By: Andy Yu

All around the world, beauty influencers and enthusiasts are dabbing on a new pink lotion. Its seemingly magical properties repair acne scars, dry out oily skin, and keep makeup staying on for hours. Its name? Calamine lotion.

The recent calamine lotion trend blossomed on Tik Tok. The over-the-counter medication commonly used to fight off chicken pox and soothe irritated skin is now being used as a primer or foundation for the rest of their makeup.

Followers of this trend have claimed that the lotion covers pores and allows for make up to stay put for many more hours. The supposed benefits of this mystical lotion created a massive outreach totaling to a staggering 3.5 million views. However, before impressionable beauty fanatics jump onto the trend, experts in skin and makeup are warning beauty fanatics of the dangers.

Azadeh Shirazi, a dermatologist, has warned that calamine lotion’s overuse has the dangerous ability of “severe irritation and worsening of scars.” However, many experts do agree that when used sparingly in a targeted treatment, calamine lotion proves to have results in shrinking acne scars.

The appeal of the magical lotion also lies in its cost. With a price under $5 us dollars. It is considerably cheaper than any other primer used. With some other beauty companies charging up to $60 dollars, calamine lotion is affordable and has many supposed benefits.

Paired with this rising Tik Tok “beauty hack” is the dramatic decrease in supply of calamine lotion. In the United Kingdoms, parents have reportedly been struggling to find calamine lotion which is used to treat their children with chicken pox. Likewise, the United States has also been experiencing shortages of the medication. Stores like Walmart are all sold out, leaving many people who are dependent on the lotion for legitimate medical treatment without it.

Link: