Every day, women pat, rub, smooth, stroke and dab on foundation, blush, lipstick and eye shadows. We use makeup to spotlight our best features and camouflage our flaws, and we expect great things from our makeup.
We hide our wrinkles and bring out our dimples, cover up the freckles and accent our eyes. If we don't have perfectly arched eyebrows, we can draw them in with a pencil, and then we use brushes to create shadows and contours that make our cheekbones stand out and our double chin recede. Like any art, it takes skill and know-how to take our natural assets and turn them into individual masterpieces every morning.
What happens at the end of the day, however? Do you take as much care to remove makeup as you do applying it in the first place? Or do you just fall into bed, never really giving a thought to using some makeup remover and washing away the dirt that has accumulated on your face since morning?
If you leave makeup on overnight, your skin can dry out or become irritated. The extra minutes of sleep you get by skipping makeup remover could lead to big breakouts. Remembering to remove makeup is essential to healthy skin and needs to be a regular part of your beauty routine.
Makeup removers are made from a range of ingredients, from oils to creams to natural ingredients, but the best makeup remover will suit your skin type. Each has advantages and disadvantages, and prices will vary, but you don't need to spend a fortune. To help you sort through the options, we've looked at some of the more popular products being used by women everywhere.
Oil-Based Products
Makeup remover is often an oil-based product. Since many types of cosmetics are oil-based, and oil dissolves oil, it would seem that this type is your best bet.
Unfortunately, though, an oil-based makeup remover can leave your skin feeling, well, rather oily, leaving you in the position of needing to wash off your makeup remover to avoid feeling greasy. An oil-based makeup remover can work well to remove eye makeup, especially those waterproof mascaras, but they may not be your best bet for overall facial cleansing.
It all comes down to skin type. If you have very dry skin, those oil-based products may be just fine, but for normal skin types or oily skin types, using an oil-based makeup remover can lead to clogged pores, blackheads and breakouts. When you use an oil-based product, it is critical to choose one that uses a non-comedogenic cosmetic mineral oil to avoid this problem.
Natural Products
For more natural makeup removal, many experts recommend using cleansing milk. With a lighter weight than cleansing creams, most cleansing milks are made of a combination of water, oils like grape seed or castor oil and natural ingredients. Cleansing milks can serve as an excellent makeup remover that won't dry skin.
To enhance the natural beauty benefits of cleansing milks, you can purchase milks that include essential oils. Essential oils can also be added at home, which can reduce the cost and allow you to combine oils for various skin conditions. For example, chamomile is found in many cleansing milks and is wonderful for dry or sensitive skin types.
One disadvantage to cleansing milks, however, is that they tend to need to be washed off, which adds an extra step in your skin care routine. In general, if you aren't already in the habit of using makeup remover before you go to bed, you should keep your cleansing routine as simple as possible because you'll be more likely to stick with it.
You have many natural or organic products to choose from. Jojoba oil will leave your skin soft without feeling oily or greasy. Olive oil is another natural product that is excellent at removing makeup.
Eye Makeup Remover
Keep in mind that you may need two different types of makeup remover, one for your face and one for your eyes. Since your eyes are sensitive, you may need a gentler product than what you would put on your face, and waterproof eye makeup remover is often sold separately. Don't use any makeup remover for the face or for the eyes without testing it on a small area of skin first.
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