We’ve heard it time and time again: it’s never a good idea to sleep in your makeup. No matter how tired you are, you should remove all makeup from your skin before taking a snooze. But truth be told, removing your makeup can be quite a task with today’s long-lasting, smudge-proof formulas. Removing all traces of your cosmetics seems to be much more than washing your face and rinsing.
Instead of sacrificing the health of your skin, we tapped a makeup pro to get the scoop on how to remove makeup in the shortest amount of time possible. Here’s what he had to say.
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Here's The Easiest & Most Effective Way To Remove Makeup According to A Pro
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Oil-Based Cleansers Are Your Friends
In most cases, plain old water won't cut it when it comes to removing makeup. "More and more makeup formulas are formulated to be long-wearing nowadays so in order to remove makeup, you’ll need to dissolve it properly," says Emmy-winning celebrity makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor. "Using an oil-based cleanser is the best first step to effectively cleansing skin." Dissolving long-wearing cosmetics like waterproof mascaras and foundation will help alleviate irritation due to excess rubbing and scrubbing. Sit back and let the oil do all the work, then follow with your favorite cleanser.
Image: Imaxtree
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L'Occitane
Cleansing Oil-to-Milk, $24 at Ulta Beauty
Great for all skin types, this luxurious cleansing oil nourishes your skin while dissolving the most stubborn makeup formulas.
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Ingredients Matter
Besides obvious skin health reasons, most of us are motivated to remove our makeup at night to avoid blemishes and clogged pores. Just as sleeping in makeup can cause breakouts so can choosing the wrong makeup remover. "Avoid cleansers with mineral oil or petroleum-based oils," Sotomayor says. "These ingredients can clog pores and are known to be possible carcinogens." If you prefer a clean beauty option or finding something in your pantry, an all-natural coconut oil will do the trick.
Image: Imaxtree
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Dr. Bronner's
Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, $19.79 at Vitacost
It’s true, coconut oil is a powerhouse ingredient and works wonders on our skin, too.
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Skin Replenishment Is Vital
Now that you’ve successfully removed your cosmetics (and hopefully saved a few extra minutes with these pro tips), it’s not quite time to hit the pillow. Removing makeup is the first step to a balanced skin care routine, but you can’t forget replenishing and hydrating skin afterward. "After removing makeup, you want to replace natural oils that cleansers sometimes remove from your skin," Sotomayor says. He prefers natural ingredients that hydrate, like squalane to nourish, moisturize and protect skin. No matter what you choose, make sure the serum or moisturizer is chock-full of hydration because proper skin care is the first step to a stunning makeup look.
Image: Imaxtree
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Biossance
100% Squalane Oil, $24 at Biossance
This weightless oil absorbs into skin to lock in hydration.
