HOW TO PREP SKIN FOR MAKEUP

SHOULD YOU USE SKINCARE BEFORE MAKEUP?

Skin is the canvas for any makeup look, so it makes sense that skin prepping before makeup is important. What might surprise you is how much applying skincare prep before makeup helps your products sit with and stay on skin. Products like foundation, concealer, blush and bronzer are developed to work best with clean, fresh and hydrated skin. This means that cream, powder and liquid formulas need purified and exfoliated skin to blend properly and remain fresh throughout the day.

Also important to consider is how your skin type behaves throughout the day. Oily skin types typically experience an excess flow of oil which can result in shininess or makeup transfer. Dry skin types experience the opposite, and a lack of moisture content can result in flaky makeup or dry and dull patches across skin. To protect your makeup from being affected by typical skin stress, balance needs to be achieved before the products are applied.

HOW TO PREP SKIN FOR MAKEUP

Because of how integral your skincare prep before makeup is, it can be useful to see the combination of steps as part of one complete routine. Skincare products like cleansers, exfoliators and toners clear skin and improve absorbency for the following skincare products as well as your makeup steps. The later moisturising products influence how makeup products sit on skin and reflect natural light throughout the day. For continuous beautiful skin, we’ve provided our radiance-boosting order of skincare before makeup below.

STEP 1: CLEANSE

Whatever time of day you’re creating a makeup look, cleansing is the first important step. Skin is impacted by exposure to excess sweat, dust and bacteria, which can imbalance moisture content and brightness across complexions. Face cleansers help to remove these impurities and refresh complexions. Kiehl’s plant-powered formulas are designed to target the specific concerns of each skin type, improving the balance in the prep stage.

Makeup products like foundation and concealer also struggle to sit with and remain on older skin. To brighten your complexion naturally and provide a fresher, hydrated base for your makeup, face scrubs can be implemented 1–3 times per week in skin prepping for makeup. Gentle exfoliating formulas like Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub buff away dead skin for softer and refreshed complexions, and are suitable for all skin types.

STEP 2: APPLY TONER

Glowing skin is a key goal of makeup looks, and facial toners are especially efficacious at achieving this. Used alongside your cleanser, toners hydrate and balance skin as the second step in skin prep for makeup.

• To boost natural radiance across all skin types, Ferulic Brew Rejuvenating Facial Essence combines hydrating squalane and the gentle exfoliating properties of lactic acid.
• To help reduce shine and address excess oil flow in oily skin types, Rare Earth Pore Refining Tonic is a dual-phase pore minimiser. Fairly traded Amazonian white clay helps to absorb excess oil, while allantoin comforts.

STEP 3: APPLY SERUMS

Facial serums are a crucial step in skincare prep before makeup, as they help to even skin tone and texture, and protect skin from external stress throughout the day. You can tailor your serum to your skin and makeup goals by supporting your skin’s specific needs.

• For plumped skin and a bouncy appearance, Hydro-Plumping Serum Concentrate can be applied as part of your skincare routine before makeup. By imparting glycerin and dermal hydration filler to deep layers of skin, this formula helps to improve the visible appearance of youthful skin.
• Dark spots and discolouration can be addressed via a brightening serum. Clearly Corrective™ Dark Spot Solution boosts skin clarity and helps even skin tone with the inclusion of stabilised vitamin C and peony extract.

STEP 4: MOISTURISE AND APPLY SPF

Whatever the formula, your foundation works best on moisturised skin. This step helps to keep skin hydrated throughout the day, so that your makeup remains fresh, dewy and bright. Ultra Facial Cream with Squalane is ultra-lightweight to let skin breath but provides 24 hour hydration through the inclusion of squalane.

The essential last step to daily skin prep for makeup is sunscreen application. Especially in Australia, UV radiation places stress on skin. To keep your complexion radiant and healthy, opt for broad spectrum SPF and always reapply as directed.

TOP TIP: ALWAYS REMOVE MAKEUP AT END OF DAY

It’s always important to remove your makeup at the end of the day. This allows skin to rest while you sleep. Evening is when skin cells renew themselves too, and cleansers remove stressors like makeup to support this. Read on to see why removing makeup is so important.

To remove all traces of makeup, sweat and pollution from skin, a double cleanse is effective. To double cleanse, you can pair an oil cleansing step with a traditional cleanser, or simply use your preferred cleanser twice.

1. Massage 3-4 pumps of Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil into the face and neck to dissolve dirt, SPF and makeup. Add water and massage again to emulsify, then wash the milky product remaining away.


2. Cleanse as normal with your favourite cleanser. Our best selling Ultra Facial Cleanser is gentle formulation infused with squalane, apricot kernel oil and vitamin E, suitable for all skin types.

Loved this guide? Keep reading to discover the importance of a night time skincare routine.