How to Protect Your Makeup From Perspiration If You Have Oily Skin
Summer is really the worst. I hate sweating and irritation, and it seems to me that using sunscreen is a little easier than wearing a hat. Sure, I love to wear makeup, but my oily skin makes its own makeup remover all day, and it works overtime in hot weather.
If you have enough time, the sebum will melt on its own, and adding sweat will only make it easier to work. Keeping my face from melting makeup in the summer is truly a Sisyphean job, and after years of trial and error, I finally figured out what really works. Some of these tricks come down to ingredients and some to technique, but I think everyone – especially my fellow grease monsters – will find at least one of these tips extremely helpful.
Filmmakers are your friends
In summer, it is especially important to choose cosmetics with a high content of film-forming substances. Film formers are a special subcategory of polymers; their extended chain molecular structures promote the formation of flexible films on hair, skin and nails. Any ingredient containing the words “polymer” or “vinyl” is a film-forming agent (here is an exhaustive list of dimethicone copolymers ), namely:
- Siloxane polymers including cyclopentasiloxane and other cyclomethicones
- Nylon-12
- Acrylates
- Acrylamides
Nylon-12, dimethicone copolymers and various siloxanes create soft, flexible films, making them a key ingredient in liquid spreadable cosmetics such as foundation and concealer. Acrylate and acrylamide polymers are much stronger and make up the majority of bulletproof formulations such as eye shadow primers and fixing sprays. Speaking of which …
Start and end with fixing spray
If you only have room for one hot-weather makeup trick in your routine, go for it. The right fixing spray will change your life, especially if you use it before and after you apply makeup. After applying sunscreen on the face, a smooth surface is created for applying makeup; the last syringe seals everything in place like a nice sandwich.
There’s a difference between setting sprays – which are everywhere these days – and fixing sprays. Fixing sprays (prototype MAC Fix Plus) are water-based and contain humectants such as glycerin; they melt the layers of powder together, usually smell good and make the skin look awful. However, unlike fixing sprays, they do not contain strong film-formers, so fixing sprays are useless. People with oily skin should ditch the expensive fixing sprays sold at Sephora and go straight to theatrical makeup brands whose fixing sprays are both powerful and inexpensive. I have been using Mehron Barrier Spray for many years, but anything with specially denatured (SD) alcohol and a little acrylate / acrylamide polymer flavoring helps.
Some people are genuinely concerned about the use of alcohol in cosmetics, but the dose creates poison. Fixing sprays are applied sparingly to wide surfaces and the alcohol evaporates almost instantly. A few sprays won’t hurt your skin, and oily skin requires the improved solubility of the film former provided by alcohol-based formulas.
Minimize your base
The only sure way to keep the foundation from melting from the heat is not to wear it, but this is not always an option. I’ve been battling pretty tough inflammatory acne for almost a decade, and there have been long periods of time where I felt a hell of a lot uncomfortable going out in public with a naked face.
Targeted application of thick, dense formulations with pigments is the best way to hide anything you hate about your skin, and the less you use the better, especially when it’s hot outside. I use a durable concealer like MAC Pro Longwear (my shade NC20), Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer (Sx03), or Make Up For Ever Full Cover (5 or 6). Pharmacy brands make great under-eye concealers, but their thick camouflage masks don’t match the formula, shade range, or both. (Pro tip: You can order a $ 5 Sensual Skin Enhancer trial tube from Camera Ready Cosmetics. Mine, pictured below, I’ve had since October 2015. )
In terms of technique, Lisa Eldridge has great tutorials on basic makeup foracne ,rosacea andvitiligo , and Emily Noel’s detailed video onmelasma coverage is great, but anyone who needs or wants to apply foundation can learn a thing or two from these tutorials. …
Use the right tools
When it comes to oil control, your powder formula matters much less than the tool you use to apply it. Brushes, even very thick ones, do not apply enough powder to effectively apply makeup to oily skin. On the other hand, old velor puffs and sponges leave behind a continuous layer of powder wherever they land. Squeezing in the powder with a puff keeps my face matte much longer than using a brush, which means my makeup lasts longer. I use Make Up For Ever Super Matte loose powder , but any starch or talc based formula can help control fat; Mineral powder Innisfree No Sebum is especially good.
Beware of waterproof eye makeup
Waterproof formulas dissolve in oil, not water; they will survive the ugly scream, but the oily eyelids will eat them alive. A good eyeshadow primer is just a concentrated film-forming paste – it will extend the wearing time, but people with very oily skin should also avoid waterproof eye makeup altogether.
I really hate the waterproof mascara that I only buy for a wedding that will definitely make me cry. Day in and day out, I wear “regular” formulas like Cover Girl LashBlast, which inexplicably survived many hours of summer football, and Benefit Roller Lash. Mascara is popular with people living in very humid climates, but I haven’t found one that I enjoy more than my backup formulas. Everyone loves mascara in different ways, so experiment until you find your favorite .
Eyeliner and eyeshadow tangle quickly on oily skin; One of the reasons I use so little of my eye makeup is because my eyelids wear off within a few hours. Layers really help: my usual course of action is NARS Pro Prime (I also love Milani’s eyeshadow primer) followed by a smudged gel pencil with powdered eyeshadow. I can get about six hours from this combination before it crumples noticeably, but it’s kind of a pain, so I save my eye makeup for special occasions, indoors – if I’m going to be outside in hot weather, I wear sunglasses … and put an end to it.
Wear blotting paper
Cosmetic companies that claim they monitor oil levels all day are telling nothing but lies. If your skin is oily, some shine may appear. It’s okay – God gave us blotters for this very reason. Keep a supply of rice paper, porous polypropylene sheets, or good old toilet seat covers in your purse, purse, or pocket to control the shine at noon.
It is unrealistic to expect that fully painted makeup will remain intact after a day of ninety degree weather; entropy ultimately makes all of us fools. However, with the right techniques, you can at least expect your makeup to outlast all these upcoming outdoor weddings and proms – just don’t forget your sunscreen.