Quick Tips for Makeup Removal

After a long day of wear, makeup tends to fade, sweat, or melt off. Liquid and mineral foundations are great for long days of sun exposure, but will still end up seeping into your pores or sweating off your face eventually. Eye makeup is also difficult to remove, especially when you smudge something smudge-proof! Sometimes, even after you take a shower or wash your face, some makeup will tend to stick around. Makeup can build up in your pores and on the surface of your skin if not properly washed away. Most face makeup is made to last, after all!

The biggest problem most women have in the summer time is eyeliner and mascara that isn't waterproof, or simply isn't waterproof enough. (No matter how water resistant a product is, you should always expect water to have adverse effects on your makeup!) Eye makeup can run down your face and mix into your foundation, making your skin tone look off-color. When mascara comes off from water, small pieces of it can actually fall into your eyes and cause damage. Even waterproof mascara can be hazardous if you prolong water exposure to your eyes. Luckily, there are a few handy, natural ways to get rid of pesky leftover makeup on your skin after you wash your face.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This is the most widely known way to remove makeup naturally, and is safer and easier to use around your eyes to remove runny eyeliner and mascara. (A good way to store the olive oil you plan to use solely for makeup removal is to keep it in a cool, dark place, preferably a container that previously held makeup because they're built to keep it good as new.) Using a small makeup wedge, sponge, or tissue, dab a small amount of olive oil onto your skin, dabbing softly to pick up any makeup that's hiding. Olive oil is particularly good to use on dark eye makeup, like black eye liner and mascara.

Potatoes and Potato Juice

Potatoes have been used for a long time to soak up excess anything, from broths in food to oil on your skin! Using a small, thin slice of potato you can dab away the leftover makeup that could clog your pores and give you acne. Using potato juice is a great alternative, you can even add some to your favorite facial cleanser to ensure it gets all your makeup off on the first try.

Cucumber Slices

Not only are cucumber slices a great way to naturally lighten the dark circles under your eyes, but they're also great at scrubbing away makeup that's hiding in your pores or sticking to your skin. A skinned cucumber slice is a safe and easy way to clean around your eyes, ridding you of any eye makeup that would previously refuse to come off safely.

Lemon, Lime, and Orange Peel

Citrus fruits are known for their detoxifying properties and their effective natural cleaning powers. Using the fruit itself can be dangerous if you're trying to remove eye makeup - If you get that in your eyes, it'll hurt a whole lot. Using the peels are just as effective, and they are much easier to use when you're just trying to gently pick up excess makeup from the delicate skin on your face.

Aloe Vera

Aloe is great for moisturizing the skin on your face in a way that won't add any extra oils that can cause acne or discoloration. The fact that it can also help remove difficult makeup from your pores just adds to it's usefulness, securing aloe's place in your medicine cabinet. You can use aloe much like you can use olive oil - A little bit on a tissue or sponge can safely wipe and dab away any makeup that's threatening your perfect complexion.

Always remember that when you're trying to remove makeup from the eye area, you should use small, gentle strokes and movements so you don't get anything harmful in your eyes. Using natural things to clean your skin is the best way to keep it beautiful!