Soothing Your Scary Skin

Halloween festivities have come to an end, and everyone had a great time, but why is your skin still in scary mode?

In the day or two after Halloween, you might notice that your skin has broken out in little red bumps or has become irritated. If you wore face paint, costume makeup, or even applied lipstick on your face as part of an outfit, there is a huge possibility that the oils and dyes in those products are causing your scary skin.

Face paint and costume makeup are chockful of oils and waxes that can be highly pore-clogging. When the natural oils in your pores aren't able to be freely distributed and are instead held back by other oils or waxes from beauty products, this excess oil will become stuck in your pores. The result of this oil abundance creates inflammation of your pore linings which then leads to swelling, redness, and, sometimes, pain.


Without a doubt, most face paint and bold makeup contain certain dyes which can be incredibly irritating. Red and yellow dyes are especially to blame for little bumps that might crop up within the next day.  However, you might not necessarily be in the clear if you don't notice any irritation in your skin after a day or two. Some skin types can experience these irritation bumps up to a week after wearing the offending product. These bumps are not always itchy or painful, but can often exhibit those side-effects in some instances. Lipsticks and lip pencils very heavily utilize red dyes, which is something to keep an eye on if these products are used anywhere other than on your lips.

The most surprising contributor to irritated skin is a product that one would think is helping to remedy the situation, not further it. That product is...makeup remover.  More specifically, the way it's used so much of the time - rubbing hard and rubbing for too long, using a scratchy washcloth, or even paper towel.

Some removers can leave a film on the skin caused by various conditioners or softeners within the product. Many makeup removing clothes or pads, or even baby wipes, contain these pore-clogging conditioners, so make sure to keep those products away, unless you want to keep your scary skin!

Makeup remover does need to be thoroughly removed by a cleanser that is suitable for your skin-type. As a general rule, an ideal cleanser should rinse easily and not feel too tight or dry afterwards.  

Thing is, there is now an alternative to liquid or gel makeup remover or makeup removing balms, for removal of non-waterproof makeup, so simple and so brilliant, you'll never have to buy another makeup remover again.  What's the magic alternative? Microfiber!  I found one that is so soft, so effective, and most of all, removes eye makeup without tugging at your lashes, and then removes all the rest of the makeup from your whole face! 

To continue calming your skin, I would also recommend giving yourself an at-home facial. While your skin is healing, refrain from using "harsh" products that irritate skin, including drying cleansers, acid serums, or any products that contain alcohol as an ingredient.  Any "harsh" products should be used only under close supervision of an esthetic professional anyway, even without sensitivity, but it's even more important when you're trying to solve a problem.

If you're in your 30s, 40s or 50s, I offer a comprehensive service called Eval By Email Online Skincare Consultation for adult acne that helps tackle problem skin, that provides a completely personalized skincare routine. While my facial studio is based in Chicago, IL, you can still benefit from this consultation even if you're from out of state (US only). You'll get a skincare regimen that's tailored just for you with ongoing personalized help and attention!