Makeup Removal: How to Avoid a Halloween Skin Disaster
Whether you’re dressing up as a zombie, witch or superhero, nine chances out of ten, you’re going to be applying plenty of makeup this Halloween. A scary costume isn’t complete without several layers of ghoulish makeup to match, and that could mean applying anything from fake blood, glitter, faux eyelashes and everything else in between.
Halloween is the only time of year when “anything goes” when it comes it makeup, but when you’re caking on layer after layer, have you ever stopped to think how all this extra gunk will affect your skin?
A build-up of makeup can lead to skin sensitivity, irritation and breakouts. To avoid a post-Halloween skin disaster, we have three skin care tips to prevent turning spooky makeup into scary skin:
1. Up your face washing game
After hours of handing out goodies to trick-or-treaters, or after a late night costume party, you’re probably only thinking about getting some well-deserved shut-eye.
Before you even think about hitting the hay, make sure you wash your face (and we don't mean just a simple splash of water). Halloween make-up removal is going to involve a little extra time and care.
Suggested cleansing routine:
- Step 1: Combine our Mineral Cleansing Concentrate with our Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser and mix with a few drops of water. This product mix produces a gentle and natural foaming action which will help effectively remove stuck-on layers of foundation and/or face paint.
- Step 2: Use a towel (preferably a dark one) and pat away excess water from your face. Add a couple of drops of our Herbal Eye Makeup Remover to a cotton round pad and apply around the eye area. You may need to do this a few times depending on how heavy your eye makeup is.
- Step 3: After you’ve thoroughly removed your eye makeup, use the same method in Step 2 but this time with our Neroli Age Corrective Hydrating Mist. A beautiful combination of Neroli Oil and Coconut Oil refresh and hydrate the appearance of the skin. Apply to your whole face and neck area with a cotton round pad to remove any excess makeup. Leave on.
Quick Tip: Washing your make-up brushes is just as important as cleansing your skin. If not properly cleaned, makeup brushes can breed all kinds of nasty bacteria that we can’t even begin to think about.
2. APPLY Calming Products to minimize irritation
On the scariest night of the year, not only will you be wearing an abundance of makeup, you'll probably be trying a few unfamiliar products as well. To avoid skin sensitivity, it’s important to treat your skin to gentle, calming products that will help minimize any redness and irritation. After you’ve washed your face, we recommend a quick spritz of our Soothing Chamomile Tonique, followed by an application of our Calm Skin Chamomile Moisturizer.
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3. Exfoliate and Purify Your Pores
To help your skin recover from its Halloween hangover, we recommend giving your complexion extra care and attention the morning after. Start the day by exfoliating thoroughly to help unclog pores and prevent the appearance of breakouts. Our Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant is a gentle exfoliant for all skin types that can be used on its own or mixed with your favorite cleanser.
According to Seventeen Magazine, when left-over cosmetics on your face are mixed with oil on your T-zone, it can cause clogged pores or even worse, bacterial infections - ick! The best way to unclog your pores is to follow up your exfoliation treatment with an application of our Acne Advanced Clarifying Masque. This masque contains three types of clay, namely, montmorillonite clay, kaolin Clay, red kaolinite, which combine to gently exfoliate for refreshed-looking skin.
Do you have any makeup removal tips that you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments below.
This article was originally written in 2015.