Alpha-Gal Friendly Beauty Products I Use Every Day

Please read before you shop: Ingredients and formulas change, sometimes without any change to the packaging. Always check the most current ingredient list before you buy or use any product. Everything on this page is my personal experience and is not medical advice. You can read my full Disclaimers here.

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My Everyday Alpha-Gal Friendly Makeup Routine

1. Mineral Sunscreen Base

Every day starts with a sheer, liquid, broad-spectrum mineral sunscreen made for sensitive skin. I haven't found any of the ingredients I react to in it.

Cetaphil Sheer Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 50

2. Light Coverage With Built-In SPF

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Perfector SPF 20 is my everyday tint. It gives light coverage with sunscreen and a little anti-aging built in. It does contain retinol, so skip it if retinol doesn't work for your skin.

• Shop Neutrogena Perfector in 30 Light to Neutral

• Shop Neutrogena Perfector in 40 Neutral to Tan

3. Vegan Makeup Brushes

Most makeup brushes are made with animal hair. Out of an abundance of caution, I switched to vegan brushes with soft synthetic bristles. Mine came in a two-pack of travel brushes, and I use one for liquids and the other for powder.

Matto 2-Piece Short Makeup Brush Set

4. Brows

I fill my brows with a microfine pencil in two shades, using the lighter color toward the inside of the brow and the darker color toward the tail.

• NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Chocolate

• e.l.f. Micro-Fine Brow Pencil in Neutral Brown

5. Eyes

For a little everyday shimmer, I swipe on a shimmer eyeshadow stick from Younique (link to come). I stick with pencil eyeliner because liquid liners deserve extra ingredient scrutiny, and the skin around your eyes, lips, and nose is where I'm most careful about what I put on.

Mascara took the longest to find. I went through nearly every mascara in a beauty supply store before landing on tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara. It's vegan, and it doesn't have the hidden ingredients I was trying to avoid.

6. Lips

Lining your lips keeps your color in place and stops it from bleeding into the fine lines around your mouth. I use a lip liner pencil from Younique (link to come).

My everyday color is Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink in Seductress, a light rosy nude that stays put for me, which not every lip product does.

7. Set It With More Sunscreen

• bareMinerals Original Loose Mineral Veil SPF 25 is a setting powder with sunscreen. It has its own lid and lives in my bag.

• e.l.f. All Set For Sun SPF 45 Setting Spray is a good option if you prefer a spray over a powder finish.

Ingredients I Double-Check on Beauty Labels

Two ingredients show up in a lot of beauty products, and both can come from plants or animals. Here's how I handle them:

• Glycerin. I only trust it when the label says vegetable glycerin.

• Magnesium stearate. Same rule. I look for "vegetable" or "plant-derived" on the ingredient line.

• "Vegan" labels. Even certified vegan products get a second look from me for these two ingredients.

Some products make you open the packaging to see the full ingredient list. If you're shopping in a store, ask an associate for help instead of peeling back labels on the shelf.

How I Test a New Product

If you're newly diagnosed or haven't trusted makeup since your diagnosis, do a test run on a day you'll be home, with your medication nearby and reliable healthcare close. Alpha-gal reactions can be delayed, so give yourself time to notice how your body responds before wearing something new out for the day.

Get Help Building Your Own List

Everyone's triggers and thresholds look different, and what works for me is a starting point for you to adjust. If you want to talk through your own situation, book a free 45-minute consultation and we'll work through it together.