L360 editor and qualified aesthetician Mattie Lacey-Davidson reveals how to remove heavy-duty fancy-dress makeup without irritating your skin and the products you need.
Red devils, skeleton smiles and clown faces — I love to see it come 31 October, but I hate to think about how it comes off.
I’ve seen some real horror stories, involving the likes of baby wipes and bar soap.
While you often need a thorough cleanse (or three) to remove fancy-dress makeup, ‘over-cleansing’ is one of the fastest ways to damage your skin barrier and leave your face red, irritated and even breaking out.
Here’s what you need to know — from how to remove makeup to how not to — as well as the best cleansers to use for Halloween 2024.
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How not to remove makeup
Baby wipes… Bad for the planet and bad for your skin.
First and foremost, they do a very bad job of cleansing. Like wiping up spilled food with nothing but paper towels — if you don’t wash the area, there’s going to be residue left behind.
Secondly, a combination of the harsh fabric scrubbing your skin and the chemicals the wipes contain to preserve them over long periods contribute to dry and dehydrated skin. And repeated or long-term use will undoubtedly damage your skin barrier and leave you with redness.
Next up — bar soap, another no-go. Bar soaps are great at stripping dirt and bacteria from our hands, but they’re a little too effective for our faces. Remember when I said over-cleansing is one of the fastest ways to damage your skin barrier? That’s one reason why they’re bad, but there’s more.
Our skin has a natural pH of around 5.5 (slightly acidic) while bar soaps tend to be 10-11 (alkaline). Reducing the acidity of our skin makes it less effective at protecting itself from microbes (aka bacteria, virus and fungi), which can cause breakouts and even skin infections.
And it doesn’t stop there. They’re often dyed and scented, meaning they sit pretty and smell nice in our bathrooms. but those ingredients can be highly irritating.
If you’re wondering why it’s fine for the skin on our hands, it’s important to know that the skin on our faces is thinner and gets far more exposure to environmental aggressors (such as sunlight and harsh weather).
What’s the best way to remove Halloween makeup?
Balm or oil cleanser, followed by a face wash and finishing with micellar water if there’s any residue still visible.
Three cleanses might sound like overkill considering everything I’ve said but let me explain.
An oil cleanser (balms are just solidified oils that melt on the skin) will break down and dissolve the makeup without stripping your skin — in fact, some balm and oil cleansers can be quite nourishing.
It’s important not to rush this step. Really work the product into your skin and focus on any areas where there’s several layers or waterproof makeup (often around the eyes) to break it all down.
Once this is done, you’ll be able to rinse off the bulk of the makeup with lukewarm water, without bothering your skin barrier.
You can then grab a face wash suitable for your skin type and use this to emulsify any remaining product, along with any dirt or skincare underneath, to efficiently cleanse the skin.
If you still see makeup remaining, you can use micellar water and reusable cotton pads (preferably soft, microfibre ones) to cleanse your skin or specific areas again.
Micellar water is oil suspended in water — so you’re getting the cleansing benefits of both, but it’s very gentle — with micelles that act as magnets to remove makeup from the skin. You don’t need to wash micellar water off, but if you prefer to, you can do so using water.
I’d then follow with a very gentle skincare routine, focusing on hydration and moisture and skipping retinol or chemical exfoliators.
The best makeup remover cleansers
Beauty of Joseon’s Ginseng Cleansing Oil (£17) uses soybean and ginseng oil to effectively cleanse the skin while also delivering hydration.
Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm (£29) contains omegas 3, 6 and 9 along with fatty acids and jojoba seed oil to moisturise the skin while cleansing.
Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm (£29) contains papaya extract and enzymes to gently exfoliate while it works, along with vitamin C to brighten skin.
Byoma Melting Balm Cleanser (£14.99) is super affordable and super effective. It’s got niacinamide to balance sebum in the skin with olive fruit, sea buckthorn and rapeseed oils which are sensitive skin-friendly and hydrating.
Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm (£24) claims to ‘neutralise dirt and pollutants’ with moringa tree extract while deep cleansing with sunflower and ginger root oils and papaya extract to gently exfoliate and brighten. It does have a few essential oils (lime, bergamot and orange) but promises to be safe for sensitive skin.
Garnier Micellar Oil-Infused Cleansing Water (£5.99) promises to be safe for dry and sensitive skin while removing long-wear and waterproof makeup with a no-rinse formula. It has a non-greasy finish and is ophthalmologically tested to be safe on the eye area.
