Whether you wear make-up every day or only on weekends, it doesn't matter. What make-up we're using, make-up hygiene and more importantly how we take it off is the key to better skin.
Make-Up Removal for Healthy Skin
I know how inconvenient it feels to take off your make-up, and I assume if you wear it every day it can feel more annoying than inconvenient (or maybe satisfying? Depends how you look at it!). Most people will reach for make-up wipes, and yes that is a fast way to take it off, but it is not always the best for your skin due to the alcohols damaging the good bacteria on your skin, and is not always the most efficient, alone.
In our skin-care classes at college, we were always taught to cleanse the skin twice--once for removal of dirt, bacteria and make-up, and the second cleanse was to actually penetrate the product. At the end of the day, if you care about how your skin feels or looks you don't just want to remove your make-up, you want to treat your skin too.
My Suggestion for you is to:
look at your attitude surrounding make-up removal. See it more as a reward for you and your skin to finally breathe and relax, then you'll be more inclined to do it!
use a make-up wipe AND do a double cleanse. Not only are you ensuring ALL make-up is off, but you're actually cleaning your face. The double cleanse will also remove any nasty chemicals from the wipes.
get a microfibre cloth to have beside your basin so you can really wipe all the excess product off
Make-Up Hygiene
Lord knows that the only people cleaning their brushes every day are make-up artists. Cleaning the instruments you use is a HUGE deal for keeping your skin congestion-free because not only is their old make-up sitting there, any bacteria you had on your face the previous times you've used your brushes more likely to have fed on the make-up on that brush and be re-applied to your face--gross, I know. So here's what I recommend:
clean brushes every weekend (make it a weekend routine, particularly if you use them multiple times a week)
get a bowl with warm soapy water and spin each brush in it. Run it under water again, squeezing excess make-up out until the bristles go back to their original colour or the running water is clear again. Sit them upright in a jar, so the bristles can get some air to dry. Do not put this jar outside to clean them quicker--you can end up with dirt or pollen from outside on your brushes.
your beauty blender--running water, massage soap into the blender, soak with water, squeeze out, soak with water, squeeze out, massage any areas with heavy make-up residue, repeat as necessary (this one is a chore but needs to be done). Leave to dry on a clean surface or towel.
for your eyeshadow, contour, highlight (pretty much any pressed powder) you'll take mini alcohol wipe ensuring it's not too drenched and gently wipe each square of pressed powder. This one is really good if you share eyeshadow palettes and can be done less often if you're brushes are clean, but I would recommend doing it as often as you remember.
that microfibre cloth I recommend you get to leave beside your basin? Make sure you wash that with every load of clothes you put it the machine--it dries super quick when hung out to dry so you should be able to use it within the day.
What Make-Up Works for Your Skin
To be honest with you, it's very hard to find make-up that works for everyone, so I highly recommend reading reviews. What you really want to look out for is:
terms like: non-comedogenic (doesn't block your pores), oil free, hydrating (hydration is important for all skin types and should not affect oily skin negatively if the product is made right--try looking for hyaluronic acid as an active ingredient)
how it feels is important too. If it feels thick grainy or watery in between your fingers, chances are that the ingredients have separated and your skin won't like it either
invest in a primer, dammit! Use this as a way to balance out your skin AND as a protective layer between you and the make-up. Test out primers with testers and don't be afraid to ask for help. Again, you want it to feel nice on YOUR skin. I personally go for Tarte's base tape hydrating primer because it feels silky smooth on my oily skin without feeling thick, hydration is important and it has 12 hour staying power which means my skin has a protective barrier from outside nasties for a while.
read reviews. I firstly look for non-comedogenic products that include lots of nourishing ingredients and have a balanced texture (not too dewy, not too mattifying) and THEN I read reviews on the products I find like that. Sephora has a quiz to help you find products to suit what you want or need and very honest reviews from every day people.
cleanse and moisturise before you start your make-up routine to give your skin the best chance to recover from a day or night of make-up!
Get cleaning and get reading people! Hygiene and product ingredients are key to the health of your skin. Of course, there are other factors involved, which I briefly touch on in previous blog posts, but if you haven't considered make-up as a cause of congestion or haven't known what to do about it, now you do!
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