This is something I hear all the time, both online and in real life. It really does annoy me to some degree, because it isn't as simple as some people make it out to be. I've done my fair amount of research on this, and I've come to a few conclusions that I would like to share with anyone who is interested in reading.
But first, I'd like to write a little disclaimer: I'm not saying that makeup doesn't have the potential to ruin your skin. I'm saying that, in general, if you use makeup responsibly and wisely, it doesn't have to be bad for your skin. In this myTake, I will talk about both makeup and skin cleansing products. So let me break it down for you.
1. Washing your face is an important part of your makeup routine.
This might seem like common sense to a lot of you, but to some people, it really isn't. How well you wash your face (both before and after you apply makeup) can determine how much damage the makeup does to your skin. If you don't wash your makeup off properly and with the right products, it really does have the potential to, for instance, clog your pores. This is where a lot of people might fail. Either they do a poor job at removing their makeup with the wrong products, or they simply don't remove it at all and head straight to bed. This is a really mindless move, considering that skin cells do their repair work most effectively at night when you sleep. At this stage, it doesn't really matter if you're wearing makeup or not ‒ if your skin is dirty and your pores are clogged before you head to bed, your skin cells will have a harder time doing their job right. If you wash your face (again, it doesn't matter if you're wearing makeup or not), it will be much easier for your skin to repair itself and keep itself looking healthy and clean.
2. Know your skin and your skin type.
It's important to know what your skin is like, and also what skin type you have. This will help you greatly when you pick and choose the right makeup products and face wash products. If you use the wrong kind of products for your skin, they will most certainly irritate it, and maybe even make you break out. There are tons of different makeup products out there for all skin types. So it's important that you figure out what kind of skin type you have, so that you'll choose the products that work the best with your skin.
Here is a list of the different skin types:
"Normal" skin: the least problematic of all the skin types. It does not look oily, flaky or irritated. It feels smooth and looks clean. If you have this skin type, you will most likely be able to use a wider selection of products, since they might not affect your skin as greatly as they might affect other skin types.
Sensitive skin: the skin type that is easily irritated and affected by different products, and the reasons for that can be many. If you have very sensitive skin, it might be a wise decision to contact a dermatologist. They can help you when it comes to pinpointing the exact issues as to why your skin might react a certain way to a specific product. They can also suggest products that are best suited for your level of sensitivity.
Dry skin: this is the skin type that feels dry and rough to the touch, and is also flaky. For dry skin types, it's important to use heavier moisturizers to revitalize the skin.
Oily skin: this is a very misunderstood skin type, in general. Oily skin looks shiny and feels greasy. A common misconception is that, if you have oily skin, you should definitely not use any rich products and that you're better off sticking to lighter ones. Although this might work for some people, for others, it might not. Oily skin can simply be the symptom of extremely dry skin. When your skin becomes extremely dry, your skin cells might become overactive. They start overproducing the oils that are supposed to combat the dryness, which contributes to the shiny/greasy look. So, if you have oily skin, don't shy away from trying out some of the heavier creams. They might help combating the real, underlying problem: the fact that your skin is probably just really dry.
Combination skin: as the name suggests, this is a skin type that is a combination of many different skin types. For instance, your forehead might be more on the dry side, whereas your nose is oily and your cheeks are smooth and flawless. For this skin type, it can be good to have a few different kinds of products that you can apply to the different areas of your skin.
3. The higher the price, the better the quality? NO!
An expensive makeup product doesn't guarantee you great and natural looking results. Neither is a cheaper product guaranteed to be bad for your skin. Don't be afraid of experimenting with products from all kinds of price ranges (granted that you have the money for it). Do your research, check out reviews. Are the reviews consistent, do they seem reliable? If so, trying out that product might be worth it.
4. Take care of your tools!
A pet peeve of mine is when people own these beautiful brushes and tools that they use for applying makeup onto their face, but they never clean them! If you don't clean your tools every once in a while, you will more or less apply dirt, dust and other gross things directly onto your face. I don't think I have to explain why that is bad for your skin. You can find some great tips online on how to properly clean your tools, without damaging them, so that they won't contaminate your face.
5. Less is more.
For several different reasons. If you use less makeup, it's less likely that it will help in the process of clogging up your pores. Applying less makeup = washing off less makeup. You are less likely to miss any spots when you wash it off. The more careful you are with the amounts of makeup you put on your face, the less likely it is that it will affect your skin in a bad way. And if you end up using a product that's bad for your skin, the amount of damage will be smaller if you have used less of it.
And there you have it. Like I said in the disclaimer, makeup doesn't have to be bad for your skin. It can, but if you know your skin well, if you're careful, if you use the right products and if you wash your face properly, makeup will most likely not really affect your skin at all. Not in the devastatingly dramatic way that so many people make it seem, at least. A lot of it simply boils down to cleanliness and using products that match with your skin.
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