula Begoun points out in product reviews at Beautypedia.com, that if self-adjusting makeup were truly able to adjust to your ideal color, there wouldn't be a need for multiple shades. Yet, self-adjusting foundations and concealers are typically available in at least three shades for every product line that makes them.
The bottom line
There is nothing inherently wrong with self-adjusting makeup -- as long as you don't buy into the hype. Just like all other makeup, you are likely to find some shades that work well for you and some that don't. I guess that means we'll all have to stick to the tried-and-true method of trying-it-before-you-buy-it. But you have to admit, that's the most exciting part of shopping for makeup!
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