If you read my previous post on things you can do during lockdown, one of the things I included on my list was to test out new body/skincare products – it’s the perfect opportunity if like me, you’re shunning make up in favour of a bare face.
I decided to go make up free to test whether it was having an impact on my skin and if it was making it better or worse – I’ve been told for years that wearing it would make my skin worse than it already was, so I wanted to find out if it was a fact or a myth.
During this time I thought it would also be a great opportunity for testing out some products I haven’t gotten around to testing without a veil of makeup on my face, covering any progress being made.
Some of the products I decided to put to the test included;
- Salicyclic Acid and Retinol – The Ordinary
- A skincare set from No7 including a sheet face mask, moisturising face mask, cleanser, day cream, night cream, eye cream and lip moisturiser
- Lacura Healthy Glow Glycolic Toner
In order to have a fully researched post prior to my own active testing (I say active as I had already been make up free for a couple of weeks beforehand), I did a quick Google search to see whether I could find some articles online that would give some background as to whether the use of makeup makes acne worse.
Here are some of the articles I found helpful in my research and helped me come to the initial opinion that makeup isn’t a direct cause of acne, but can indeed have an impact if unsuitable products are used or it isn’t removed properly at the end of the day.
- 14 Acne Myths You Need To Stop Believing – Cosmopolitan
- Does Using Makeup Make Acne Worse – La Roche Posay
- What Happens When You Stop Wearing Make Up – The List
In order to document the journey, I took some photos of my face before I started to regularly use the products for reference;
My main problem area has been along the side of my face or the “sideburn” area and on my chin so it’s where I thought I should focus when monitoring my progress.
I’ve always found it difficult to keep to a skincare routine but as I was cutting out my makeup routine in the mornings, I soon found it easy to get into a rhythm after having a bath/shower in the evenings.
I started to look forward to my little pamper time and without fail (okay maybe once or twice) would always go through my evening routine which I’ve shared below:
- Remove makeup using the No 7 Purifying Clay Cleanser (usually in the bath/shower), massaging it into my skin using either my fingers or electric cleansing brush, removing with a cotton cloth and rinsing with water
- Using a cotton pad, I would then apply the Glycolic Toner (this is actually from Aldi and was only about £3.89) and remove any grime still leftover on my face, which turned out not to be a lot since I wasn’t using any makeup
- I’d then apply my serums, usually starting with the Salicylic Acid, followed by the Retinol
- Finally I would end with my eye cream and night cream
I don’t usually put anything on my skin in the day time as it tends to look greasy and I can break out, so decided to skip the day time most days but did try out the day cream on a few days during this experiment.
5 weeks later
Conclusion
As someone that regularly removes their makeup and doesn’t hit the pillow with a full face on, I don’t think my wearing makeup makes a difference to the amount of spots I get.
Although I can’t say I’ve noticed a huge difference (if any) in the amount of break outs I get from not wearing any makeup, I have noticed that there’s been a slight change in the pigmentation which I would put down to the retinol – so this experiment wasn’t a total loss!
I also found out that the No 7 lip moisturiser did not agree with me, unfortunately it led to my lips cracking and the corners of my mouth splitting which was unbelievably uncomfortable and an absolute bastard whenever I ate, drank, yawned or spoke.
I hope you all found this interesting and helpful – let me know whether you find makeup has an impact on your skin in the comments and what your favourite skincare products are!
acneacne scarringlacura healthy glow glycolic tonerno 7 hydration maskno 7 protect and perfect intense day and night creamskincareskincare routine
