Wearing makeup all the time can get tedious and not to mention hard on your skin. While we don’t suggest you ditch your foundation entirely, there are a few reasons to go au naturel now and again.
Why go makeup free?
“It’s a good idea to give your skin a break from makeup so that it allows your skin to breathe,” explains Maria Rianna-Boyajian, head esthetician at White Tea Med Spa in New York City. “You don’t need to go without it for a long time. Try going makeup-free on weekend mornings and remove it right after work,” she advises.
Tim Schmidt, CEO of cosmeceutical company SkinPro agrees. “The most effective skin care advice I can give is to take a break from makeup,” he says. “Makeup contains chemicals, preservatives and fillers, all of which clog pores — even the most gentle, most mild makeup.”
How to go makeup free
The best way to feel comfortable without wearing makeup is to start slowly to get used to it, and to get your skin as healthy as possible. “A clean, healthy lifestyle is the key to younger, healthier, glowing skin,” says Schmidt. He shares a few key ways to do just that.
- Drink lots of water: Drinking water flushes our body of toxins.
- Exercise: The increased blood circulation gives us a rosy glow.
- Eat fresh foods: Eating fresh foods and eliminating junk from our diet is a must for healthy skin. “Not only can a bad diet wreak havoc on our waistlines, it leads to breakouts and a bloated face,” says Schmidt.
- Sleep: We all look refreshed and vibrant after a long night of sleep.
- Stay away from smoking and alcohol: The combination of smoking and alcohol leads to wrinkles and dry, blotchy, red skin.
It’s also important to take care of your skin with the right products and regimen notes Rianna-Boyajian. “Invest in a good skin care line and get monthly facials,” she says. This will help ensure skin looks smooth and radiant without the aid of makeup. Rianna-Boyajian also advises exfoliating regularly (at least once a week) and applying a moisturizer for your skin type.
When you do wear makeup
Since you will likely be wearing makeup at some point, make sure it’s of high quality. “It is important to remember that makeup acts as a second barrier that protects our skin. So take advantage of that benefit,” says Rianna-Boyajian. “You want to choose makeup brands that contain ingredients such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide and vitamin E, all of which have excellent benefits for the skin.”
She also recommends choosing products with no fillers or binders. “Fillers are softening agents that preserve the ingredients in certain cosmetic formulations. Binders are texturing agents that help do just that — bind the ingredients to the skin. Both are notoriously bad chemicals known to irritate the skin.”
More skin care tips
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Product review: Kinerase Advanced Cream
How to customize your skin care by “multi-masking”
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