Everyone is familiar with that post-feis or post-show skin breakout. Pounds of makeup gets put on your face, to only sweat profusely underneath it. This inevitably clogs your pores and irritates your skin. We know that not wearing makeup is not an option, and you can’t stop yourself from sweating, so The Irish Dance Globe spoke with licensed esthetician, Kelly Sime, to share her tips and tricks on proper skin care pre and post feising.
Feis Day Skincare Starts the Night Before
Kelly explains that caring for your skin the night before is the first step to preventing a breakout post-feis. “You should cleanse for 60 seconds always, and gently exfoliate your skin,” she says.
She also recommends using chemical exfoliants over physical exfoliant scrubs. “Scrubs can be harsh and cause micro tears to your skin’s surface causing irritation.”
“One chemical and physical exfoliant I approve of is Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. Otherwise I love a gentle enzyme exfoliant like the Image skincare hydrating enzyme mask and products containing lactic acid. Ideally followed by a hydrating mist, hydrating serum, and moisturiser.”
Clean Your Makeup Brushes
Part of your makeup routine needs to include cleaning your brushes. Kelly recommends that you do this at minimum once per week with an antibacterial soap. Cleaning your makeup brushes doesn’t only help your skin by removing the dirt, oil, bacteria, and dead skin that gets stuck in the bristles, but it also improves the lifespan of your brushes as well.
What to Look for in Your Makeup
Kelly recommends if you are acne prone, you should find non comedogenic primers and foundations. Makeup artist and esthetician Brooke Bullard recommends NYX Marshmallow Primer and Milk Hydro Grip Primer. Mineral makeup is the least comedogenic, meaning it’s the least likely to cause blackheads by blocking pores.
You should also avoid heavily fragranced skincare and makeup. “Fragrance whether artificial or in the form of essential oils is the number one most common irritant in cosmetics,” says Kelly.
Understanding Sweat
“Sweat is not all bad for your skin,” Kelly says. “In addition to lipids, it is part of the skin’s acid mantle that serves as a barrier to protect your skin from infection, irritation, and dehydration. Regular exercise and sweat production have been shown to have anti-aging effects.”
She explains that the negative effects are a result of sweat sitting on the skin for too long. “Sweat is not just water leaving your pores, it also contains oil and dead skin cells that can clog pores when left to dry. Also, the ammonia and urea in sweat can cause irritation and inflammation when left on the skin.”
To prevent the negative effects of sweat setting in, Kelly advises to remove your makeup and cleanse your skin as soon as you can.
Makeup Removal Tips
Full makeup removal requires double or triple cleansing. The first wash is to remove all of your makeup, and the following are to cleanse the skin. And crucially, the sooner the better.
Most of us pack our bags with wipes to get makeup off during the travels home, but these can actually be harmful. “I do not recommend makeup wipes,” Kelly says. “They generally contain high amounts of alcohol and are harsh and drying. They also lead to a lot of rubbing of the eye area. We want to always be gentle with the skin around our eyes, it’s the thinnest on our bodies.”
Instead, Kelly recommends using an oil cleanser or a cleansing balm for your first cleanse. “They are excellent for melting away makeup. I use Dermalogica’s precleanse. Your second cleanse can be a cream or gel cleanser depending on your skin type. Generally speaking, creamy cleansers are best for dry skin and gel cleansers are best for oily skin.”
See an esthetician
Everyone’s skin is different and unique to them, and all require different care practices. Kelly encourages going to a local esthetician for regular facials and for a personalised skincare recommendations. “Everyone’s skin is so different and a professional can help you find products that work for you.”
Follow Kelly on Instagram for more Skincare tips @esty_kellymarie.
