Sorry, But You’ve Been Removing Your Make-Up Wrong All Along. Here’s How To Do It Properly

It’s arguably the most crucial step in your beauty routine, and removing your make-up incorrectly, or (shock horror) not removing it at all can lead to extra breakouts, clogged pores and a dull complexion.

The kicker? We’ve all been making a few big mistakes when it comes to sloughing off our slap come the end of the day. We spoke to make-up artist Clare Hogan to find out where we’re going wrong when it comes to make-up removal, and crucially, how to get it right.

The Mistakes

Using too much product

You don’t need to saturate the cotton wool pad with product, and in fact doing so can lead to residue being left on the skin and clogging up your pores. You should start with a pea-sized amount of cleanser and then add more as it’s required.

Using wipes

“Face wipes are for emergencies only,” Clare warns. “They should not be used as a regular form of removing make-up or cleansing.” Why are they such a no-no? “They can cause irritation, drag on the skin and don’t do a thorough job of removing all traces of make-up and dirt from your skin,” Clare explains.

You’re being too rough

Skin can be super sensitive, and sloughing off your make-up with a rough hand can lead to enlarged pores and in extreme cases damaged capillaries. “Don’t pull on your eye area in particular,” says Clare. “This contributes to lines around the eye area and can irritate your skin.

Doing it right

You’ll need to use “a good cream or gel cleanser,” suggests Clare. “I like Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser, €20.75, massaged into the skin and then removed using a damp, warm face cloth or muslin cloth. This is the best way to ensure your face is clean without aggravating the skin.”

Applied your make-up a little heavy handedly this AM? “If you’re wearing a lot of make-up you can use a cleanser such as Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion,” Clare recommends. “Massage it into the skin and then remove it using a cotton pad soaked in toner or Micellar water. Lastly, use the cream cleanser with a hot cloth, to remove the rest.”

€3.29

For eye make-up, “the best thing to do is soak a cotton pad in eye make-up remover and place it on your eye allowing it to work on the make-up and then wipe,” Clare explains. “The eye area is very sensitive and the skin is much thinner than the rest of your face, so remember, you need to treat it gently.”

• Beauty
• make-up
• skincare