Powder, pressed powder, mineral makeup, foundation: Q & As on which one to use

I’ve heard you say women shouldn’t wear foundation, but what about powder? Is it also bad for the skin? I feel like I want to have something covering my skin!

Let me start by saying I don’t actually think women “shouldn’t” wear foundation, but I like giving information on the possible effects of doing so and offering alternatives, one of which I subscribe to and that is not wearing any makeup. It’s all a choice, and then it is me as an aesthetician giving advice regarding makeup. If you do wear it--great! Just be sure to take appropriate care of your skin.

To me, powder is preferable to wearing foundation. Loose powder is basically talc, which is the main ingredient found in baby powder. Talc is essentially (French) chalk, or a “finely powdered native magnesium silicate, a mineral,” as defined in Ruth Winter’s A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Powder can actually help absorb excess oil from the surface of the skin while giving you a finished look.

So if it comes down to a decision of whether to use powder or foundation, I would recommend powder. I do understand your desire to have something covering your face, but I bet if I saw you, I would not see the imperfections you see in your skin. We are all too critical when it comes to looking at ourselves in the mirror.

I was at a convention where you spoke. I remember you saying something about pressed powder being bad for your face. I was wondering if all powder is bad for your skin or just pressed and why? Do you think powder is the reason why my pores are clogged?

Pressed powder is just like foundation when it come to how it functions on top of your skin. Look at the ingredients; there will be certain things in pressed powder that are not in loose powder; ingredients that help make it “stick” to your skin. It is simply liquid foundation in solid form.

The following scenario happens over and over with clients who come in wearing pressed powder. I’ll ask the client if she’s wearing foundation, and the response is, “No, I just have a little bit of powder on.” It then takes me multiple cleansings in order to get that “little bit of powder” off her skin and out of the pores. Pressed powder contains a lot of emollients and thickeners that are then pressed into the skin and can cause congestion in the pores. Yes, you get great coverage with pressed powder—because it is more like foundation than true powder. If you have to wear something to cover your skin, I would suggest a light-textured water-based foundation instead of pressed powder.

Many times women who wear pressed powder have some enlargement of the pores, especially on the middle forehead, around the nose and cheek area, and near the corners of their mouths, similar to foundation wearers. If this is true for you and you are wearing pressed powder, try using loose powder for a while. Also try using a clay mask to unclog the pores and get your skin in better shape. See if the combination of these two things helps with the quality of your skin. I really find pressed powder very unpowderlike.

I’ve never used a liquid foundation, but I do sometimes use non-talc, mineral-based powders and blushes on my face to take away shine and cover some broken capillaries, and also for color. How do you feel about these types of powders? Are they just as pore-clogging as liquid foundation (especially since I seem to have a blackhead problem)?

I believe mineral makeup is what you’re asking about. This type of makeup usually will give you good coverage without causing skin problems, and it doesn’t have oil in it. Since you are prone to blackheads, I would monitor your skin closely if you choose to wear this or any type of makeup. And no matter what, doing at-home facials (exfoliating and clay masking) is essential to keep your pores cleaned out.

For more information, see:

• Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation
• Powder vs. foundation: which is better for my skin?
• How are you applying eye makeup and mascara? Here’s a QUICK TIP for anti-aging application!

Makeup: all links so far

• Covering breakout with foundation--is that OK? (upcoming)

• Eye makeup removal with Vaseline question (new!)

• How are you applying eye makeup and mascara? Here’s a QUICK TIP for anti-aging application! (new!)

• The Ins and Outs of Lipstick

• Is makeup good for my skin?

• Kick the Habit!: How wearing foundation might be ruining your skin

• Makeup De-Cluttering Quick Tip

• Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation

• MYTH: Foundation is good for your skin 

• Permanent Makeup: do your homework!

• Powder, pressed powder, mineral makeup, foundation: Q & As on which one to use (new!)

• Powder vs. foundation: which is better for my skin?

• Removing eye makeup: Part I

• Removing eye makeup: Part II—the best way to remove mascara

• Rosacea & a makeup question (coming soon!)

• Tinted lipbalm replaces lipstick

• Tips and helpful information if you wear foundation

How are you applying eye makeup and mascara? Here’s a QUICK TIP for anti-aging application!

At the end of one of my skin care talks, one of the ladies in the audience brought up a great point that I wanted to pass along to you. Recently she realized that as she was putting on her mascara she was wrinkling her forehead due to the angle of looking in the mirror and using the mascara wand. She then took into account how many years she had been applying mascara and thought this may be one reason she had so many lines and wrinkles on her forehead. 

Remember, all wrinkles are formed through expression, and raising your eyebrows to apply mascara causes expression lines that usually show up on the forehead. So use this as a reminder to try and find a way to apply your mascara or any makeup you may wear that does not reinforce or even create lines and wrinkles.

For more information, see:

• Removing eye makeup: Part II—the best way to remove mascara
• MYTH: Facial exercises help reduce wrinkles and/or firm the skin
• Eye makeup removal with Vaseline question

Eye makeup removal with Vaseline question

I’ve been taking mascara off for years with Vaseline and have used it on my lips also. Is it harmful, and if so, what should I use instead?

Vaseline® or any other petroleum product in and of itself isn’t harmful to the skin necessarily; these ingredients can clog the pores if contained in a moisturizing cream or foundation.

The most important thing to remember is whenever you are removing mascara, you have to be sure not to pull your undereye skin as you are wiping off the mascara. That tissue is delicate and should not be pulled or tugged daily. This is the number one reason using Vaseline isn’t such a good idea.

Due to its gooey consistency, this petroleum jelly will naturally stick to the skin. Therefore, the potential for having to pull the skin near your eyes increases. Vaseline tends to stick around wherever it has been applied, so if you choose to use this as a makeup remover, along with the potential to pull the sensitive tissue around your eyes, you also add the potential for it getting (and staying) in your eyes. If this has ever happened to you, you know that it takes quite a long time for the jelly to get out of your eyes, creating blurred vision temporarily.

Therefore I can say I am not a fan of using Vaseline or any other gooey product to remove your eye makeup. A thin oil is better than petroleum jelly, and a product made for makeup removal would be my number one recommendation. Vaseline is probably inexpensive, but because you run the risk of pre-aging the skin around your eyes, it could end up being an expensive proposal. See the articles listed below for details on how to properly (and easily) remove your eye makeup, including mascara.

For more information, see:

• Removing eye makeup: Part I & 
• Removing eye makeup: Part II—the best way to remove mascara to find out the best way to remove your eye makeup
• Petroleum as an ingredient in your face & body products

Is makeup good for my skin?

I hear the “Is makeup good for my skin?” question a lot. I also hear, “Makeup is protecting my skin, right?” And to those questions I say “no” and “no!” To clarify, the makeup I’m talking about is foundation or anything covering your skin as a whole. Eye makeup, lip products—no problem. It’s the face makeup/coverup I’m more concerned about when it comes to the healthy functioning of your skin.

Answering the second question first, yes, makeup does add another layer between your skin and the environment, and many coverups have SPF in them, so on some level they are “protecting” your skin. I don’t like using that word protection because it connotes something that I don’t believe is really happening. But yes, makeup does add another layer between you and the environment.

What makeup is also doing is sitting on your skin—all day; it’s not meant to penetrate very far or really at all. Makeup’s purpose is to give color to the surface of your skin and so it just sits there, seeping into your pores and just hanging out. This prolonged visitation can cause enlargement of the pores (something you want to avoid at all costs) and for some women, it can cause breakouts.

If you have problem skin, you no doubt use makeup to cover up the problems. And perhaps you don’t have skin issues but just feel better about how you look wearing foundation. I am not saying don’t wear makeup, but I do want you to understand that is can actually cause problems while covering your skin. 

I’ve listed some helpful articles below that you can read to further explain the notion that makeup is actually good for your skin. It just isn’t—or at least it isn’t good in general but if it makes you feel better about your skin, well, there is something to be said for that.

For more information, see:

• Kick the Habit!: How wearing foundation might be ruining your skin
• MYTH: Foundation is good for your skin
• Tips and helpful information if you wear foundation

Powder vs. foundation: which is better for my skin?

Which is better for my skin—powder or foundation?

That’s a great question. As long as you use loose powder, it will be OK for your skin and preferred over using liquid foundation. Foundation seeps into the pores and can reek havoc on problem skin. Even if you have true-dry skin (oil dry), I’d recommend powder over foundation. Usually powder’s first ingredient is talc. Talc helps to absorb oil (a benefit), and loose powder is not going to clog your pores like foundation can. Pressed powder, however, is a different story.

Many times I see clients who think they’re treating their skin well since they’re using pressed powder instead of foundation. I actually think pressed powder is worse for the skin than most foundations. It is simply (liquid) foundation in solid form.

Pressed powder contains a lot of emollients and thickeners that are then pressed into the skin and can cause congestion in the pores. I find it very difficult to remove this type of powder in the cleansing phase of the facial, much more so than when I try to remove foundation from a client’s skin. So loose powder is OK, pressed powder is not!

It would be more beneficial to spray your toner on before applying powder (or foundation). If you simply want to spray your toner throughout the day (when you have powder on), go ahead. The toner will still superficially hydrate the surface of your skin and I’m sure you will still receive benefits from its ingredients. But for optimal use, spray toner on after cleansing and before anything else.

    

Note that when you spray your toner over powder, it will “set” the powder on your skin. I don’t exactly know what this will look like (I don’t wear any makeup) but I would think spraying the toner might diminish the coverage of your powder. Does it?

No matter what you use as a coverup for your skin, my goal as an aesthetician is to get your skin clear and blemish-free so you won’t feel like you need to cover anything up. Even those of you with clear skin still like to coverup your healthy skin with makeup. I’d love to be a positive influence to encourage you to try to go makeup-free.

For more information, see:

• MYTH: Foundation is good for your skin
• Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation
• Powder, pressed powder, mineral makeup, foundation: Q & As on which one to use

Tips and helpful information if you wear foundation

What foundation do you recommend to your clients? Which brand?

I am frequently asked that question. There are so many different products and colors of foundation and so many different colors and types of skin. Even if there was a brand I thought was good, it wouldn’t work for everyone. That is one reason why I don’t recommend any company’s foundation. But it’s mainly because I don’t want to promote something I don’t think is a good thing for the health of the skin in the first place. I understand some women want to or have to wear foundation, but I do not have one product to recommend.

If you have to wear foundation, try a water-based product vs. an oil-based foundation. The oil-based product will stick inside the pores more than a water-based type. Many times when I have a client who comes in for a facial with an oilier foundation on her face, it will take me more than the normal two cleansings to get it all off. Sometimes I see small bits of foundation sitting in the pores after cleansing and even exfoliating during the course of a facial, which indicates she is probably not getting her skin clean at home. I always let my client know if she isn’t doing enough to get her skin clean—namely getting all the makeup off.

Cleaning at least twice at night is in order if you wear makeup. The first cleanse is to get the makeup off; the second cleanse is to get your skin clean. Without doing at least two cleansings, you are increasing your chances of getting clogged pores—at the very least.

When a foundation has a label that says it doesn’t clog pores, does that mean it doesn’t clog even if you wear it all day long, or is there a time limit?

There is no time limit for how long a foundation can stay on your skin without clogging your pores. Just know that whether you are wearing an oil-free coverup product or not, if it is sitting on your face all day long, it is contributing to clogging on some level. Be sure to get it all off every day. Also try to do The Extras (exfoliating and using a clay mask) once to several times a week to ensure your pores are getting sufficiently and regularly cleaned out.

Can I use my spray toner over my foundation during the day?

It would be more beneficial to spray your toner on before applying foundation or powder. If you spray afterwards you may set the makeup further into your pores. Why? The moisture from the toner will bind with the makeup and then set or harden onto your skin. Spraying toner throughout the day if you aren’t wearing foundation or powder would be a great thing. You’ll get the benefits of the toner whenever you spray.

For more information, see:

• Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation
• The Basics 1-2-3 Program for proper skin care
• MYTH: Foundation is good for your skin

Permanent Makeup: do your homework!

An analogous term for permanent makeup would be tattooing because this is essentially what you are doing if you partake in permanent makeup. (The above photo doesn’t really exemplify what I mean by permanent makeup, but it’s pretty!)

As the name suggests, this process is permanent, meaning once you have it done you are stuck with it. Yes, tattoos can be reversed, but due to the location of this “makeup,” your skin (your face) will never look the same. And the removal of the tattoo can be extremely dangerous (as well as painful), especially around the eye area as in the case of permanent eye liner.

There are many dangers inherent in receiving permanent makeup. The first and most important is that the training for performing this procedure is minimal at best. The technicians simply don’t have a lot of requirements to be able to apply permanent makeup (tattoo your face). So you basically have the potential to have an unskilled person who may not know what he or she is doing tattooing your eyelids or lipline or elsewhere. I don’t mean to say that all people who are providing this service are unskilled or unqualified. But this is definitely a time where you’ll want to do a lot of research before agreeing to this procedure with a particular individual.

A second concern is what if you don’t like the tattoo? Guess what—you’re stuck with it. Sure, the color or design can be altered, but the price you’ll have to pay is wearing this artwork on your face for the rest of your life.

Tattoo ink changes over time. And no matter how skilled the professional nor how exact the artwork, your body’s chemistry along with the aging process and gravity can change the appearance of even the most successful permanent makeup application.

If you don’t have hair (eyebrows, for instance) and you want to tattoo your skin, that is one thing. If you are utilizing permanent makeup just so you won’t have to apply lipstick and eyeliner, my advice is be careful.

At the beginning of my career, I worked at a spa which was frequented by many older ladies. There I saw several examples of what permanent makeup can do. Granted, this was back in the ’80s and early ’90s, and no doubt there has been a lot of progress made in the field of permanent makeup since then. But a tattoo is a tattoo, and some of the results I saw from this procedure were nothing short of horrible.

Remember, permanent makeup stays on even when your other makeup comes off at night (I hope!). So you have to be comfortable with this “look”—half on half off. It might not be an issue for you, but it is something to consider going forward.

If you cannot be swayed from getting this service, you are doing yourself a huge injustice if you don’t first research what the risks are with this procedure along with questioning technicians at several reputable establishments who offer permanent makeup. Without asking questions and knowing what to look for in a talented professional, you could really be setting yourself up for permanent disaster. Do your research!

For more information, see:

• Makeup: all links so far
• MYTH: Aging is bad
• Trends & fads in skin care

The Ins and Outs of Lipstick

I’ve always wondered what happens to lipstick when it wears off—does it just evaporate?

In an article I read about lipsticks, it said that on average, women who regularly wear lipstick will consume (that means eat!) over 3 pounds of lipstick during their lifetime! Where do you think your lipstick has gone when you look in the mirror and have to reapply? You may have just had a glass of wine and a good conversation, but you probably also ate your lipstick. And by unconsciously licking your lips throughout the day, you are furthering the ingestion of this product.

The article went on to say (according to the gastroenterologist quoted) that you swallow so little at a time there really isn’t any harm to your body. He stated that the waxes and polymers in lipsticks are nontoxic and are broken down by stomach acids. Well, if the research for this article is correct, and a woman can conceivably consume several pounds of lipstick during her lifetime, I cannot see anything good about ingesting these substances.

Lipstick contains a lot of questionable ingredients that you may want to think twice about before eating day after day. Whether or not the information about how much you actually ingest are 100% true, no doubt large amounts of lipstick go through your body to be digested, so if you can find alternative products that perhaps don’t have as many bad ingredients in them, then I recommend giving these a try.

Many companies make tinted lipbalms

I’ve been looking for a moisturizing lipstick with sunscreen for years, but lipstick dries out my lips and makes them peel.

I recommend having your favorite lipsticks on hand to wear at night if you are going out and a tinted lip balm with SPF for daytime. This way you won’t have to forgo lipstick altogether, yet you can have protecting products on your lips throughout the day. Tinted lip balms may be the best option for you. They won’t give you the coverage of an actual lipstick, but you won’t have to contend with all the chapping you have now. Less color, but less chapping—hopefully this will be a happy compromise for you.

Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, by the way, is a sunscreen ingredient commonly used in lip products with SPF. Avobenzone is also used in many products.

Do treatment lipsticks containing anti-aging ingredients such as Kinetin* and vitamin C really work?

*Kinetin is a plant-based “miracle” ingredient that is supposed to help reduce wrinkles.

Are you confusing your actual facial skin with the tissue of your lips? These two different types of tissue don’t age the same way. You cannot use an anti-aging lipstick on your lips and hope to help the wrinkles you may be concerned about above your lips. Using vitamin C on your lips would come under this same umbrella.

My recommendation is to stop looking for one product to solve many problems. Wear lipstick to color your lips. If it contains special ingredients and you find these helpful, great. But I wouldn’t recommend searching for lipsticks that have “all the rage” ingredients in them and paying the high price for these types of products.

If you want to keep your lips from drying and flaking, you may find a lipstick that helps with that specific concern. But I highly recommend wearing a nonpetroleum lip balm whenever you aren’t wearing lipstick, especially at night before bed. This way you will at least give your lips a soothing and healing balm some of the time.

A bit alarmist, but now you understand.

HOT TIP: Lipstick is one of the top offenders in making your lips chapped or keeping them chapped. Try switching to nonpetroleum lip balms whenever possible.

For more information, see:

• Tinted lipbalm replaces lipstick
• Kiss Chapped Lips Goodbye!
• More Help for Chapped Lips 

Kick the Habit!: How wearing foundation might be ruining your skin

Why do women wear foundation? 

Some women wear makeup strictly out of habit. They automatically put it on without thinking. Others wear it because they are told they should. Many women wear foundation to even out their skin tone. Some women simply like to wear it. 

At the cosmetic counter, the sales staff will tell you how good foundation is for your skin, how it contains sunscreen, protects you from the outside environment, and can help to even out your coloring. All of this is true. Many foundations do contain sunscreens, and using sunscreen is very important. Foundation does add another layer between you and the dirt, debris, and pollution in the air. Finally, foundation will even out your skin tone, and this is the “benefit” I want to discuss.

The meaning of the phrase to even out skin tone has eluded me for years. The skin all over your body has certain intrinsic characteristics to it—color, texture, moles, and freckles. Hardly anyone has totally “even” skin tone. Once in a while I come across someone who has perfect coloring, and inevitably even she has covered up perfection with foundation. A woman will make everything evened out on her face, while the rest of her body looks natural, having a flow to the tone and coloring of her skin. In other words, the skin on her body looks normal and unaffected. How many times have you seen a perfectly made-up face, then looked at that person’s arms, shoulders, or neck only to see the skin’s natural tone?

Foundation gives you a matte canvas on which to paint, a single-toned pallet to apply color to. Skin, however, is not usually this monochrome. It is full of imperfections and color differences, freckles, and pigmentation. I’m not talking about obvious, dark pigmentation spots or port-wine stains, for instance. I’m referring to women who have perfectly normal skin tone with naturally occurring pigmentation. Trying to cover up these small differences is, I believe, an attempt to cover up self-described flaws that I don’t see as flaws at all. Wearing color (eyes, lips, cheeks) is fine. That’s purely personal preference. Why can’t we just stop there?

Foundation is actually not good for your skin. It acts as an occlusive covering over the skin. Its purpose is to remain on the surface, not to penetrate like a moisturizer. So it stays on top, just sitting there. As you hopefully know, your skin doesn’t breathe from the outside in, so foundation doesn’t keep your skin from breathing. It does, however, inhibit elimination. And your skin will absorb some of the foundation. After all, it’s just sitting there all day long. Undoubtedly some of it will seep into your pores. And when this happens, the pores can enlarge. Foundation can cause congestion as well, especially if you have an oily skin type. If you have breakout and are using foundation, you are just fueling the very problem the foundation is attempting to cover up.

It’s not as though you can wake up tomorrow and simply stop wearing it; foundation is a habit. Since you’re used to seeing yourself look a certain way, I think weaning yourself off the look of foundation is the best way to change this particular habit. Start by adding water to your base makeup to thin it out. By the time you put foundation on this way, it’s almost as though you have none on at all. So why wear it? Use this thinned-out foundation and gradually put less and less on until you’re used to seeing your skin with hardly anything covering it. Eventually, just stop putting foundation on at all. Your eyes will have adjusted to what you’re seeing in the mirror, and those around you will have adjusted to your new look as well. 

All of the women I’ve encouraged to stop wearing foundation are ecstatic. They never thought they could go without, and now that they have, they love it! Their skin looks and feels better; they don’t get foundation all over their clothes or worry if it needs touching up. They feel free and liberated.

Do you need to free yourself from this unnecessary step? Try to wean yourself off foundation and see how it goes. Worst case scenario—you go back to wearing it. But please know it serves no beneficial purpose to the skin. Or rather, any benefits you may derive from wearing foundation, like shielding you from the environment and adding an SPF to your skin, are totally outweighed by the detrimental effects, which are clogging, congestion, and enlarged pores. Health is the only foundation. 

For more information, see:

• MYTH: Skin Breathes
• Do I really need to clean my face?
• Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation

Tinted lipbalm replaces lipstick

You talked about a light-colored lip balm on a TV news program. Could you please give me information about this product? Where can I get it, and what was the brand name?

I don’t wear any makeup at all, but there are times I would like a little color on my lips. The product you mentioned sounds perfect for me. I have been looking for something like that for a long time.

The items I was showing on TV were tinted non-petroleum lip balms. They are wonderful problem-solvers because they are treating your lips while at the same time giving them some color. The pigments in these colored balms are not as dense as in a real lipstick, so they don’t give you deep color, but they do give you some color.

The actual products I had on the show are made by a company called Un-Petroleum®, although they are not the only company with tinted lip balms on the market. They can be found at most health food stores, and I’ve even seen some at regular grocery stores.

For more information, see:

• Kiss Chapped Lips Goodbye!
• More Help for Chapped Lips
• The Ins and Outs of Lipstick

Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation

Over the years, I have had numerous women ask me, “If foundation is bad for my skin, what can I use for coverage?” Loose powder is one alternative to liquid foundation. Mineral makeup, which has been around for several decades, I also recommend.

Mineral makeup contains micronized minerals, which are concentrated pigment. This gives the skin very good coverage without causing the congestion you get with liquid foundation (or pressed powder). People with rosacea are particularly happy with the coverage mineral makeup is able to give their skin. Unlike loose powder, mineral makeup does not generally contain fillers like talc. This helps with the efficacy of the pigments contained in this powder makeup.

Most brands contain both titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These provide full or broad spectrum sun protection. Not all mineral makeup products have an SPF rating. Keep in mind, any sun protection must be included on the label. There are several companies who manufacture mineral makeup. Some of the most popular are Bobbi Brown, Jane Iredale, YoungBlood, and Bare Essentials.

My goal is to help you get your skin looking healthy so you won’t want to cover it up with foundation, powder, or mineral makeup. However, if you feel you need coverage and don’t want the negatives liquid foundations and pressed powders offer, give mineral makeup a try. Hopefully you will find it works well for you—and your skin.

For more information, see:

• MYTH: Foundation is good for your skin
• Powder, pressed powder, mineral makeup, foundation: Which one should you use and what is better for your skin?
• Removing eye makeup: Part I

Removing eye makeup: Part II—the best way to remove mascara

In terms of saving the undereye skin from harm, the following is my best recommendation for how to remove your mascara. Granted, this is how I remove mascara in my treatment room during a facial, it is not that simple to do on your own. I personally haven’t worn mascara (or any makeup) since I was 30 (23 years ago!), but when I did I actually used this technique to remove my mascara. It’s not the only way, but it is one way to remove mascara without disrupting the delicate undereye tissue. You’ll need cotton pads (the flat kind work best vs. a cotton ball), a few Q-tips, water, and a little patience. Once you get the hang of it, taking your mascara off this way won’t seem so arduous. Good luck!

• First, wet a cotton pad and squeeze any excess water out
• Fold the pad in half
• Then wet both ends of a Q-tip
• Place the flatened cotton under your bottom lashes, with the straight line of the fold directly up against your eyelashes
• Take the Q-tip and with one eye closed (this is where it gets a bit difficult to DIY), gently rub the Q-tip on your upper lashes. The mascara will go directly to the cotton pad, and this will not disrupt the delicate skin around your eyes.
• Another possibility is to place either a cotton pad or a towelette folded under your lower lashes and use another towelette in the same way you’d use a Q-tip—gently going over the lashes to remove mascara. This might be easier considering you really don’t have your eyes to guide you and the towelette offers a bigger surface to work with than a Q-tip
• Once you have done both eyes, simply do your regular evening Basics 1-2-3 routine, remembering to include eye cream

I would do all the makeup removal and taking off of mascara before you clean your skin. That way you can go over your eye area with the cleanser, getting off any residual makeup bits and getting your entire face super clean. Whenever you wear makeup, it’s best to cleanse twice: the first time to get the makeup off, the second time to get your skin clean.

If you wear waterproof mascara, it will require oil to remove it, not simply water. Using the above instructions, you’d put an oil (like baby oil or even your favorite mascara remover) on the Q-tip instead of water. This technique might actually keep you from getting oil in your eyes as you remove the mascara. Give it a try and see.

This technique surely isn’t the easiest way to remove makeup from your eyelashes, but if asked what is the least harmful way to do it, this is how I would suggest removing mascara. If you are constantly tugging your delicate undereye tissue, possibly rubbing your eyes inadvertently during the day, squinting, along with exposure to the sun, this tissue may show signs of aging faster.

For more information, see:

• Removing eye makeup: Part I
• Eye makeup removal with Vaseline
• How are you applying eye makeup and mascara? Here’s a QUICK TIP for anti-aging application! (upcoming)

Makeup De-Cluttering Quick Tip

Does this look like your makeup/skin care drawer?

Simplify your cosmetics drawer. Get rid of all those half-filled jars and bottles of potions you never use anymore. I know it’s hard to throw those precious products away—they were expensive! Use any remaining moisturizers on your body instead of tossing them. Just think how wonderful it will be to open your drawer or cabinet and have less clutter.

For more information, see:

• MYTH: Foundation is good for your skin
• Removing eye makeup: Part I
• Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation

Removing eye makeup: Part I

What’s the best thing to remove eye makeup with?

Your facial cleanser will probably adequately remove your eye makeup. However if you are wearing waterproof mascara (and some non-waterproof brands), you will need to use an oil to remove this “glue” from your lashes. Baby oil is an inexpensive option. (Make sure not to get that or any oil in your eyes.) I don’t recommend Vaseline® (petroleum jelly), however. It might take off a lot of the makeup, but because of its gooey nature, you might inadvertently pull the delicate undereye tissue when using it to remove your eye makeup or when trying to remove the Vaseline from your skin.

You can use your fingers to apply your cleanser around the eye area. If your eye makeup doesn’t come off that way or if you are using makeup that is meant to “last all day” aka: stick to your skin, you might want to put some cleanser on a cotton pad. Wet the pad first, squeeze the excess water out, then apply some cleanser. I’d wet the cotton first so it is softer as it goes on your skin. The cleanser will actually grab onto the cotton better when it’s wet, as well.

  

Obviously you want to be careful not to use anything that will irritate your eyes. Also you really want to be sure not to rub or pull the skin around your eyes when removing your eye makeup. Assuming you wear makeup every day, you can really do a lot of damage day in and day out with excess pulling and tugging at this tissue in order to remove makeup. So, be careful!

For more information, see:

• Removing eye makeup: Part II (this goes over how to remove mascara specifically)
• Eye makeup removal with Vaseline question
• Makeup De-Cluttering Quick Tip

This is not how you want to remove eye makeup! It may not look like it, but this young lady is pulling her eyelid as she is removing her makeup. Over time (day after day, year after year) this pulling will have an effect on the delicate tissue of the eye area.

MYTH: Foundation is good for your skin

Foundation is actually not good for your skin. It acts as an occlusive covering over the skin. Its purpose is to remain on the surface, not to penetrate like a moisturizer. So it stays on top, just sitting there. 

As you now know, your skin doesn’t breathe from the outside, so foundation doesn’t keep your skin from breathing. It does, however, inhibit elimination. And your skin will absorb some of the foundation. After all, it’s just sitting there all day long. Undoubtedly some of it will seep into your pores. And when this happens, the pores can enlarge. 

Foundation can cause congestion as well, especially if you have an oily skin type. If you have breakout and are using foundation, you are just fueling the very problem the foundation is attempting to cover up.

Foundation serves no beneficial purpose to the skin. Or rather, any benefits you may derive from wearing foundation (shielding you from the environment and possibly adding some SPF to your skin) is totally outweighed by the detrimental effects (clogging, congestion, enlarging the pores, inhibiting elimination).

If you want to cover up your skin, my recommendation is to try mineral makeup. Most brands give good coverage, contain SPF, and are much easier to remove during cleansing. Just say “no” to liquid foundation!

For more information, see:

• Mineral Makeup: a better alternative to foundation
• Makeup De-Cluttering Quick Tip 
• True or False: You only need to wash your face at night