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Masking and camouflaging agents.

Cosmetology and dermatology recommend using more gentle products to even out skin color. These are topical preparations with a masking effect. They are subdivided into decorative cosmetics and dermo camouflage products. Decorative cosmetics are able to smooth out small in length pigmentation defects, they are lighter in the sense of keeping it on the skin surface, but also less durable (unstable).

Concealing cosmetics are intended for people with acquired or congenital skin defects (on the face, neck, arms, and so on). Such cosmetics are used for vitiligo, melasma, albinism, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, acne, rosacea, hemangioma.

Camouflage agents differ significantly from conventional decorative cosmetics, since they are opaque, more waterproof, have a very wide range of colors for more accurate shade selection, and have the ability to stay on the skin for a long time.

The camouflage means include:

Pigments (40%): Titanium dioxide, iron oxides (responsible for the shade)
Liquid paraffin (has a low melting point, is responsible for the dispersion of pigments and their uniform distribution over the skin)
Natural waxes (have a high melting point, are responsible for the strong binding of all components and thereby ensure the durability of the makeup)
UV filters (act as mineral screens)
Fixing powders (have a finely dispersed structure, measured in microns, which makes it possible to increase the area of contact with waxes and oils for long-term fixation - about a day)

The above products are dermatologically safe and will not exacerbate existing defects.

An approximate list of camouflage cosmetics:

Belita - Vitex: Concealer - tonal camouflage for face
KRYOLAN: DERMACOLOR CAMOUFLAGE SYSTEM line of concealers
VICHY: Dermabland - a series of cosmetics
AVENE Couvrance: Correcting Foundation (SPF15), Correcting Stick
NEOStrata: CoverBlend - a line of waterproof cosmetics
LA ROSHE POSAY: Unifyans cosmetics
Exuviance Matte Perfection: concealing cream

Today, artistic skin coloring and permanent make-up have become very popular. In these cases, pigments are injected into the skin for a certain long time. Self-tanning , as a technology for staining the skin, was borrowed from dermatology, where its analogues were used to stain the skin with vitiligo. The essence of the staining technique is that the composition of creams for such staining includes ketosugar (for example, Dihydroxyacetone). These substances are nothing more than derivatives of fructose, glucose and other substances. They are obtained from plants and have the ability to stain the surface layer of the skin for a short period of time. But self-tanning has a slightly unnatural color - orange-yellow, so it is not very popular among consumers.

A similar effect has a tinting henna, it is most often used for temporary tattoos. The retention period of such a color on the skin surface depends on the depth of penetration of henna into the epidermis layer and is equal to an average of four weeks. Bronze gels based on walnut and henna are also used.

The substance carotene also changes the color of the skin; it is not used externally, but inside. Many fruits and vegetables contain carotene. There is a lot of it in carrots, oranges, apricots and, as you already understood, in most fruits and vegetables of orange color. But with the abuse of carotene, a disease such as carotenoderma develops, and the skin turns orange for a longer time. Today, many cosmetic companies offer carotene (carotenoids) in creams or solutions for external use.

How to choose the right colors for masking defects.

Normal natural skin color has a palette of shades of brown. To mask an unnatural shade for the skin and bring it closer to one of the shades of brown, you need to know which of the colors of the concealer, when applied to the color of the defect, gives the desired shade. Usually the makeup colors are matched to the color of the defect.
The red color of the defect is prone to form diseases such as Acne, Rosacea, Psoriasis, Lupus erythematosus and many other diseases leading to erythema or inflammation of the skin, as well as hemangiomas. Red is camouflaged with green, resulting in a brown skin tone.
The bluish color of the defect is due to congenital vascular pathologies, hematomas. Blue or cyan colors camouflage with orange or peach shades.
The yellow color of the defect is observed during chrono- and photoaging, with passing hematoma. The yellow color turns to a brownish tint when the purple masking is applied.
The brown color of the defect acquired as a result of hyperpigmentation (nevi, lentigo, chloasma) is camouflaged in white.

Lack of color in a defect resulting from hypopigmentation or depigmentation (Vitiligo, birth defects) camouflage with brown shades.

To remove camouflage and masking cosmetics from the skin, you must use special oil products, which are usually sold along with a set of camouflage products. Conventional detergents (water, soap solutions, cosmetic milk) will not work, since masking cosmetics have a water-repellent base.