Does It Help Your Skin To Go Makeup-Free?

Who among us hasn’t had a few of those days when we’re exhausted in the morning, struggling to keep our eyes open while applying our mascara, and we start to question if it’s all worth it? Is it worth it to get up an extra half-hour early to put on a full face of makeup? Do you even look that much different without it?

Clearly, this is a question of personal preference, and there’s no right or wrong answer. But in choosing whether to ditch their palettes and powders, many people find themselves wondering how it affects their skin. If you take that leap and go makeup-free, will it actually help your skin?

Does Your Skin Benefit When You Don’t Wear Makeup?

The short answer here is “maybe.” I know it’s not the most satisfying answer in the world, but the fact is that each person’s skin reacts differently to any type of change. Some people will notice improvements in their skin when they stop wearing makeup and others won’t.

Ways a Makeup-Free Lifestyle Could Help Your Skin

If your skin is already rather healthy and you don’t have any specific issues, chances are that going makeup-free wouldn’t make much of a difference. If you are struggling with certain skin issues, though, taking a makeup break might be able to help.

Reduce Skin Irritation

Makeup can be highly irritating to your skin. It can include dyes and other ingredients that spark inflammation. Even the process of removing your makeup can be irritating to sensitive skin because of the chemicals in certain makeup removers or because you’re wiping your skin with pressure as you remove the makeup.

Cut Down on Clogged Pores

Have you been stumped about why you keep getting blemishes and clogged pores? Your makeup could be the blame. The makeup particles themselves can clog pores. More notably, though, makeup and makeup remover can also disrupt your skin’s natural oil balance and lead to excess oil production. That’s a recipe for clogged pores.

Make Fine Lines Less Noticeable

This one is more aesthetic than skin health-related, but it matters nonetheless. When you wear makeup, the powders, concealers, and foundations can settle into the fine lines in your skin. This makes those lines more visible so it looks like your wrinkles are more significant than they are. When you remove your makeup, it’s easy to tug at your skin as well, which can contribute to lines and wrinkles.

Drop Bacterial Blemishes

If you’ve been frustrated by blemishes and breakouts, it’s not always the result of clogged pores. Certain bacteria can cause acne too, and bacteria can contribute to skin inflammation and irritation. And makeup can be a haven for bacteria.

Bacteria can grow in your makeup itself over time, especially if you’re not diligent about throwing out makeup that expires (honestly, who is?). Your makeup brushes can foster bacteria too if you aren’t cleaning them often.

Maintain a More Balanced Hydration

As I mentioned above, makeup and makeup remover tend to mess with your natural oil production. Your body’s oil balance gets out of whack and this disrupts your hydration balance too. This can lead to problems with dry skin or skin that seems to be oily at times and dry at times. Cutting out makeup could help your skin’s hydration stabilize.

Do You Have to Ditch Makeup Entirely to See Benefits?

At this point, you’re probably saying, “Wow, I could really use all those benefits, but ditching makeup altogether? That’s a tough sell.” I hear you, and luckily, that isn’t the only way. You can still enjoy many of the benefits above by making some changes to your makeup routine.

Wear Makeup Less Often

You don’t have to take an all-or-nothing approach. If you’re wearing makeup every day, try just cutting back. Maybe wear it on fewer days, or skip the foundation on some days and just use makeup like mascara, brow pencils, and lipstick. Simply spending less time with these products can give your skin some relief.

Choose Skin-Friendly Makeup Products

When it comes to skin health, not all makeup products are created equal. There are some makeup products that are specifically designed for sensitive skin or designed not to disrupt your skin’s pH balance and hydration.

Change Your Makeup Removal Habits

If your makeup is affecting your skin, it might not be the makeup at all but your makeup removal that’s causing the problem. No, that doesn’t mean you have a license to skip makeup removal – sorry. But you can make a difference by using a gentler makeup remover. Try micellar water, for example, which tends to be better for maintaining your skin’s oil and hydration balance. After removing your makeup, follow it up right away with cleansing your skin and applying moisturizer. This counteracts the drying effect of makeup remover.

Choosing the Best Path for Your Skin

Your choice about the makeup you wear is entirely your own, and each person’s skin and circumstances are unique. There are ways to make your makeup healthier for your skin, though, and the tips above can help you strike the perfect balance.