6 Tips to Prevent Frightful Skin Problems from Halloween Makeup

The season of spookiness is upon us! It’s the time of year when we all embrace the side of us that loves a little scare. It’s also the time of year when we have an excuse to transform ourselves into anyone or anything we want with a rocking costume.

Those costumes can come at a price, though, and I’m not talking about the price hikes that seem to go into effect the moment October hits. I’m talking about the toll Halloween makeup takes on your skin. Sure, it can turn you into a lovable animal or a gory zombie for the big Halloween party, but will it transform you into a face full of breakouts the next day too?

It doesn’t have to! Use these tips to have all the costume fun you want this Halloween without hanging your skin out to dry.

1.Hydrate in Advance

If you’re someone who struggles with dry skin, you already know that dry skin is far more prone to irritation and inflammation from any kind of skin care product compared with skin that’s properly hydrated. That’s why it’s a cruel irony that Halloween, the holiday of adventurous stage makeup, happens just at the time of year when the weather is transitioning and it’s sucking the moisture from our skin.

You want to go into Halloween with your skin as healthy as possible, and in this case, “healthy” means “hydrated.” Use facial moisturizer religiously in the days before Halloween to fortify your skin’s moisture barrier and make sure it’s prepared.

2.Choose Your Makeup Products with Caution

Costume makeup or stage makeup products are a far cry from your day-to-day foundations, eyeshadows, and mascaras. These specialized makeup products are designed for serious coverage, and the ingredients involved don’t tend to be the most skin-friendly chemicals in the world.

If possible, try to find makeup products that are labeled as being sensitive skin friendly. You could also look for products without artificial dyes, fragrances, phthalates, and parabens. Try to find products that are labeled as non-comedogenic too, which means they’re less likely to cause acne breakouts.

3.Use a Primer

Skin primer might be part of your daily routine already, but it takes on a whole new importance when you have costume makeup in your plans. Primer helps to put a layer of protection between your skin and the harsh makeup products, so the makeup is less likely to cause irritation. For heavy-duty protection, you could also try a barrier cream, although these are more difficult to find.

4.Spring for New Makeup

I know Halloween can be expensive, especially if you have elaborate makeup plans that require a whole palette of colors, and you probably don’t use all the makeup. It’s tempting to try to save a few bucks by using your leftover costume makeup from last year, but the risks aren’t worth it.

Bacteria can grow in unused makeup products quite quickly and continue to multiply over time. What looks like a slightly dated palette could be a petri dish full of unknown organisms, and you really don’t want all that on your face. It’s better to budget for new makeup instead.

The same goes for sponges, brushes, and other items you’re using to apply the makeup. If you don’t clean them regularly, they’ll harbor bacteria too, which puts your skin at risk for acne breakouts and even severe infections.

5.Try a Patch Test Ahead of Time

Skin is a fickle beast, and you never quite know how it will react to a new product…until you try it. That’s why Halloween night should not be your first time dipping into your costume makeup.

Perform a little test beforehand. Put the makeup on an inconspicuous area of your skin, like the area under your jaw. Leave it on for several hours while you’re hanging out around the house and then take it off. Look for inflammation or irritation when you remove it and for the next day or two afterward.

If your test patch doesn’t develop irritation, inflammation, or pimples, you should be safe when the big day arrives. Make sure you’re still taking the other precautions on this list, though, because some areas of your skin might be more sensitive than others.

6.Make Cleansing a Post-Halloween Priority

Keeping your skin healthy through Halloween isn’t just a matter of taking precautions in advance. You need to take special care after the big party too.

First things first: remove all the makeup as soon as you get home from your party, trick-or-treating, or however you’re spending your Halloween. Follow it up with a cleanser too.

You can further cleanse your skin with a deep cleansing mask or an exfoliant. Play it by ear, though: if your skin is pink from the makeup removal, wait on those masks and exfoliants until the next day when your skin has had a break.

Having Your Fun and Beautifying Your Skin Too

This Halloween, you don’t have to choose between going all-out with your costume or having healthy skin. You can do both if you take the right precautions and care for your skin before, during, and after the frightful festivities. Be kind to your skin, but above all, have fun! Happy Halloween!