Dressing up, going out and bingeing scary films – Halloween's one hell of a good time. However, there's a potential downside even scarier than the inevitable post-candy crash. And it's the impact of all that heavy-duty makeup, industrial-strength face paint and sweaty latex on your skin.
Whether you prefer a complex makeup look or a standard Scream mask, your complexion can take a beating on All Hallow's Eve. Because if you neglect to remove all the sweat, product residue, oils and bacteria left lurking in your pores, your next-day complexion will be more horrifying than any costume.
So, to make sure this Fright Night doesn't blend into a scary sunrise, invest in some aftercare. Here's a simple Halloween skincare routine to follow – skip it at your peril.
Deep cleanse
Cleansing before bed is always important. But don’t even think about skipping it after a night of trick-or-treating! Thicker, heavier and designed to be budge-proof, Halloween makeup is no run-of-the-mill slap. Depending on the products or face paints you use, it can be highly comedogenic – meaning it can lead to clogged pores, dull skin, blemishes, bumps and irritation.
To send cosmetic residue packing, perform a double cleanse with a deeply purifying cleanser with ingredients like Pink Clay and AHAs – the heroes of our detoxifying and smoothing Deep Pore Cleanser. Or as we like to call it, The Exorcist.
Have oily, breakout-prone skin? Choose a balancing face wash that will banish all traces of makeup and excess sebum while soothing irritation. With exfoliating salicylic acid, soothing Old Man Weed and barrier-boosting prebiotics, our Oil Control Clearing Cleanser will remove impurities and reduce redness caused by all that heavy face paint. Or a hot and itchy Halloween mask.
Detox pores
Speaking of masks, now’s the ideal time to treat yourself (get it?) with a purifying face mask to draw out any debris left lurking in your pores. A powerhouse detoxifier, Australian Pink Clay is a magnet for impurities – and even the stickiest glitter and heaviest makeup won’t stand a chance against it.
After cleansing, apply a pink clay-based mask, such as our cult Porefining Face Mask. Let it work its gentle purging magic for ten minutes, then rinse away the mask and admire your tighter-looking pores and newfound radiance.
Freaking out about breaking out? Choose a mask that targets the causes of acne with ingredients like purifying clay, exfoliating BHA and sebum-regulating niacinamide. You’ll find all these ingredients, and more, in our Oil Control Clearing Mask.
Exfoliate away the nasties
If you’ve seen enough masks for one night, that’s fine. Just swap out your clay mask for a super-charged exfoliator. (Note: You can get too much of a good thing, so avoid using a purifying face mask and exfoliator in the same skincare sesh.)
To slough away dead skin cells, makeup residue and oils, while boosting cell turnover for fresh, glowing skin, use the Enzyme Powder Polish to gently resurface.
Isabelle uses Enzyme Powder Polish
Repair and replenish
It’s not just congestion you have to contend with, either. After a few festive beverages and a night in heavy makeup, your skin can suffer from dehydration. So replenishing lost moisture before you crash for the night is key.
Now you’ve drawn out all the gunk, you need to pamper your partied-out skin with hydrating products that support overnight repair. Our product of choice for this is a nourishing night cream. Thicker and typically more active than day creams, a night cream supports the skin barrier to reduce water loss as you sleep. While supporting the repair and regeneration process that ramps up overnight.
To help combat a night in heavy Halloween makeup, keep an eye out for super-hydrators like hyaluronic acid and squalane. These are found in our Renewing Night Cream – alongside fortifying Tasmanian Spring Water and collagen-boosting Glacial Glycoproteins.
Use a skin barrier-repairing moisturiser when you wake up the next day – our Hydration Boost Cream strengthens the skin barrier to improve moisture retention and provides deep hydration, so your skin maintains that healthy glow all day long.
What about skin prep?
So that’s aftercare sorted, but is there anything you can do to prep and protect your skin before you pile on the fake blood and paint your way to a ghoulish pallor? You betcha.
Start with exfoliating your skin the day before so dead skin cells won’t get trapped under your makeup. Then focus on pre-hydration with a serum and moisturiser. Heavy makeup and paints can be irritating, so a primer is always a good idea to create a barrier next to your skin.
Finally, make sure you do a patch test of new products too. Or else? You risk waking up to a nightmare.
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Written & edited by: Pip Jarvis and Celeste
