It’s that time of year already! If you have plans for Halloween, chances are high that they involve mountains of candy, costumes, and face paint to help you look that special part for a night of fun. Deciding what to be is almost as fun as the entire night and make-up is often an essential part of crafting your costume, whether it’s fake blood, fake scars, face paint, or full-face glamour. Of course, we want you to have fun, but remember to take proper care of your skin before, during, and after the big night. To avoid giving your skin a case of Halloween horrors, we’ve laid out a few tips to keep your skin safe and clear!
Do not use last year’s makeup
- All cosmetic productions come with expiration dates. Obey them and throw out old, expired makeup.
- Creamy makeup stored in dark warm environments are incubators for bacteria. Don’t take the risk, throw it away!
Buy decent makeup
- If you wouldn’t normally wear it, don’t make Halloween the exception!
- Costume makeup can sometimes contain artificial colors, fragrances, waxes, and other ingredients that may lead to severe reactions and blocked pores
- Check the ingredients
- Intense colors and fancy features often contain more harsh chemicals to give you the perfect look. Be mindful of ingredients as they may cause serious irritation
- Some kits contain metals such as lead, tin, and mercury which can lead to several health problems if absorbed into your skin
- Avoid heavy makeup which is more likely to clog your pores
- Many brands you trust and love make a wide array of shades that can give you perfect coverage and designed to be kind to skin
- Heavy products can clog pores and lead to pimples, rashes, redness, irritation, breakouts, and blackheads.
- If you do need thicker makeup, buy trusted theatrical makeup
- Brands such as Ben Nye, Mehron, and MAC make theatrical makeup
- Theatrical makeup is often made with FDA approved ingredients, contains high pigment, and designed to be worn for long periods of time and is gentle on your skin
Prepare your skin
- Patch test
- If you are unsure or purchased a new brand, do a spot test a few days before
- Make sure your skin reacts well to the makeup before applying it all over your desired area
- Pick the right makeup for your skin
- If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, choose makeup that is friendly to your skin
- Moisturize and Prime
- Apply to clean skin a gentle moisturizer
- This will provide a protective barrier between your skin and whatever you plan on using to achieve your perfect look
- Using a primer will add an extra layer of protection onto your skin
- Apply to clean skin a gentle moisturizer
No sharing
- Do not share any makeup with another person especially eye makeup
- Sharing makeup can lead to infections and other health issues
Remove your makeup
- Though it is tempting after a long and fun night to go straight to bed, we cannot urge you enough please remove all the makeup from your face before going to sleep.
- Stained Skin?
- Sometimes makeup or face paint can leave skin stained and pigmented
- Apply a thick layer of shaving cream to your face and massage into your skin
- Allow it to sit for a few minutes before washing your face and patting dry
- Sticky lashes?
- Eyelash glue can be tricky to remove
- Soak a cotton ball with some lotion and press gently against your eyelids
- Wash the lotion and eyelash glue away with some warm water
- Double wash
- Costume makeup is heavy and often requires a double cleanse
- Use a quality cleanser followed by an exfoliating scrub to help clear your pores before bed
- Follow up with a liberal amount of moisturizer to rehydrate your skin
One night of Halloween makeup probably won’t ruin your skin forever, but you should at least take a few precautions before decorating your face. For more tips on how to keep your skin clear this October, contact us at Dermatology Specialists, Inc.