We all love the idea of starting each morning fresh-faced and beautiful, but it's hard to do that when you start each morning with panda eyes and foundation streaks.
Ultimately, if you want to have radiant, glowing skin, then you need to make sure that you take all of your makeup off properly the night before. As fantastic as the right products can make your skin look during the day, keeping them on all night can mean that you suffocate your skin, increasing your chances of zits thanks to blocked pores and built-up dirt.
You're doing your face the ultimate favour by getting your beauty sleep with a face free of lotions and potions. The question is, how do you make sure that you get every last scrap of makeup off the first-time round?
Rather than instantly scrubbing at oily, hard-to-remove foundation, start with a daily cleanser to begin breaking down your blush and foundation. Carefully massage the cleanser into your skin and let it sit for a few seconds. Make sure that you remember to get every inch of your face, including under your chin, your hairline, and around your ears.
Bonus tip? Make sure you take your time. Scrubbing at your face as fast as you can won't help you to get your makeup off any faster, and it could mean that you end up pulling out your eyelashes and stretching the skin on your face. Apply your cleanser and let it sit for a few minutes while you brush your teeth, floss, and finish off the other parts of your evening routine. Once you're done, wipe the cleanser away with a soft, wet washcloth.
Do you know that a makeup mirror can help you by making sure you are seeing each inch of your face?
Your skin is far more complicated than you'd think. It protects you against everything from the wind, to the harsh rays of the sun. The last thing it needs when you're done with a long day is for you to be viciously scrubbing at it.
The process of taking off your makeup should be gentle. Never leave your skin feeling irritated or dehydrated and focus on making sure that you feel refreshed at the end of your cleansing session, not rubbed raw. As we mentioned above, take your time and allow make-up removers to soak in before you wipe your face, this will mean you have to do less work removing the oil and foundation. When you're done, finish up with a layer of moisturizer.
There are dozens of different types of makeup remover out there, and they all have unique formulations depending on what they're designed to remove. If you want to get the best results when you're lifting your makeup, you'll need to make sure that you're starting with the right remover.
For instance, if you're just wearing a basic tinted moisturizer, then all you'll need is water and soap. However, if you're wearing full foundation, then you're going to need an oil-based cleanser instead. For bold lipstick colors, try to remove the lipstick before you start washing your face. Otherwise, you'll risk smearing your lipstick all over and making it harder to remove.
Steam is a great way to refresh the senses and take your makeup removal strategy up a notch or two. Try filling your sink with some steaming water and leaning over it for a few minutes. The steam should help to unclog your pores, and so you can remove makeup with standard soap. You can even add some essential oils to the steam to make you feel more relaxed before bed-time. Lavender is an excellent option for this.
Alternatively, if you like a nice hot bath before bed, then you can potentially hit two birds with one stone. Fill your tub and let the steam start to break down your makeup for a few minutes before you start applying your cleanser or oils.
If you have dry skin, but you also like to wear makeup that's harder to remove, like heavy eyeliner, a lot of mascara, or bright-colored lipsticks, then a cleansing oil can help. All you need to do is add a couple of drops to a cotton pad and gently dab it across your skin. The cleansing oil will be nourishing and less harsh on dryer skin, and it will also help to protect the delicate skin around your eyes.
If you want to be extra careful, you could even switch from commercial oils to coconut oil instead. Countless people in the cosmetics space have begun advocating for coconut oil as a great way to support your skin and remove water-resistant makeup.
Simply add a small dollop of oil to your palm and massage it into your face carefully. You can use a cotton pad if you'd prefer. Once you're finished massaging, wash everything away with luke-warm water.
Eyeliner and mascara tend to be some of the hardest makeup to get off - but they're also a staple of many people's look. The most important thing to remember is that you shouldn't scrub at your eyes - no matter how frustrated you get. The skin around your eyes is sensitive, so you need to treat it with care. Soak some cotton wool pads in cleansing oil or coconut oil, and close your eyes, then gently place the pads over your eyes and leave them to soak for about ten seconds.
The oil will begin to break down the makeup for you so that you can swipe away the makeup without relying too heavily on harsh eye-based makeup removers. You can repeat this step a few times to make sure that you get rid of every last bit of eyeliner.
Remember, cotton pads are much better than cotton balls because they won't leave bits of fiber behind on your skin.
While leaving oils and cleansers on your face, particularly if they're natural oils, aren't as bad for your skin as leaving it coated in makeup, it's important to take some time to make sure that your skin is completely clean before you pat dry.
After you've removed all of your makeup, take another pass over your skin with a dry cotton pad and make sure that you've removed any last lingering bits of oil and product. This will help to make sure that you don't have any mascara lingering that you accidentally missed, and it ensures that your pores don't get clogged with oil.
If you've gone big on the eyeliner or eyeshadow one night, an excellent way to make sure that you get everything is to clean up the edges with a cotton swab. No matter how hard you try sometimes, there seems to always be a little makeup left over in a hard-to-reach area. Use your cotton swab dipped in coconut oil, cleanser, or makeup remover, and get into those often-overlooked spaces.
If you're sick of relying on the less-than-perfect makeup remover oils and cleansers from your local beauty store, you could always try creating some of your natural options. For instance, the combination of honey and baking soda makes for an incredible cleansing paste that both exfoliates your skin and removes makeup. However, we'd recommend that you avoid getting this substance too close to your eyes. Remember to wash your face thoroughly after using the cleanser also, to reduce your risk of a break-out caused by extra sugar.
Alternatively, you could consider using milk - it's no big surprise that milk is great for the skin. Milk baths have always been a big part of the beauty culture - since thousands of years ago. All you need to do is add a teaspoon of almond oil to a bowl of milk and soak your cotton pad in the mixture. You should end up with a fresh face in no time.
Makeup wipes have been a staple of many women's makeup removal toolkit for a while now. Unfortunately, they might not be the best way to protect your face and prep your skin for the day ahead. Although wipes can be a good initial step in removing your makeup, the truth is that they generally don't get rid of all the foundation, eyeliner, and other products on your face.
Avoid using a makeup wipe and then heading to bed. Your makeup will still be lingering, so make sure that you head to the sink and use some water and a good face wash too. Trust us when we say that you'll not only wake up feeling more revitalized, but your skin will stay zit-free for longer too.
As mentioned above, it's essential to get all of the makeup off your skin - even in those hard-to-reach areas. Unfortunately, a lot of women forget to push their hair back, particularly when they're late getting home and all they want to do is get to bed. No matter how much you'd rather avoid throwing your hair up into a ponytail, it's vital to ensure that you get all the way back to your hairline - in fact, get the first inch or so of your hair wet if you need to.
It might seem like more work, but by getting every nook and cranny throughout your face truly clean, you can reduce your risk of breakouts to a minimum. Slip on a terry headband before bed if it helps. You'll be done before you know it.
Remember, washing your face and removing your makeup is just the first step of your bedtime routine. If you want to prep your skin to look incredible the next morning, then it's a good idea to use some extra products when you're finished cleansing too. For instance, a toner can be a great way to sweep away the lasting remains of any makeup that you might have left behind.
To add toner to your routine, drench a cotton pad with some of your favourite toners and wipe it across your skin. Try options that are designed to moisturise, rather than dry-out your skin. For instance, anything formulated with vitamin B5 is a good choice.
Speaking of moisturising, make sure that you finish your cleansing solution with a layer of moisturiser afterwards. You don't even need to dry your skin before you do this, as it's best to apply moisturiser to your skin when it's still damp. Use a water-based moisturiser to give your skin the love it deserves.
Finally, don't just commit to your makeup removing routine on the nights when you have plenty of time to wash your face and unwind. You need to be willing to commit to keeping your skin clean and fresh every night - especially on those evenings after a wild night at a party or local club. The more makeup you use, the more your skin desperately needs washing before you go to bed.
The good news is that if you clean your skin properly on the night time, you won't need to cleanse it all over again when you wake up, so you'll be ready to apply your makeup with a vanity mirror and go!
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