Facecare

[deityprincess]

Hello! I’m sorta new at doing makeup and wanted some advice on what products i should use to help all of the makeup not damage my skin. I have a mixed face type with oily nose and slightly oily forehead, everything else being dry. i get acne every now and then and it usually isnt too big or stays on for too long. Any kind of product works!!

[WinglessOne]

Hi @deityprincess ! Sounds like your skin behaves similarly to mine: oily noise area, slightly oily forehead (mine gets like that once temps are above 60ºF, otherwise it’s just “normal”/balanced), and dry everywhere else, with occasional acne. What's your current skincare routine? Note that a good routine can be as simple as makeup removal (at night), wash, moisturize, and apply sunscreen (in the morning). 

One of the best ways to keep makeup from damaging your skin is to make sure you wash it all off at night. 

Spoiler

On the days I only wear brow pencil and lipstick, I just wipe lipstick off with a damp cloth and use my usual face cleanser. For eye makeup, I use Paula’s Choice Gentle Touch Makeup Remover (the liquid, not the wipes; I hate the wipes). For anything else, including tinted sunscreen or tinted moisturizer, I use The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL and follow up with my usual cleanser. 

You can use whatever you want to remove makeup, of course: oil cleanser, micellar water, cleansing balm, etc. And you shouldn’t have to scrub or rub your face hard to remove makeup. Easy does it. 

Even if you're exhausted when you come home, get that makeup off your face before you fall asleep. This is where a simple nighttime routine comes in handy: wash your face, apply a moisturizer, and off to bed you go! 

If you know your skin’s sensitive to certain ingredients, make sure your makeup doesn’t contain them. Example: my skin hates lavender extract and lavender oil, so I try not to use anything on my face—be it skincare or makeup—that contains either of those ingredients. 

Primer can kinda act as a barrier between your skin and makeup, though it won’t completely keep makeup ingredients away from your skin. (Primers generally aren't occlusive enough to fully keep makeup away from your skin.) An eyeshadow primer won’t stop lavender extract from irritating my skin, but it can stop certain shadows from staining my lids, or at least reduce the staining. 

Spoiler

Which primer(s) you use depends on what kind(s) of makeup you use. I rotate through a few eyeshadow primers, but my current favorite is Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Eyeshadow Primer 0.41 oz/ 11 g . Sometimes I use a mattefying or pore-blurring primer just on my oily nose area, usually Lancôme Blur & Go Stick 0.31 oz but there are plenty of other options out there. 

I don't use a primer on my whole face, mostly because I don't wear liquid or cream foundation. When wearing a tinted moisturizer, I don't need a full face primer. But you can certainly try one if you want, if you don't already use one. There are so many options, I'm not sure where to start. Primers aren't necessary for everyone or all makeup applications, but they can be beneficial.