Janet J
What are the things that come to your mind when you think about “makeup?”
Probably, applying foundation, concealer, primer, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick.
However, what most individuals do not consider to be important are the steps that should be taken before applying makeup to prepare the skin.
Preparing your skin plays an important role as it ensures the makeup stays for a long time.
Remember, the better your skin is prepared, the better you will makeup will look.
Why Should You Prepare Your Skin Before Makeup?
Think it like this way. Would you take your car for a long trip without checking whether it has enough gas in it? No, right? It is the same while applying makeup. If you want to make sure that your look stays intact throughout the day, then it is important to prepare your skin.
If you do not prepare your skin before applying makeup, you may notice dry patches, uneven skin coverage, and dullness.
So, without any delay, let’s dive into the steps to prepare your skin before makeup
Steps to Prepare Your Skin Before Makeup
Cleansing – Always buy a cleanser that suits your skin type. It is always better to apply makeup to clean skin.
So, the first step is to clean your wash with a cleanser that supports your skin type. If you have dry skin, go for a cream cleanser, which will clean as well as moisturize your skin.
On the other hand, if you have oily skin, choose a foam or gel cleanser.
This type of face cleanser will help you to get rid of all kinds of dirt and oil.
If you have combination skin, buy a cleanser that is designed specifically for this type of skin.
If you are among those who have sensitive skin, then choose the most gentle cleanser. Cleansers made for sensitive skin are usually made from plant oils.
If you have skin prone to acne and pimples, choose a cleanser that contains benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and tea tree oil as these ingredients will keep pimples and acne at bay.
Clean your skin- Splash some lukewarm water on your face. Next, take some cleanser on your palm and apply it all over your skin.
Gently massage your skin. Do this for nearly 45 seconds to get fresh and clean skin.
Last, wash with lukewarm water.
Make sure you are gentle while cleansing, The skin on our face is sensitive and thin, so do not scrub hard.
Be sure to wash thoroughly. There should not be any dirt particles on your skin.
Lastly, pat your face dry using a clean towel. You may think why are we suggesting to use lukewarm water.
Using lukewarm water will help to open the skin pores and will wash away all the dirt and dust particles.
Apply a toner which is alcohol-free- Many people don’t consider toner to be important but this is a big mistake.
A toner wipes away the dead skin cells, bacteria, and other makeup particles that didn’t go away with the cleanser.
It is better to avoid toner that comes with alcohol in it as they make the skin too dry.
Take a small amount of toner on a cotton ball and apply it all over your face.
You should not scrub the skin, but, the idea is to make the face wet with toner.
Just see what all comes off from your skin. Most of the time, you will see some leftover foundation on the cotton after you apply the toner.
Exfoliating the skin- Make sure you exfoliate your skin at least once or twice every week.
This helps to get rid of all kinds of buildup on the skin. If you notice redness in your skin, this means you are scrubbing your face too much.
On the contrary, if your skin feels too dry and looks dull, then you must exfoliate too often.
You can do the exfoliation using a washcloth for normal cleansing. Use the cloth to massage the face cleanser over your skin.
Make sure you wash the cloth after every use.
If you re-use it, you may end up rubbing old bacteria or dirt over your face. You can even buy face scrubs available in the market.
You can even make your own scrub using ingredients like olive oil and sugar.
Follow a routine- No matter how busy you are, make sure you clean your face before going to bed with a gentle cleanser to wash away the impurities that have built up on the skin.
Then, wash your face after you wake up in the morning.
If someday you don’t get enough time to clean your face in the morning, then at least splash cool water on your face.
This will wake up your skin. This will give a more refreshed look.
Eye cream- Are you among those who believe this step is not that important? Think again. This step is followed even before applying a moisturizer. Just like face serums, your eye cream must be thin in texture. It helps in moisturizing and even out the skin tone, especially around the eyes so that you look fresh and awake. Remember, the area around your eyes is fragile so ensure that you apply your eye cream evenly to correct the uneven skin tone.
Applying Moisturizer
Selecting the right skin moisturizer- Ideally, you will get two types of moisturizers, one for the day, which is lighter and includes an SPF.
The other one for the night is a bit heavier.
Before you apply makeup, you must use a little moisturizer.
While buying a skin moisturizer for the daytime, make sure you buy one that includes SPF 15 to safeguard your skin from the harmful rays of the sun.
If you struggle hard with pimples and breakouts, choose a moisturizer that is non-comedogenic.
On the other hand, if you have dry skin, you must look for creams that are thick to apply during the daytime.
Apply a serum- If you have dry skin, including serum in your skin routine will add extra moisture to your face.
With most facial products, it is significant to keep in mind that a little bit goes a long way and this is mainly true with face serums.
Choose serums that contain antioxidants, like anti-inflammatories, like zinc, vitamin C, and hydrators like amino acids.
You must apply a serum after cleansing and toning, but yes, before applying a moisturizer.
If you have oily skin, it is better to include a serum in your night skincare routine.
Dab a few drops of serum on the cheeks, chin, and forehead.
Gently apply it all over the skin. Let the serum skin in the skin. At this time, you can do something else like select the outfit, do your hairstyle, etc.
Priming the skin- Try to mist your face with rose water. This is not mandatory but many beauty experts believe that spraying some rose water keeps the skin glowing.
After spraying the rose water on your face, let it dry before you move to the next step.
Some people also suggest spraying rose water on the face after finishing the makeup, so that it will get enough time to dry.
Ensure your eyes are closed while you use the spray.
Prepare the lips first by exfoliating and then moisturizing them- You must prepare your lips before you apply any color.
This will ensure the color is applied evenly and stays for a long time.
For exfoliating your lips, you will need a clean, damp cloth. Using a circular motion, massage your lips to remove all dead skin, which in turn will make the lipstick look even.
If you have sensitive skin, then you must do this at night rather than before applying makeup.
Apply a moisturizer to your lips.
Before you apply any color, you must make sure that your lips are properly moisturized to keep the lip color from soaking into the lips.
You can use the lip balm of your choice and smoothen your lips.
Let it sit for 10 minutes so that your lips get enough time to soak in the moisturizer and lip balm.
Choose a primer- Applying a skin primer prepares your skin for anything that you are planning to put on.
There are different kinds of makeup primers available. Choose one that suits your requirements and skin type.
For instance, if you suffer from redness or acne on your face, a light green primer will be best for hiding the redness.
Primers that contain silicone are a great option because silicone plays the role of a barrier.
This not only helps the makeup to stay longer but also makes sure that the oil from your skin does not mix with the makeup.
A primer also helps in filling any kind of lines while doing makeup so that creases are not formed.
Apply makeup- Now that you have prepared your skin for makeup, you can apply makeup as you usually would.
Keep in mind that the better your skin is prepared for makeup, the better will be your look.
Remember, if you are consistent in your skincare routine, your skin will look beautiful even without makeup, which means that you won’t need too many makeup products.